For more than five decades, former Prime Minister of France Jean-Pierre Raffarin has been witness to China’s tremendous development. As a prominent figure in Europe, Raffarin has long promoted an understanding between China and the world. He has praised the Chinese people for their hard work and intelligence, and that China will certainly be active on the global stage for a long time to come. He thinks that while it is never easy to understand the profundities of Chinese civilization, it is important to appreciate engagement with China, "We can have different opinions, different strategies... but in the long run, we need to have cooperation with China."