China and France hold forum on people-to-people exchanges in Paris

The China-France High-Level Forum on People-to-People Exchanges was held in Paris on Tuesday, co-hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association, China Media Group (CMG) and the Chinese Embassy in France.

CMG President Shen Haixiong delivered a video address, describing bilateral relations as "two pearls shining brightly in the long river of human history."

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

CMG will launch a number of high-quality works and large-scale activities around the anniversary. It will also send a team of more than 2,000 people to use first-class technology to broadcast and report on the Paris Olympics to the world, Shen said.

The group also announced at the forum that the panda channel on CCTV.com will launch a dedicated page for pandas traveling to France.

A French politician from the Renaissance party said that the 60th anniversary of the establishment of France-China diplomatic relations marks an important historical moment. He highlighted that from the establishment of relations in 1964, to the comprehensive partnership in 1997 and the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2004, France-China relations have always been at the forefront of China's cooperation with Western powers.

The two sides have carried out constructive cooperation in the fields of diplomacy, economy, culture and education, and achieved fruitful results, setting a strong example for global exchange, said the French politician.

Amidst rapid global change, France and China should deepen cooperation on existing foundations, forging consensus on global peace, climate action, green development, AI and clean energy, he added.

Patrick Brunot, president of the Sino-French Friendship Association in Paris, emphasized promoting official and public exchanges to strengthen political, cultural and economic ties, and fostering mutual understanding, especially for the French people to see the real China. 

The association will hold a number of activities in France and China, and will send experts to participate in activities related to Chinese cultural heritage in order to promote cultural exchanges and tourism between the two nations, Patrick Brunot added. 

Rodolphe Delord, director of ZooParc de Beauval, sees pandas as a symbol of France-China friendship.

He recalled the year of 1973, when the then-French President Georges Pompidou visited China, where he got a pair of giant pandas, Li Li and Yen Yen, as a gift from China. Beauval Zoo welcomed its first giant panda Yuan Meng in 2017, marking the first giant panda ever born in France. 

In the future, the zoo director hopes the two nations can continue to cooperate and further promote biodiversity protection.