China-France friend"ship" Sailing since the Amphitrite

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China.org.cn

Jan 26, 2024, 09:00 ET

BEIJING, Jan. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on China-France relations:

In 1698, a large barque took off from La Rochelle, a port city in France, and sailed all the way to Guangzhou, China.

The barque, the Amphitrite, navigated to China's shores fully loaded with western goods like glass and woolen fabrics; when it returned to France, it shipped Chinese specialties like porcelain and lacquerware. On the Amphitrite came several western scientists, including Joachim Bouvet, Dominique Parrenin and Jean Regis, who not only introduced China's Confusion classics and history to France and even Europe as a whole, but also stayed in China for years, facilitating exchanges in culture and science between the two countries.

This vessel, quoting French Sinologist Paul Pelliot, is the "origin" of the relationship between China and France. Several centuries later, a kite again connected the two countries.

In the 1950s, a "monkey-king" kite along with a letter from a Chinese child, fell from the skies and onto a tree in Paris. Two French children found the kite and embarked on a journey to find its owner. After some magical experiences, the French children finally "met" the Chinese child at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Hand in hand, they flew the "monkey-king" sky-high…

This children's movie, "Cerf-Volant Du Bout Du Monde," "The Magic of the Kite" in English, was co-produced by China and France, making it the very first film that China made with other countries since 1949. Kites, in Chinese cultural contexts, denote exploring the wider world and connecting with the unknown; the film, with the whole story centered around a kite, in a sense signifies the communication between the then newly founded People's Republic of China and western countries: Back in the 1950s, China and France hadn't established formal diplomatic ties, but co-producing a film has no doubt facilitated people-to-people exchanges. "The Magic of the Kite" was once played in French schools for over three decades, serving as the first window for generations of French to know China.

On January 27th, 1964, the People's Republic of China and the French Republic officially established diplomatic ties, and France became the first major western country to set up diplomatic relations with China. In the following six decades, the two countries forged a comprehensive partnership, launched the Strategic Dialogues, set up cultural centers in each other's territories, and held the Year of China in France and the Year of France in China. The two countries also opened China's first flight route with a western country, and initiated the first instance of civil nuclear energy cooperation. Pragmatic collaboration and friendly exchanges of such kind between China and France were all unprecedented ventures for China's relations with western countries. The fruits of their cooperation also brought concrete benefits to the people of both countries.

Moreover, China and France have joined hands on the restoration of the Notre Dame, and carried out technical training and communications on the protection of the Terracotta Warriors at Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum. The efforts are not made for the two countries only, but for preserving the treasures of humanity for all of human civilization. China and France also worked in the same spirit to facilitate the realization of the Paris Agreement, and later they collaborated to transform the China-France Carbon Neutrality Center from a concept to reality. Via such practices, they are using their bi-lateral cooperation to seek a greater good in tackling the challenges facing all humanity.

The friendship between China and France dates back to the Amphitrite centuries ago. Since the two countries officially established diplomatic ties, the ship of China-French relations has sailed for 60 years. There were ups and downs along the way, but friendly cooperation has always been the sailing route, which is exciting among the uncertainties in the current world. Facing the future, the two countries are bound to continue such relations, share challenges and development through cooperation, and inject further impetus for Europe and even the world.

China Mosaic

http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn