A NEW AGE FOR SINO-FRENCH RELATIONS

正As the French president makes his first official visit to China,work begins on a more unified Eurasia On January 10,French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up his first state visit to China,which began three days earlier in Xi’an,an ancient capital and a city rich in history and culture,in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.Choosing Xi’an as the first stop of his trip was not merely a show of the French peo-     

STATESMANSHIP A LA SARKOZY

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to China is a milestone in the development of a strategic partnership between the two countriesCOVER STORY In true French style Nicholas Sarkozy's whirlwind visit to China was flamboyant,extensive and achieved much.The two countries share a common understanding of politics,mutual economic interests and cultures, which all drive the desire to improve mutual trust.With China now replacing Japan as France's focus in Asia,the Chinese are shouting Vive Le France! And the French president showed his commitment to the new era in strategic partnership,not only in words,but also in trade deals worth billions of euros.     

Thrown Off The Track

One of the quirky yet inspiring images to come out of China during the novel coronavirus epidemic is that of Hu Chuanchun,a media person in Hangzhou in east China,who shared his indoor running drill on Weibo,the popular Chinese social media platform.The 45-year-old,self-confined to his apartment since the outbreak,said he clocked a personal record of 8.14 km in 47 minutes,all of it achieved on a yoga mat in his living room.     

文化交流架金桥——法国佛教文化代表团晋城考察访问侧记

From February 25 to March 1, on the occasion of the Lantern Festival in the Year of Horse, the French Buddhism cultural delegation consisting of 6 persons led by Mr. Paul, a member of the French Parliament, Director of the French Religious Bureau, President of the French International Buddhism Academy, paid a five-day investigative visit to Jincheng City. It is reported that the Chinese government is going to hold "Year of China" in France in 2003 and the French government will have "Ann(?)e de la France en Chine" in 2004, for the purpose of cultural     

CLOSE-SINO-FRENCH TIES,TRES BON!

Sarkozy's visit to China deepens all-round cooperation between the two countriesThree days,three cities from west to east,more than 2,200 years of civi- lization and development—this was what French President Nicholas Sarkozy covered during his November 25-27 visit to China.Besides his discussions with Chinese leaders and a speech at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Sarkozy visited some of the capital's Olympic venues and traveled to Xi'an to see the histor- ical terracotta army.In Shanghai,he felt the pulse of a modernized China,and promoted bilateral economic cooperation.     

WORLD

正FRANCE People gather around the damaged Notre Dame Cathedral on April 16, a day after a fire destroyed the spire and roof of the iconic building in Paris. In a message to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Chinese President Xi Jinping said like the French, the Chinese were also deeply saddened by the devastation     

Zhu Rongji,Li Ruihuan Meeting with Alain Juppe

Zhu Rongji, premier of the State Council, metwith Alain Juppe, former French prime minis-ter and mayor of Bordeaux, at Diaoyutai State GuestHouse in Beijing on the afternoon of June 13.Zhu Rongji extended his welcome to Juppe andbriefed him on China's economic situation. He saidthat China attaches importance to the developmentof friendly relations with France and the EuropeanUnion and hopes to strengthen cooperation withthem so as to contribute to world peace, stabilityand development.     

Tian Jiaxin: Bring China to the World with Music

正FROM a little girl who cried at her first concert to a performer on the international stage,Tian Jiaxin,by realizing her musical dream,is making the world hear China.On April 28,the"French Spirit"concert was held at the National Theatre for the Performing Arts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations.The French maestro Philippe Entremont and his Chinese student Tian Jiaxin brought the concert to its peak with their free-flowing performance of Mozart’s piano concerto.Although they had collaborated before,it was the fi rst time Tian performed with her French     

BEING DISCHARGED

The only patient infected with the novel coronavirus in Tibet Autonomous Region,southwest China,accepts a bouquet of flowers from the doctor in charge of his case after his recovery at the Third People's Hospital in Lhasa on February 12.The 34-year-old patient,a tourist from Suizhou,Hubei Province in central China,arrived in Lhasa on January 24 for a pre-booked tour,and was confirmed to have the virus soon after.He was discharged from the hospital after 18 days of treatment.As of February 14,over 6,000 infected patients in China had recovered.     

Fortieth Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties Between China and France Marked

On January 16, 2004 the CPAFFC held a reception to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. CPAFFC President Chen Haosu and French Ambassador to China Jean-Pierre Lafon spoke on the occasion.In his speech CPAFFC President Chen Haosu said, forty years ago, Chairman Mao Zedong and General Charles de Gaulle with their great foresight decided to establish the diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level between China and France,     

Saving the Fish and The Fishermen

正10-year ban on commercial fishing in Yangtze River brings positive changes After bidding farewell to fishing, Zhao Zelun now spends more time on his farm and his newly renovated guesthouse on Zhongba Island in Chongqing Municipality in southwest China. For nearly three decades, Zhao made a living as a fisherman on the Yangtze River. But in 2010, he started thinking of going offshore as the number of fish began to     

Snow-on-Grass Yellow Croaker-Dish Fit for an Empress

Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong(1711-1799) was on his way back to the capital after one of his periodic visits to southern China when he came upon a huge,snow-white translucent boulder in a bamboo grove. After remarking on the beauty and immensity of what appeared to him a snow dune on lush green grass,he ordered that it be brought to the royal palace.     

Desert Groove

<正>From the far southern reaches of the Sahara,a musical trio brings Tuareg culture to China Born to a family of blacksmiths in the city of Agadez,on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert in Niger,nothing predestined Goumour Omar Adam to become a musician.In fact,his journey into music was     

Global Partnership China and India seek to exert a positive influence on-the world

China and India seek to exert a positive influence on-the world Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao dis- played his signature smile as he and his visiting Indian counter- part Manmohan Singh signed a document to upgrade China-India relations in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on January 14.Wen had good rea- son to be confident.Having just concluded a fruitful meeting in which the two leaders reached a consensus on a wide range of top- ics,they were now reaffirming in a written document the two countries'commitment to intensifying bilateral cooperation from a global perspective.     

For Better Global Governance

On May 7,the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies affiliated to publishing conglomerate China International Publishing Group and The Bridge Tank,a French think tank,hosted a webinar on China-France cooperation and how the two countries can jointly promote a more just and equitable global governance in the post-epidemic era.Following the China-France Global Governance Forum in Paris in 2019,this webinar was the latest initiative to strengthen dialogue and cooperation on global governance between the two countries.     

The Art of Persuasion

French President Emmanuel Macron has recently come under the spotlight. He chose to side with the U.S. and the UK on military action in Syria in April, a decision likely borne of his impulse to cling to America and keep alive his dream of reviving France as a great power. He also visited Washington, D.C. as Europe's envoy in the hope of persuading the U.S. not to forsake the Iran nuclear agreement and to extend Europe's exemption from Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs. Of most concern to Macron at present is the reestablishment of France and Germany's central role in Europe, to push ahead with reform of the euro zone and to revitalize the European Union (EU).     

PEOPLE & POINTS

正NEW MFA SPOKESPERSON On February 24, Zhao Lijian, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Department, debuted as the 31st MFA spokesperson and hosted the daily press conference.Born in November 1972 in Hebei, north China, Zhao worked in the Department of Asian Affairs in the ministry and embassies in the U.S. and Pakistan, and has accumulated a high level of diplomatic expertise and communication skills during his diplomatic career spanning 24years. He was appointed deputy director general of the ministry’s Information Department in 2019.Zhao became a celebrity on Twitter when he worked in the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan from 2015 to 2019, due to his measured clarifications on China on several occasions on the social media. He became famous as a"wolf warrior" diplomat after a heated debate with Susan Rice, former U.S. national security adviser, during which he tweeted appreciation for the support of ambassadors of 37 countries to China’s Xinjiang policy.     

Opposites Attract

The leaders of France and the UK both undertook their first visits to China last month. On January 8, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in Xi'an, a city key to the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, that Europe and China must work together on the development of a modern-day Silk Road. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May, who arrived in Beijing on January 31, agreed with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in a press conference that the UK was "a natural partner" for the Belt and Road Initiative.     

RestoringTrust

正The way forward for China-ROK relations Moon Jae-in,President of the Republic of Korea(ROK),paid a state visit to China at the end of 2017,also his maiden trip to the neighboring country after taking office.With the series of outcomes achieved in Beijing during his visit on bilateral relations and the consensus reached on the Korean Peninsula     

Commemoration of 110th Anniversary of Rewi Alley's Birth Held in Beijing

The year 2007 marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of Rewi Alley,the 80th anniversary of his arrival in China and the 20th anniversary of his passing.The CPAFFC held a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 7 to commemorate this important occasion.Gu