On the afternoon of October 28th, 2014, First Secretary of the Socialist Party of France Jean-Christopher Cambadelis led a delegation to visit Peking University (PKU). Chairman of PKU Council Zhu Shanlu, PKU Vice President Li Yansong received the guests at Linhuxuan. Both sides enjoyed a fruitful discussion on Sino-French relations as well as the state of cooperation between PKU and its French counterparts.
Zhu first extended warm welcome to the guests. He noted that 2014 was a year that saw significant development in Chinese-French ties, such as President Xi Jinping’s visit to France in March. Zhu also shared the experience that he encountered while visiting French universities, and noted that cooperation and interaction between Chinese and French universities would play an important role in facilitating the relationship between both countries.
Cambadelis expressed his gratitude for PKU’s warm reception. He affirmed that it was necessary to boost cooperation between universities from both China and France, and pointed out that they could raise the level of cooperation through communication in the area of science and technology.
After the meeting, Cambadelis proceeded to give a lecture on “How China and Europe Can Build a Partnership for Peace Together”. The lecture was divided into three themes: current global situation, current Chinese-French and Chinese-European relations, as well as the common future for China and France. Cambadelis first pointed out that globalization should aim at creating a vibrant multi-polar world that emphasizes universal values such as harmony, unity and mutual respect. Such a world would need the participation of Europe and China.
Cambadelis also noted that China and France faced common challenges in areas such as ecological environment, trade, and regional political stability. He believed that China and France should enhance their cultural and strategic cooperation, and stated that France was willing to support China’s development by providing technology transfers. Finally, Cambadelis expressed his support for China to play a bigger role on the global arena.
Written by: Pan Guanwei
Edited by: Chia Wai Kian
