Sino-French ties 55 years on: Respect for national identity at core

The year 2019 marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of France, an appropriate time to look back and appreciate what's been at the core of the bilateral relationship.

Meeting with his French counterpart Le Drian in Paris earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for both nations to "encourage different civilizations to respect, appreciate and complement each other." While echoing the need for cooperation, Le Drian extended his best wishes to the Chinese people for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, a distinct nod to the respect for culture and identity that has always been present and essential in the bilateral relationship.

It's not by accident that Henry Kissinger began his book On China with a chapter devoted to the singularity of China. Even when acknowledging that all nations "tend to think of themselves as eternal," Kissinger pointedly opines that China "appears in history less as a conventional nation-state than a permanent natural phenomenon."

I'd venture to suggest that, among all other nations, the singularity of the French nation-state is conspicuously significant. Just like China carrying on the Confucian tradition, France is the proud flag bearer of the Francophone World.

Moreover, if being proud of its own identity is a common feature of any nation, I'd congratulate the very proud French people for consciously respecting others' identities as well. Out of this respect have risen key insights. While presenting the age of Louis XIV as the greatest of all "ages of light," leading French enlightenment philosopher Voltaire undeniably found inspiration from China, which he believed would provide a ready example of how to manage without nobility. On the contrary, at least through the Ming and Qing dynastic centuries, pride and prejudice had prevented the then Chinese nation from being part of the rising enlightenment tide, a key philosophical tradition to which the French have contributed hugely and from which the entire humanity has benefited profoundly.

Fast forwarding to the 1960s, France and China remained two very different countries. Nevertheless, then French leader Charles de Gaulle took the decisive step to open diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, by citing "the weight of evidence and reason", which logically included the fair recognition of China's strategic importance in the world. France, unlike other Western partners, did not fret over the fact that China since 1949 had chosen to embrace a new, distinct identity. It was thus the French decision to fully respect this historic choice of the Chinese nation.

As French President Emmanuel Macron said in his message to Chinese President Xi Jinping celebrating the 55th anniversary, the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries is "a symbol of the independent spirit". Now at the advantageous point in history where I get to review the tremendous bilateral relations over the past 55 years, I find it only even more inspiring how France has consciously pursued an independent foreign policy of its own. For this, I congratulate the French once again for this appropriate balance between pride, to be confident to make its own policy decisions, and respect, to be constructive to engage.

I also laud the consistency of Chinese foreign policy over the decades, during which time the exponential growth of national strength has completely changed the country's international stature. China has always held high respect for France, always finding inspiration from its culture and history, despite the vast differences of the two societies.

The past 55 years have been eventful, to say the least. Both nations have been able to sustain continuous success stories of cooperation, despite occasional incidences of discord along the way. This is no easy feat. Of course, physical cooperation matters, as the two countries work together in a wide range of fields such as nuclear energy, aviation and trade, among others, to benefit both populations. Here I'd like to highlight the importance of cultural exchanges in particular so as to ensure mutual understanding and respect is always at the core of bilateral relations. This rationale is clear to our French colleagues too, as Macron's congratulatory letter to Xi on the occasion of the 55th anniversary specifically mentioned strengthening cultural exchanges.

We live in a world of growing uncertainties, increasingly affected by unilateralism. China and France have both long been champions of multilateralism. Their bilateral relations built on full respect for the other's distinct identity shall offer a key inspiration to today’s world.

The author is a senior editor with China Central Television based in Beijing, working on international news, China’s foreign policy and global socioeconomic trends.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.