Bridging Sino-French relations: the cultural dialogue journey of Xu Bo
Xu Bo (middle) with senior French and Chinese officials at the launch ceremony of the Wu Jianmin Scholarship in 2018.
In 2004, the Eiffel Tower, bathed in red light, marked the 40th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations. Among the crowd was Xu Bo, not just a spectator but a key player, who was witnessing the fruition of his efforts in cultural diplomacy.
Xu, with a rich academic background and decades of public diplomacy, has been pivotal in enhancing Sino-France cultural and human exchanges. His efforts were recognized last summer with the Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, one of France's highest honors marking a significant contribution to arts and literature.
"I still remember the day the Eiffel Tower turned red and a Beijing-folkloric dance troupe, alongside thousands of Chinese expatriates, paraded through the Champs Elysées of Paris," Xu recalled. The event was described by then-French President Jacques Chirac as "likened to the liberation of Paris."
Currently leading the Friends of Wu Jianmin Association, a people-to-people exchange association in France named after China's prominent ambassador, Xu continues to foster Sino-French people to people connections.
As the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties approaches, Xu is at the forefront of organizing a landmark celebration event at the Eiffel Tower, featuring notable French celebrities and cultural figures.
"In Chinese culture, 60 years is named jiazi, and symbolizes a cycle of life, and I believe this can be extended to Sino-French state to state relations," Xu told Shanghai Daily.
Xu with former French Prime Ministers Jean-Pierre Raffarin (left) and Dominique de Villepin before Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at UNESCO in Paris in 2014.
Notable attendees including France's leading actors, renowned museum directors, university chancellors and prominent artists will come together for the event.
"We invited in total 100 leading personalities from our two countries to conclude this first cycle of jiazi friendship and to open together the new one," Xu said.
"In our invitees, we have numerous celebrities, but also many ordinary people, like a crew member of the very first Air France commercial flight Paris-Shanghai, and a Normandy farmer who contributed to our human ties by bringing his excellent dairy products to the Chinese middle class," he added.
"In one word, we want to thank all of them for their different contributions to this wonderful relationship, mostly to thank General de Gaulle for having recognized the new China 60 years ago," he said.
Xu's journey in cultural dialogue with French people began with his passion for French language and culture. Having graduated from the China Foreign Affairs University, he was instrumental in key events including the 40th anniversary of Sino-France diplomatic relations and the reciprocal Sino-French Cultural Year that Xu said was an exhilarating moment in the history of the friendship.
The cultural year, a bilateral political initiative, promoted cultural exchanges between China and France through events like art exhibitions, film festivals and literary forums, aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation in arts and humanities.
Xu with a youth group from the Beijing Foreign Studies University at UNESCO in the summer of 2023.
Xu's involvement in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo was another highlight of his career. As the chief liaison officer, he was the face of China to numerous French dignitaries.
At the World Expo, the French Pavilion showcased France's lifestyle and culture, providing the Expo's visitors, Shanghai's citizens and the Chinese people with a deeper understanding of French society.
"The event greatly promoted Sino-French friendship and stands as one of the most significant experiences in my life," Xu said.
After the Expo, he served for six years as an international civil servant at UNESCO. During this period, he played a key role in many sectors, including cultural cooperation, heritage and urban collaboration.
"Working at UNESCO headquarters in Paris brought me even closer to French society," he said.
"Nuit de China au Grand Palais" is another gigantic cultural event that he initiated and co-organized with M. Renaud Donnedieu de Vabre, former culture minister of President Jacques Chirac. The event was also the very first celebration of the 50th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations.
"One prime minister, nine ministers from the French government and more than 12,000 people gathered – it was really so good, such an unforgettable moment in our history", Xu said.
In addition to his rich cultural dialogue experience, his relationship with the late Ambassador Wu Jianmin is another fantastic story.
Wu was a very renowned Chinese diplomat, having served in Chinese diplomacy for more than 40 years. As Chinese Ambassador to France, he greatly boosted the ties between the two countries. His passion, enthusiasm and entrepreneur-like working style not only left an impressive legacy, but impresses many French people even today.
Xu with the winners of the Wu Jianmin Scholarship at the first Wu Jianmin Peace Dialogue and Symposium in Paris in 2017.
Mostly, Wu was viewed by the Chinese public as well as the international community as someone who well embodied the Chinese Peaceful Rise diplomacy. As the former president of the China Foreign Affairs University, the cradle of Chinese diplomacy, or as an intellectual, he was present for most national and international foreign policy debates. He passed away in a car accident in central China's Wuhan City in 2016.
"His philosophy 'Loving Motherland, Loving Humanity' is the motto of our association," Xu said. "I consider him as a wonderful bridge between China and the world," Xu added, explaining why he founded the Friends of Wu Jianmin Association to continue Wu's legacy in strengthening Sino-French ties well as to those of people throughout the world.
Among its initiatives, the Wu Jianmin Scholarship is a project aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
The program invites French youths to China for a two-week exploration of China's innovative and entrepreneurial sectors.
Participants meet with their Chinese counterparts, innovators, and political and business leaders, gaining firsthand experiences of China's dynamic innovative environment, Xu said.
The selection process involves a public call for applications in France. Applicants must submit an essay, with successful candidates shortlisted for interviews by a prestigious committee chaired by former French Ambassador to China Jean-Pierre Lafont. Committee members include prominent academics and business leaders.
Each year, 10 laureates are selected from 30 to 50 candidates. During their stay, they visit key Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, engaging in entrepreneurial activities, including visits to tech giants such as Alibaba, Xiaomi, JD and Tencent.
Upon their return to France, they share their experiences, often lauding China's supportive public policy for startups and drawing comparisons with their own country, Xu said.
The program, however, was paused due to the pandemic. Despite this, it remains a significant initiative for cross-cultural and entrepreneurial exchange, he added.
The unveiling ceremony of the World War I Chinese laborers' statue at Lyon Train Station in Paris in 2018. Philippe Sun (second right), a descendant of laborers, says the expression of this Shandong farmer perfectly captures his grandfather.
Xu has been pivotal in several other initiatives, including commemorating Chinese laborers in France during WWI, when about 140,000 Chinese laborers, mostly impoverished peasants, were recruited and deployed in France.
Their tasks included digging trenches, constructing fortifications, transporting ammunition, building roads and bridges, evacuating the wounded, burying the dead, and clearing mines. About 20,000 of them died during the war.
"Those laborers defended France and helped win the war," Xu said, emphasizing the importance of remembering shared history.
Under his coordination, in 2018, a bronze statue honoring World War I Chinese laborers was unveiled at Paris' Gare de Lyon Train Station, one of Europe's largest, with an annual passenger number of over 170 million people.
Standing 2.63 meters tall and weighing over 600 kilograms, the statue depicts the laborers' arrival at the station, commemorating their historical contributions.
Xu chairs the first Sino-French human exchange forum RENCONTRE following COVID-19 pandemic in June 2023.
For Xu, the essence of Sino-French relations lies in their shared history and cultural exchanges.
"Our relationship is unique, rooted in deep historical and cultural connections," he said. He advocates for a new era of people-to-people public diplomacy, believing it to be the cornerstone of future relations.
Xu sees the 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations not just as a milestone but as a springboard for future collaboration.
"It's about celebrating our past and paving the way for a new era," he said.
