STORY: France, China can learn from each other: Nathalie de Gaulle
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 8, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 26, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:46
LOCATION: Paris
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Paris
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): NATHALIE DE GAULLE, Great-granddaughter of Charles de Gaulle
3. various of Paris and a French factory
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): NATHALIE DE GAULLE, Great-granddaughter of Charles de Gaulle

STORYLINE:

In 1964, France became the first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations with China.

Sixty years later, China and France have cooperated to defend real multilateralism.

According to Nathalie de Gaulle, great-granddaughter of former French President Charles de Gaulle, this cooperation constitutes a continuation of the spirit that her great-grandfather wanted.

She considered that General de Gaulle's decision to establish diplomatic relations with China was very audacious at the time.

SOUNDBITE 1 (French): NATHALIE DE GAULLE, Great-granddaughter of Charles de Gaulle
"It is in fact one of the first decisions that created a breach between a world that was bipolar, between the Western bloc and the Eastern bloc. So somehow it was a decision that created this breach and led to the globalization that we are experiencing today.
And so, as a pragmatic and visionary politician, he considered that we must talk with China, that we had to create strong links with your country. And it was typical realism of Gaullism."

France is a comprehensive strategic partner of China.

Nathalie de Gaulle said, over the years, the two countries have developed cooperation in the fields of economy, science and technology, and various industries.

She said there is a lot to discover in China.

SOUNDBITE 2 (French): NATHALIE DE GAULLE, Great-granddaughter of Charles de Gaulle
"There are so many things to discover in China that it would perhaps take me a lifetime to discover all the aspects and all the regions of your country. I believe that it is going to be a year rich with cultural events and tourist events. I hope we can get to know China better in France. So, once again, with this visa-free entry, it will be easier for our fellow citizens. I think that in fact, we often have a biased vision of China in France, because it is a distant country. We see it sometimes through the media or through old ideas for a country that we don't know. And when we go to China, you see just how forward-looking the country is, how committed its young people are, and how involved they are in the development of the country and the progress of history, while at the same time being acutely aware of the fact that you are a millennia-old country. So it makes a country, a culture which is therefore imbued with history and imbued with a heritage, but which, at the same time, wants to build its future. It's very special because France is also a millennia-old country. We have an important heritage and we too are trying to build our future with new technologies, with everything that is taking shape. As for the challenges that you spoke about earlier, I believe that we can learn a lot from each other about our respective visions and the way, at the same time, of considering our past, of considering our future."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Paris.
(XHTV)