Young ambassadors boost ties

A delegation of young Chinese from the art world have recently wrapped up a weeklong visit to France where they toured several cities and took part in a music festival.

The visit took place after 100 Chinese politicians and social activists toured the European country in March, a part of a major cultural exchange initiative intended to help boost relations between the two nations.

During the trip, the young people visited museums in various cities including Paris and Nantes and participated in an annual music festival after a warm welcome by local government officials and residents. Later this year, two teams, made up of 100 young entrepreneurs and scientific researchers respectively, are expected to visit France.

The trips to France are part of the Sino-French Youth Exchange that was launched last year when 400 young French representatives from the art, economic, political, academic and non-governmental fields visited China to improve knowledge of the country.

"Their visit is more significant than the purchase of 100 Airbus planes," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said. The exchange will "plant the seeds of Sino-French friendship in young generations," he noted.

In 2004, a joint statement by China and France paved the way for a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and affirmed their strong wishes for enhanced bilateral ties through political dialogues, economic exchanges and cultural and technological cooperation.

Using that as the background, the Chinese Premier and then French President Jacques Chirac reached an agreement in 2005 that the two nations would each send 400 youths to France in 2007 and to China in 2006, seeking to strengthen communication and develop friendship among the young people.

The project is the first big-scale activity of its kind between China and European countries in recent years. Under the program's framework, young people are given an opportunity to approach a different culture and develop close contact with their foreign peers.

The project is expected to further bilateral relations, former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said.

(China Daily 07/13/2007 page19)