Europe invited to look to East, Paris' envoy says

Veteran politician Jean-Pierre Raffarin, picked by French president-elect Emmanuel Macron as special representative at an upcoming forum on the Belt and Road Initiative, called the initiative "an invitation for Europe to look more to the East".

Raffarin is departing for Beijing on Thursday for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on Sunday and Monday.

Raffarin said that Macron decided on sending him shortly after defeating the National Front's Marine Le Pen in the May 7 election.