China's remarkable economic development has not only transformed the country itself but also profoundly impacted the global economy, opening vast potential for investment cooperation between China and France, as well as between China and the European Union, according to Pascal Lamy, former director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Over 80 percent of French respondents to a new poll believe China is a great and influential country, and 70.3 percent regard China as a successful country, according to a survey of 1,513 French respondents conducted by China Media Group, China Global Television Network (CGTN) and Renmin University of China ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to France.
The French respondents to the survey praised the achievements of China's high-quality economic development and high-level opening up.
Speaking during an interview with CGTN on Monday, Lamy expressed his admiration for China's economic success.
"We French believe that China is a big success. This is what the numbers say, looking at what happened, overall, 50 or 60 years. I'm not surprised if the French believe that China is a very influential country, believing otherwise would be blind to the reality. China is one of the major economic powers in the world of today; and whether the Chinese economy is doing well or less well, matters a lot for the rest of the world. It was not the case 60 years ago. It is the case now, given how important China has become," said Lamy.
Lamy then noted the potential for further collaboration, highlighting the opportunities for French and European investments in China and vice versa.
"Now, we believe, there is room for China opening up more. There is more room for French and European investments in China. And there is more room for Chinese investments in France and in Europe. No doubt about that, especially in areas where Europe has a competitive edge in China, and where China has a competitive edge in Europe and in France, and notably in the area of green tech," he said.
Former WTO chief hails China's global influence, calls for increased China-Europe investment
Former WTO chief praises China's transformative economic impact on global development
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made a hard landing in Iran's northwestern province of East Azerbaijan on Sunday, state-run IRIB TV reported.
Raisi’s helicopter was part of a convoy of three helicopters which was on its way from Khoda Afarin County, where Raisi had attended the inauguration ceremony of a storage dam along with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, to the provincial capital Tabriz where Raisi was scheduled to attend the inauguration of a petrochemical complex, according to the report.
"On May 19 local time, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi made a hard landing in East Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran. According to our investigation in Iran, the incident took place near the Varzaghan area of East Azerbaijan. From the live broadcast on Iranian national television, we can see that the entire area of the accident site is in a state of severe foggy weather, which caused great trouble to the search and rescue work. In addition to Iranian President Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province, and other officials and entourage were also on the helicopter," said Li Jiannan, a CCTV reporter in Iran.
Speaking to IRIB TV, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi attributed the helicopter's rough landing to the unfavorable weather conditions, which he said also impacted search and rescue work.
The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Pirhossein Kolivand told IRIB TV that 40 rapid reaction teams had rushed to the scene and were monitoring the region while noting that there were difficulties in reaching the scene by land or by air due to the mountainous terrain and the bad weather conditions.
Kolivand, however, said drones were being used to search the region.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Baqeri has ordered the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the police to make all-out efforts to search for and rescue the president and his accompanying team, said the Iran Newspaper.
Speaking to IRIB TV, Iranian Health Minister Bahram Einollahi said medical teams had been stationed near the possible crash site.
Iranian government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi said in a post on social media platform X that Vice President Mohsen Mansouri and several cabinet members were on their way to Tabriz after a meeting in Tehran.
Following the incident, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed his hope that President Raisi and accompanying officials would be able to return home safely, saying that everyone should pray for them. Iranian people do not need to worry, and the work of the country and the government will not be affected, he said.
Following reports of the incident, leaders of neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan and Iraq, expressed concern over the developments and said they were ready to assist in search and rescue efforts.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the same day, saying that Türkiye is following the incident and hopes that Iranian President Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdollahian and other Iranian officials are safe and healthy. Türkiye has taken action to provide support for the search and rescue operation, the statement said.
Iranian president's helicopter makes hard landing in NW province
