Cultural exchanges between China and France have played a pivotal role in fostering mutual learning and contributing to the development of both countries, said cultural figures from the two countries.
Culture has always been indispensable and significant to China-France relations. As China and France celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the European country from Sunday to Tuesday.
During his visit, Xi stressed that China and France should speed up people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and continue to hold various activities of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.
When it comes to cultural exchange, experts believe that it not only promotes mutual learning and understanding, but also advances the progress of humanity.
"Mutual learning cannot only promote each other's development, but also bring some new trends. In France, the influence of Chinoiserie was once widespread, not only transforming the painting style of French people but also reshaping their lifestyle, and promoting their development. It is right in the process of mutual learning and interaction that humanity makes progress. I believe that mutual interaction should start during adolescence and even childhood. When someone develops a positive impression of a country, it is highly likely that they will visit it as they grow up. Therefore, people-to-people and cultural exchanges are better to start as early as possible," said Dong Qiang, an eminent translator and dean with the Yenching Academy of Peking University.
Christine Cayol, a French writer, also vice president of the Sino-French Cultural Forum, and founder of Yishu 8, an organization dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between French and Chinese artists, brings forth her distinct perspective on the mutual learning between the Chinese and French people.
In her book titled "Chinese in Time," Cayol offered her perspective on the Chinese people's sense of time, highlighting its flexibility and Chinese people's wisdom gained from living in a country with a rich and ancient civilization.
Cayol believes that the disparity in the perception of time between China and France holds significant value for mutual learning.
"In France, we are not fond of any kind of change. But when I lived in China, there were changes every day. It's a very interesting and fun attitude that encourages creativity. The way Chinese and French people perceive time provides complementary perspectives and hold significant value for mutual learning," said Cayol.
Cultural exchanges catalyze mutual learning between China, France: cultural figures
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
