Wuhan among cities most favored by French companies in China

China and France share a robust economic partnership with immense potential for collaboration, highlighted by the central city of Wuhan which is among the cities with the highest concentration of French investments in China.

As early as 1905, the number of French companies in Wuhan had already reached 20. And by the end of the 1980s, the largest cooperation project between China and France, the Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Company, was also established in Wuhan.

Ten years ago, the City of Wuhan converted 39-square-kilometer ponds and fields, equivalent to one-third of the area of Paris, into a new green and low carbon demonstration base, setting a new standard for urban sustainable development cooperation between the two countries.

When restoring the wetlands, the local government took inspiration from the design concepts of French cities such as Paris and Lyon in terms of drainage, flood prevention, and rainwater recycling. For instance, 100 percent of ground rainwater was collected, purified, and used for urban greening irrigation.

Additionally, a 6-meter-wide, 110-kilometer-long green corridor was constructed along the water. Following ecological restoration, the once wild lake has transformed into a backyard for nearby residents.

In addition to ecological governance, the eco-city also constructed Wuhan's first large-scale centralized distributed energy station. This innovative project utilizes cutting-edge technologies from both China and France to optimize energy management and maximize energy utilization.

"This energy transportation station has the company of Electricity of France deeply involved in its construction, design, and operation. It utilizes advanced technologies from two countries to optimize energy management, including air source heat pumps, rooftop photovoltaic systems, gas triple heating systems, centrifugal refrigerators, gas boiler systems, and other multi-energy complementation. In China’s northern regions, pollution tends to increase as soon as winter arrives, mainly due to heating systems. The implementation of energy stations can effectively address this issue, providing a solution to the environmental impact of winter heating," said Liao Xuan, general manager of Electricity of France, Wuhan.

With an increasingly improved environment that benefits both wildlife and people, more European enterprises, including Accor, EDF and Akwel, and many local startup technology companies have been attracted to this area. In Wuhan, in addition to many French companies and Sino-French cooperation projects, delicious French bakeries and authentic French food can be found at any time.

"Five years ago, we opened this restaurant . I tagged along with my wife to China, but ended up falling head over heels for Wuhan after settling down here for a while. My aim is to bring a taste of real French cuisine to Chinese customers, showcasing that French food is more than just Michelin-starred restaurants . It warms my heart to see locals who've studied in France come in and exclaim, 'Yes, this is the taste I’ve been looking for !'" said Renaud Peyoch, owner of Le Garden French Family Restaurant.

"On weekends, we frequently host French bands to perform and invite guests to our parties. The bands showcase a mix of French and Chinese songs, allowing us to promote cultural exchange through the shared experience of food and music," said Jia Li, owner of Le Garden French Family Restaurant.

With more French people moving to Wuhan to live and more French companies settling here, the distance between China and France is getting closer and closer.

Wuhan among cities most favored by French companies in China

An average of nearly six homeless people died every day on the streets of Los Angeles, the United States' most populous county in 2022, according to a latest report by the County's Public Health Department.

For a second year in a row, the county had more than 2,200 people on the streets die in a single year, said the report released in May.

The report also shows a sharp spike in the mortality rates within the unhoused population over the past decade. The county's homeless population rose by 70 percent over the last decade, and their mortality rate doubled. But the number of drug overdoses, which continues to be the leading cause of death, has not seen a significant increase.

"It's not unexpected when you consider that the homeless population overall, especially the folks who are chronically homeless, they do represent more of an aging cohort. And so one could expect to see these kind of high rates, you know, unfortunately, you see preventable deaths from drug overdose," said Ben Henwood, professor of social work, University of Southern California.

For the sixth year in a row, drug and alcohol overdose continued to be the leading cause of death among unhoused people, accounting for 37 percent of all deaths in 2022.

"Yes, they are dying of drug related complications, but they're also dying of things like heart disease, and cancer and things that we treat with primary care and preventative medicine. So it just continues to highlight the need for us to go to the streets, deliver care where the people are, in their environment, where they feel most comfortable," said Brett Feldman, director for USC Street Medicine.

Feldman leads the street medicine team at the University of Southern California, providing basic yet potentially life-saving health care to those who would not have any access otherwise.

"[There is] very few resources, comparatively, are dedicated to street medicine. You know, we have a study that's currently under review that's showing, less than 7 percent have been seen by street medicine. Only about 3 percent are engaged in care for mental health. And so, that's a small percentage to expect to have a much larger impact. A lot of the focus, very appropriately, has been on housing," said Feldman.

But the city is far behind in building affordable housing that can accommodate everyone in need at a time when their numbers continue to rise along with their mortality rate.

Homeless mortality rate surging in Los Angeles mainly due to drug overdose: study