An Interview with Mr.Olivier Guyonvarch

By Bo Ning

At three o’clock on the afternoon of July 25,Mr.Olivier Guyonvarch,the Consul General of France in Wuhan,came to the reception room as scheduled.“Shall we speak French or Chinese (for the interview)? English is also fine with me.” He asked in Chinese.His polite and humorous nature was the first impression he left on me.

What's your impression of Wuhan?

This is my second time working in Wuhan,which shows in itself that I love the city,doesn’t it? The year 2001 was the first time I came to work in Wuhan,as deputy consul at that time.

After nearly twenty years,Wuhan has changed a lot in my eyes.When I left Wuhan the first time,there were only two bridges over the Yangtze River,but now there are twelve.In the past,there was no subway,but now there are many subway lines in operation,and I see many overpasses as well.Transportation in Wuhan is much more developed than before.

2019年7月法国国庆招待会上，法国驻汉总领事贵永华发表演讲。（刘瑞 摄）Mr.Olivier Guyonvarch giving a speech during the French National Day celebration in Wuhan in July 2019 (Photo by NLH)

I think Wuhan enjoys many advantages.As a logistics hub,Wuhan provides an important platform for the country.The local industries boast a history of over a century,which has laid a strong industrial foundation for the city as well.Wuhan also educates more undergraduate and graduate students than most of the other cities in the world,and hence produces abundant highlyeducated human resources.The cost of production here is lower than in the eastern part of China,and in order to attract investment from overseas companies,the local government has tailored many favorable policies.Here,you can take a direct flight to Paris,London,and other major cities of the world,which illustrates that Wuhan is becoming more modern and international.Moreover,Wuhan is rich in culture and enjoys a beautiful environment,and it is convenient and comfortable to live here.

Can you briefly describe the status quo of exchanges and cooperation between Hubei or even Central China and France?

For a long time,Hubei and France have maintained frequent exchanges and cooperation,mainly in the economic sector or between companies.Over 130 companies have been established in Wuhan,mainly joint ventures,and some exclusively owned by French,including 40% to 50%in the automotive field.The first joint venture was Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile Company LTD,established in Wuhan in 1992.Over the past four years,Groupe Renault has also made investments in Wuhan.Besides automobile manufacturing companies,many auto parts manufacturers also came to settle in Wuhan,making the local automobile industry complete and well developed.

Large-scale retailers such as Carrefour,Auchan,and Decathlon,have also branched out in Hubei.Decathlon’s investment in Wuhan has been a huge success.Wuhan Decathlon has a dual function,with the manufacturing base and sales store all in one.The clothes they sell are made in Hannan District,their transportation hub,where they have a spacious warehouse.Meanwhile,Decathlon has opened a dozen stores in Wuhan.

Addition ally,we have cooperation in high-technology,railways,hotels,and other fields.You can say that Wuhan is the industrial base for the investment of French companies in China—currently 90% of French companies in Central China are in Hubei.

What are the main achievements between France and Hubei in the areas of culture and education?

In terms of culture,we have organized many influential events.From April to July every year,we organize art exhibitions,photography shows,music festivals,and street performances during the Croisements Festival.As an important part of it,the Sino-French Music Festival,or Fête de la Musique,has been held for 11 consecutive years now.The first Sino-French Music Festival was held in Wuhan,and now it has become a nationwide event in China,with French musicians,bands and Chinese local bands performing together,and the spectacular scenes always attract huge crowds.

In addition,we hold French Festivals to encourage young people to learn French,and the 2019 French Film Festival just ended last week.Through these events,we shared popular and modern French culture with our friends in Central China.

In terms of education,the Huazhong University of Science and Technology has established the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy—it aims to foster high quality talents in the clean and renewable energy areas.It recruits students every year that are allowed to study in China and France,and the diploma is also approved by both countries.Besides higher education,there are now French classes in six elementary and secondary schools.In those classes,French is the first foreign language for the students.This is an unprecedented move in China.

What is the most successful cooperative project between Hubei and France so far?

黄鹤楼公园内，法国小轮车飞人表演吸引了众多观众。（刘瑞 摄）In the Yellow Crane Tower Park,the performance given by L'Homme V group from France attracted great attention.(Photo by NLH)

2019年3月，法国美食作家、大厨弗朗索瓦·马莱在武汉壹方购物中心伊莉维尔烘焙主题餐厅教武汉市民制作法式西点。（刘瑞 摄）François Mallet,French writer and chef,teaching local citizens how to cook French deserts at Eliville Bakery Theme Restaurant,Wuhan Tiandi Horizon Shopping Mall in March 2019 (Photo by NLH)

So far,the most successful project is the Sino-French Ecocity in Caidian District of Wuhan City.The project commenced in 2014,and we paid great attention to it.It is the biggest urban construction project between China and France,and it includes participation of a dozen French companies from multiple industrial fields,such as urban planning,electric power,and environmental protection.We hope that there will be more and more French companies joining in the project.Every year,the government of the district holds the Sino-French Forum for Sustainable Urban Development,and this year,it was held in Beijing.We have invited more than 40 French companies to attend the forum.This project covers an extensive scope,so it needs the support of the government.The local government attaches great importance to it,and that is an important reason for its success.

Do you have any expectations for the future?

France and Hubei have maintained a good cooperation in a wide range of fields thus far.It has been quite satisfactory,but I believe there is still room for further cooperation.We hope to join hands with more industries and companies.In the meantime,we will do our best to attract more friends to participate in our cultural activities,more students to learn French,and more tourists to France.Of course,we also hope that more and more French people will travel to Hubei to enjoy the charm and beat of the province.

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Tips on Learning Chinese

I had watchedThe Adventures of Tintinwhen I was little,and one episode was namedThe Blue Lotus.There were lots of Chinese characters in that episode.I was about seven or eight at that time,and I felt there must be some secrets behind those Chinese characters,so I wanted to find out more about them.Since then,I have been captivated by Chinese characters.

I think the most intriguing part of Chinese language is the Chinese characters,as they are closely related to Chinese culture.If you want to know more about Chinese culture,you must learn the Chinese characters first,comprehend the meanings behind them,and explore their origins.Moreover,if you are looking for an in-depth understanding of Chinese characters,you need to learn the oracle bone scripts and Chinese bronze inscriptions,which will help you better understand and memorize each and every single Chinese character.(Translation:Zhu Yaguang)

2019年中法文化之春华中地区活动在武汉和长沙举行。武汉地标黄鹤楼前，中外艺术家合影留念。（刘瑞 摄）Chinese and foreign artists in front of the Yellow Crane Tower,the land mark architecture of Wuhan during the 2019 Croisements Festival(Photo by NLH)