EDITOR'S note:

GEORGES Freche, president of the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France and ex-mayor of the city of Montpellier, died of a heart attack on October 24 at the age of 72.

Freche was a renowned China hand in France and had visited China 27 times. He was received by heads of state including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and incumbent President Hu Jintao.

As a long-time friend of China, he had vigorously promoted Chinese culture in France and worked to enhance Sino-French relations. Freche was one of the few French politicians who vowed support for China when the Paris leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay was obstructed by activists of "Tibetan Independence" in 2008.

Shanghai Daily staff writer Ni Tao had the privilege of interviewing him on October 13 in Shanghai. Here we publish excerpts of that interview to pay homage to the late Sinophile.

Q: During your presidency of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, what have you done to improve the Sino-French relationship?

A: I can speak about the topic for three days. (Laugh) Here I can cite some examples of my good will toward China and the Chinese people. We have opened two liaison offices in China, called Maisons du Languedoc-Roussillon en Chine, one in Shanghai and the other in Chengdu. Through these offices, we can better advertise our region to a Chinese audience, who may be interested in its rich cultural heritage and tourism resources.

And in the wake of the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, we financed the reconstruction of a middle school, which is 40 kilometers from Chengdu. I'll go there next year to attend its opening ceremony.



Q: How much do your French constituents know about China? What kind of bilateral cultural activities have you organized?

A: To begin with, 2,700 of the roughly 70,000 university students in Montpellier are now learning Chinese. In general, people in Languedoc-Roussillon must know China better because I have often written articles about China in the newspapers of Montpellier and the region.

As for cultural interaction, we have organized a lot of cultural activities. There are regular exchange programs that allow French and Chinese students to visit each other's country.

We also encouraged French artists and painters to come to China and exchange ideas with their Chinese counterparts. Every two years, I presided over the opening of Sino-French cultural festival in Montpellier. And I'm glad to see many Chinese artists visiting Montpellier and showcasing their talent.

During the Shanghai World Expo, some cultural groups, including a dance troupe from my region, performed the Bolero dance, a traditional dance in southern France, at the France Pavilion. Meanwhile, Chinese artists have paid return visits and performed in Montpellier.

Besides, we used to have a film festival in Montpellier, where Chinese directors came and screened their works. But now that Chinese cinema has scored such astounding successes, Chinese film makers no longer need to present their works at Montpellier. Instead, they now flock to Cannes for the annual film festival.

Every year we in Montpellier observe a day of celebration of China's Spring Festival. And my love for China has obviously affected my daughter. She has been in China for four years and is now studying Chinese in Beijing. She had once planned to study in the United States but I persuaded her to come to China because it's the country that'll lead in the 21st century.



Q: Your plan to erect several bronze statues of great men in Montpellier has sparked much controversy, especially among local opposition parties. They are furious at the idea of having a statue of Communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin on French soil. But you remain unperturbed by criticism. Why?

A: Yes I've already put up a statue of Lenin, and I will also erect the statues of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Unlike what some said, I have no cynical political agenda in building these statues, but only want to honor some of the world's most famous politicians and thinkers.

For Mao, I may not agree with his governing philosophy, but he certainly has been the figure that saved China from its last turbulent century, fraught with fights between warlords. It was Mao who saved China and its people from the depths of abyss and unified the country in 1949. Before then, China was a divided, weak country. Mao restored its dignity on the world stage. And for that, I deeply admire him.

For Deng, although he was persecuted during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), he was very magnanimous and urbane. He set the nation on a path to prosperity by incorporating some capitalist management under the framework of Communist rule. His policies have benefited millions of Chinese and resolved the chronic food shortage in China.



Q: Which Chinese philosopher do you like best? Why?

A: Lao Zi. Because Lao Zi's thought is at the heart of the Chinese soul. Confucianism had served as the governing doctrine for emperors, and was a state orthodoxy for scholar-officials, for the literati. But Lao Zi represents the spirit of ordinary Chinese and their peasant ancestors. If one wishes to understand China, he should read Lao Zi.

They may not realize it, but all the Chinese are living precisely the way Lao Zi had described. For example, I have just given a bottle of wine as a gift to a Chinese friend. The wine was produced in 1988. The double eight is an auspicious combination of numbers in China. Few may have realized this, but the reason they see double eight as auspicious is that their confidence in future good luck is strengthened by the longing for auspice. In so doing they are validating and living in Lao Zi's thought. Everything has a way and you are what you want to be.

I have read Lao Zi, and during my 40 years' political career, his thought has calmed my sometimes restless soul with its emphasis on deference to nature's forces.



Q: The mainstream perception of the Chinese community in France is one of very reticent people keeping to themselves. They seldom participate in social or political events. But recently some Chinese have taken to the streets in Paris, protesting the violence committed against them and worsening security in their community. What do you think of this sudden awareness of rights among the Chinese?

A: I cannot agree with the depiction of the Chinese as closed-minded. Actually, they are intelligent, organized and disciplined, as evidenced by their peaceful march and demonstration in the 13th District of Paris on June 20. I've offered them my wholehearted support on this. They certainly have a reason to do so.



Q: What is the potential for French companies in Languedoc-Roussillon to invest in China?

A: In Languedoc-Roussillon there aren't so many big companies. As you know, small- and medium-sized enterprises are a mainstay of the French economy.

And that fits the description of most businesses in Languedoc-Roussillon, many of which only have 40 to 50 employees. Given their size, they will naturally have ambivalence about investing in China, which is a strange country with totally different culture and laws.

But I have encouraged them to come and do business in China. And that's the reason why we opened the Maisons du Languedoc- Roussillon en Chine, to help French investors adapt to the new environment and launch their China operations. I have brought with me representatives of 30 businesses on this visit.

Chinese companies now export their goods into Europe mainly via Amsterdam. But as the regional government of Languedoc-Roussillon has regained the control of the Port of Sete, I hope in the future the Port of Sete can be a choice of transshipment hub for them.