President Xi’s gift from France’s Macron
Cultural exchanges between China and France are not new, they go back as far as the 17th century.
Chinese philosopher Confucius is proof of this as his work was published in French in 1688 and is in the national library of China. #ChinaFrance60 #ChinaEurope2024
Chinese philosopher Confucius is proof of this as his work was published in French in 1688 and is in the national library of China. #ChinaFrance60 #ChinaEurope2024
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00:00With a leather cover, a golden overhand, and the edges painted red, the French version
00:07of An Introduction to the Analects of Confucius is a classic, featuring a bookbinding style
00:14from the Age of Enlightenment in France.
00:17The volume is about the political ideas, ethical thought, and moral concepts of China more
00:23than 2,000 years ago.
00:25No one expected it would be returned to China more than two centuries after it left.
00:32In March 2019, the book was given to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a national gift by
00:38French President Emmanuel Macron as the two countries celebrated the 55th anniversary
00:45since they established diplomatic ties.
00:51The book was addressed to princes in ancient Europe who owned territory and would be able
00:55to govern in future.
00:57So what lessons could these readers take away?
00:59It was this moral or political principle that Chinese emperors used in the way they governed
01:05the country.
01:07As a classic of traditional Chinese culture, The Analects of Confucius was introduced to
01:12Europe as early as the 17th century, and many scholars have compared the status of Confucius
01:19in Chinese civilization to that of Socrates in the West.
01:26The book proves that exchanges between China and France began in the 17th century and have
01:31continued to the present day.
01:33I think the book is very rare.
01:35It's not only a medium for books, but also a bridge connecting the ancient and the modern
01:40China and Europe.
01:42President Xi once said rich philosophical ideas, a humanistic spirit, edifying thoughts
01:48and moral concepts rooted in traditional Chinese culture can provide the inspiration
01:53for both understanding and transforming the world, governing the country and developing
01:58morals.
02:00Today, the ideas of Confucius continue to inspire some young people in France.
02:06Confucius is a very important philosopher and these ideas of education can apply today
02:12so we can learn from him.
02:15Okay, so I remember reading some parts from The Analects of Confucius back in the days,
02:20back in high school, and I remember to treat and to act to others like you want them to
02:27treat you and to act to you.
02:29That's basically all I remember from Confucius and I think that's the main meaning of his
02:36ideas.
02:37The Analects of Confucius have been labeled one of the 10 most influential Chinese books
02:43in France, and the book has even inspired some to learn Chinese.
02:47And the Chinese philosopher's influence is also seen in the growth in the number of Confucius
02:52institutes across Europe, especially France.
02:56And the country was one of the earliest to incorporate Chinese language teaching into
03:01the national educational system, promoting cultural exchanges and playing an important
03:06role in a wider relationship.
03:08Dong Xue, CGTN, Beijing.
03:13Thank you.