Recently, the French ambassador to China Laurent BILI sent a letter to the full-time vice president of the IEEPA Li Junyang, highly appreciating the joint efforts of the two countries in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and expressed the hope that IEEPA would continue to play an active role in Sino-French cooperation in ecological transformation, especially in ecological economy, environmental sustainable urbanization and other specific projects.
The Letter From French Ambassador to China to the International Ecological Economy Promotion Association (Note: the original letter is on the left and the translation on the right)
The ambassador said in his letter that China and France have been working together in promoting ecological transformation so closely and been increasingly active in joint action to combat climate change and biodiversity protection. On November 6th, 2019, President Xi Jinping and President Macron jointly issued Beijing Call for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change , indicating the highest-level commitment of the two countries in these fields.
According to Li, since the COVID-19 outbreak, the two countries have supported each other and united together in response to the pandemic, and the joint fight against COVID-19 has once again highlighted the long-term friendly and cooperative relationship between the two governments and social groups. In the face of the outbreak, in order to give full play to the role of all sectors of society, both countries need to bring their professional organizations’ own effect into full play, prepare for social organizations to participate in government work and undertake social responsibilities. It is not enough for any country or society to rely solely on the power of the government for social governance. Channels, mechanisms and methods are necessary to make full use of social forces. The International Ecological Economy Promotion Association is ready to join hands with French governmental organizations, Non-Governmental organizations, scientific and business communities to fulfill the real needs of people as members of an intimate community of shared destiny with concrete actions and jointly defeat the pandemic.
Li also revealed that the IEEPA was formulating related plans, intending to hold the 2020 World Ecology Conferences (WEC), which would continue to strive to push the world in green ecological development pattern transformation, liaising with all walks of life to address the global issues of climate change and environmental degradation caused by human activities and economic development, which are closely related to the healthy development of ecological civilization.
Edmond Alphandéry, chairman of the Euro 50 Group(G50), former French finance minister, also served as director of foreign counselors of IEEPA, praised the World Ecology Conferences led by IEEPA which has an international perspective, for its practical significance of proposing suggestions to the government in the field of politics and economic and environmental solutions for enterprise development through discussions of experts and scholars from participating countries.
Orignial Text of the letter:
Embassy of the French Republic in China
No.60, Tianze Road, Liangmaqiao, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100600 Tel. 8531 2000 Fax. 8531 2090
(Informal Translation)
Distinguished Vice President,
Thank you for your warm message on the National Day of France.
As you said in the letter, France and China have been collaborating in the fight against COVID-19. In addition, we have been working together in promoting ecological transformation so closely and been increasingly active in joint action to combat climate change and biodiversity protection. On last year’s November 6th, President Xi Jinping and President Macron jointly issued Beijing Call for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change, indicating the highest-level commitment of the two countries in these fields.
I am convinced, as well, of the importance of our bilateral cooperation on sustainable urbanization, especially in specific projects such as the France-China Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City. Like other areas of ecological transformation, bilateral intergovernmental cooperation on this topic needs to be enriched by active interaction between enterprises of the two countries and promoted by associations like IEEPA.
Best regards and lofty respect.
Laurent BILI,
French Ambassador to China
July 28th 2020 in Beijing
