PARIS, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The world needs Chinese wisdom to solve major problems facing the world in the future, help balance international trade, and promote global peace and win-win cooperation, said former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
Raffarin said that the trend in recent years has proved that economic growth is closely related to openness, and the success of the Chinese economy is a good example of this. However, the current global protectionism is prevalent and the tariff tension has escalated, exacerbating global tensions and conflicts. In this regard, he believes that strengthening cooperation is the only way to protect economic growth and dispel today's tensions.
"I hope that all economic debates will not forget the purpose of international relations, which is peace," he said, pointing out that peace needs to rely on growth, and growth requires balanced international trade. He affirmed that the logic of protectionism will not bring any benefits, but only difficulties. "Creating wealth requires openness, innovation and trade. When we turn our backs on exchange, on innovation, and on what we can learn from each other, we withdraw, we shut ourselves away, and we become poorer. And a world that is becoming poorer is a dangerous world," he said.
Therefore, he believes that the world "must call on those who are famous for their great wisdom to inject wisdom into global governance". "We need Chinese wisdom, a peaceful wisdom, not only to solve major problems in the future, but also to maintain the balance of the world", he said.
Raffarin said that in the face of complex global situations, no one can succeed alone, and countries must work together to achieve win-win results by sharing the fruits of development. "This is what we expect today from our Chinese friends, the great Chinese people who have built an extraordinarily powerful economy, which now ranks among the world's leading economies."
He also said that there can be no single winner in international trade. To achieve win-win results, all economies must learn to create together and share interests. He believes that enhancing localization is a good concept of sharing. Export companies on both sides of China and Europe should try to strengthen localization cooperation to enhance mutual trust and achieve common development.
He believes that in the fields of artificial intelligence and social digitalization, China and Europe obviously have many new opportunities for cooperation. He also expects the two sides to make good use of important international platforms such as the Boao forum and the Summer Davos to find common solutions in key areas closely related to the future of mankind, such as medicine, sustainable development, and the development of global consciousness.
Raffarin further noted that the European business community urgently needs to improve its understanding of China and strengthen cooperation and exchanges. "For a great civilization like China, what we need first is to respect it and learn from it... I know that doing business is difficult, and there are many standards and procedures, but if we can get partners involved in the development and build a bridge between our two civilizations of China and Europe today, things will become easier." (Contributed by Li Wenxin, edited by Duan Jing with Xinhua Silk Road, duanjing@xinhua.org)
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