Eric Alauzet, president of the France-China Friendship Group of the French National Assembly, speaks at a forum on the development of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and France, in Paris, France, May 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei)
He found inspiration in TCM principles such as the "unity of heaven and man" and the importance of adapting treatments to time, place and individual constitution.
PARIS, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Eric Alauzet, former president of the France-China Friendship Group of the French National Assembly, said in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Chinese philosophical thought deeply resonate with him, helping him better understand concepts such as the relationship between humanity and nature.
In April 2023, Alauzet accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron on his state visit to China in his capacity as president of the France-China Friendship Group. Beyond his former parliamentary role, he is also an acupuncturist specializing in TCM and has long been drawn to Taoist philosophy.
His path toward acupuncture began with his early medical training. After completing his studies in Nancy in eastern France, he grew skeptical of certain conventional Western medical approaches. It was then that he found inspiration in TCM principles such as the "unity of heaven and man" and the importance of adapting treatments to time, place and individual constitution.
Alauzet recalled that French diplomat George Soulie de Morant introduced acupuncture to France in the 1960s, opening the door for initial explorations of this Eastern medical practice. However, its acceptance in the West was slow.
Until the 1980s, French health authorities remained broadly doubtful about acupuncture. Later, when many patients, who had not found sufficient relief from conventional treatments, turned to acupuncture and saw improvements, its effectiveness gradually gained recognition.
Sensing an opportunity, Alauzet enrolled in a newly established acupuncture program at a Paris university after seven years of studying Western medicine, completing three years of training before opening his own practice. Even during his years in parliament, he continued to dedicate several hours a week to acupuncture until his retirement.
In 2024, during an international conference on TCM, Chinese representatives proposed a collaboration project to him. Then he was invited to Beijing as a special advisor for an acupuncture training program, accompanied by about 30 French doctors. As this Sino-French clinical exchange mechanism developed, his connection with China further deepened.
Through acupuncture, Alauzet also immersed himself in Taoist philosophy. He said that reading traditional Chinese philosophical works such as "Tao Te Ching" resonated profoundly with him. The Taoist worldview -- which stresses the interconnectedness and the perpetual motion of all things -- offered him a valuable framework for understanding nature and life.
Alauzet said he believes both France and China wield decisive influence on the international stage, noting that China boasts its large population and growing diplomatic influence while France plays a leading role in Europe.
"These two countries ... have their own culture and particularities," Alauzet said, adding that it is "necessary" for both to play an even more important role in world peace and stability.
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