France China Foundation | 2018 Edition of the Young Leaders Program in Chongqing and Beijing
The France China Foundation and the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs just held their 6th Young Leaders Program in Chongqing and Beijing on October 12-15, 2018. During 4 days of visits, activities and discussion sessions, more than 40 Chinese and French young talented professionals working in all sectors – from politics to sports, culture, and science, through business, media and research – got to know each other, engage in cultural exchange, and become friends. With “Metropolises of the future” as the general theme for the seminar, the participants had the chance to both listen to keynote speeches by experts in the field, as well as share their own thoughts and ideas on how to make our cities more friendly and sustainable.
Over the course of three days in Chongqing, the 2018 Young Leaders discovered not only China’s largest and most populated city, with its endless forests of high-rises and mind-blowing interchanges, but also its old districts and early 20th century European heritage buildings and factories converted into new art zones. The variety of the visits gave them a sense of the richness of the city fabric and of the challenges at stake.
The 2018 Young Leaders had the opportunity to go to one of the most renowned art schools in China, the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (SFAI), to visit its new campus, and to admire how SFAI had invited their own architecture professors and artists to play with the hilly terrain constraints to design new buildings, landscapes and public art throughout the campus, making it quite original and lively. The Young Leaders visited a couple of artist studios, as well as the Luo Zhongli Museum, before meeting with world-famous architect Liu Jiakun. Liu introduced his design concepts and gave a thorough presentation of his most recent urban planning project: Chengdu’s West Area.
Dr. Sun Jiwei, former mayor of Shanghai’s Pudong district and Vice-General Secretary of the Shanghai Government, gave the Young Leaders an in-depth presentation of all the city renewal projects he initiated in Shanghai throughout his career, notably in Zhujiajiao, Jiading district, Xuhui’s West Bund, and Pudong, explaining how “Culture is a catalyzer of city prosperity”. His speech sparked dozens of questions from the Young Leaders, anxious to further discuss issues such as decision-making processes, sustainability, investment models, etc.
The Young Leaders also had many opportunities to bond and establish more personal connections during teambuilding sessions, such as a martial art workshop, a spicy hotpot dinner and dancing with the local population on Chongqing’s most animated square.
At Testbed 2, the group discovered an old area of Chongqing perched on the city’s highest peak, where an old factory is being reconverted into a creative district becoming very popular among younger generations. Architect Qi Fan, from Vary Agency, introduced the project to them and guided them around the area. In this setting, the Young Leaders held their final discussion session in smaller groups, where they were invited to discuss which recommendations they could give if they were the planning advisors of Xiong’An new city. Better education, greener environment and social diversity were the most prominent topics of the discussions.
The Young Leaders also visited two companies: BOE in Chongqing and its impressive assembly line of computer and TV screens manufactured from the most advanced technology, and Face++ in Beijing, a leader in facial recognition technology.
In Beijing, the group had the unique opportunity to meet with China’s Vice President Wang Qishan at the Great Hall of the People. During a one-hour discussion, where four of the Young Leaders were invited to share thoughts or questions, Vice President Wang Qishan insisted on the importance of programs such as this one between young generations of both countries. He also shared his view on dialogue and cooperation: “Human society has many common opportunities, risks and challenges, which no single country can handle alone, as economic globalization is the inevitable trend”.
The 4-day seminar ended with a visit of Beijing Fun, a renovated area south of Tian’anmen Square, led by architects Wu Chen, Chief Architect of the Dashilan Area, and Luc Néouze from AREP, followed by a warm and cheerful closing dinner party at Ms. Na restaurant, chaired by former Foreign Affairs Minister and honorary president of Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign affairs, M. Li Zhaoxing.
Created during the summer of 2012 by a team of diplomats, entrepreneurs and artists, the France China Foundation encourages the development of relationships between French and Chinese leaders, to stimulate their interest in the other country and to inspire them to set up joint projects. Its main activity consists of organizing an annual Sino-French «Young Leaders» program, which takes place alternately in China and in France. This four-day seminar brings together about 40 highly talented leaders from China and France who are selected for their outstanding political, economic or cultural backgrounds. For more information, please check: www.francechinafoundation.org.
MB Projects Director, Marion Bertagna, is the Secretary-General in China of the France China Foundation. She is the main contact for the Foundation’s official Chinese partner, CPIFA, and coordinates the Foundation’s activities in China.
© Photos Credits: Aurélien FOUCAULT
