Archives des China-India-Africa - Page 7 of 18

Exchange on the role of culture in international relations between Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO and the experts of the Bridge Tank

Posted on 15 February 202128 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

The first woman elected as Director-General of UNESCO, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Bulgaria in 1996, and former Bulgarian ambassador to France, Irina BOKOVA is a passionate politician, who shares the values of openness and dialogue with the Bridge Tank. During her career, she became involved in international efforts in favor of equality between women and men, education for all and access to culture. Among her many fields of action, scientific cooperation for sustainable development is particularly close to her heart. She has also pleaded for Bulgaria’s membership of the EU and NATO, and continues to campaign for European integration by promoting the values of diversity and human rights.

Irina Bokova, Board member of the Bridge Tank and co-organizer of the EU-China post-covid Cooperation Forum

From the opening session, the former Director-General of UNESCO recalled that Sino-European cooperation should take into account a human and cultural aspect, like said in the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, which will allow a constructive link in the economic, political, security and environmental fields.

She gave a more “UN” dimension to the debates, to reflect on multilateralism, globalism and the climate, in which China and the EU are key actors. Dialogue between these two powers is therefore essential to build a more inclusive, sustainable and multilateral post-covid world and reform the multilateral system, as she said in the Forum on January 21. Irina Bokova insisted on the growing role of China in this project : she recalled President Xi Jinping’s carbon neutrality commitments by 2060, the central place of China in the recovery of global activity, as well as Beijing’s role in integrating culture and science into the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

What post-covid human exchanges?

Irina Bokova federated the debates around the question of human exchanges, be they cultural, educational or scientific in the development of a vision of the future. This essential theme must be part of the wider debate on geopolitical issues and ecological transitions. The former Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that there is a convergence in the thoughts on this aspect of cooperation between the EU and China, which are two great cultural powers. It is therefore an essential aspect of the current debate on the refocusing of Sino-European relations, all the more crucial as China has invested heavily in the areas of culture and identity in recent years.

Indeed, Xi Jinping has revived a major UNESCO project, the Silk Road, by giving real importance to heritage, cultural and identity issues. The new Silk Roads, beyond trade flows, must play a role in building intercultural bridges. In addition, China now ranks first on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This sector is an integral part of its economy, showing the world that culture and its industries can play a significant role in the growth and trade of a country.

The digitalization of cultural exchanges

Irina Bokova dwelled on the place and dangers of digital in the promotion of culture. With its ability to create bridges between societies, it has enormous potential, to such an extent that the United Nations will soon adopt measures that makes access to digital a human right. However, she warned of the worrying risks associated with technology : it tends to standardize and erase diversity and threatens to fragment societies by creating isolation and alienation in communities.

On the condition therefore of being part of an ethical approach at the service of humanity, technologies remain a space of extraordinary creativity and an unparalleled connection platform, making it possible to link museums to the digital world by arousing curiosity about cultural projects. The former director of UNESCO concluded that a nation never awakens without curiosity for its culture, something that China understood well when it completed in seven years the construction of 5 000 museums, and for the culture of the others, pillar of all cooperation and bulwark against intolerance.

Irina Bokova is a Bridge Tank’s Board Member, which regularly shares her thoughts and expertise. She notably co-organized and opened the post-Covid EU-China Cooperation Forum alongside Joël Ruet, President of the Bridge Tank and Sylvie Bermann, French Ambassador to China.

On October 15, 2020, this “hybrid” Forum brought together four former ministers, five former ambassadors and around thirty experts at the Palais Brongiart in Paris, as well as around a hundred registrants on three continents, to share nourished, informed and precise on economic, industrial, social and cultural questions on the EU-China relationship.

Exchange with Minister Brune Poirson on EU’s Economic package, energy and ecological transitions in China and Europe

Posted on 15 January 202128 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Brune Poirson, a Vice-President of the United Nations Environment Assembly and former Secretary of State to the French Minister of Ecological Transition and Solidarity of Emmanuel Macron, came to bring her expertise in a conversation with the Bridge Tank.

She highlighted the importance of dynamics such as the 2015 Paris Agreement, the Chinese government’s commitment to become carbon neutral by 2060, as well as the European Commission’s Green Deal and the Belt and Road Initiative. She argued that these initiatives would help develop global governance that include more trade with and between developing countries.

China: a natural ally for Europe for climate

She supported the importance of engaging with China and said that she “never misses an opportunity to engage in dialogue and mutual understanding with China.” She stressed the importance of respecting the Paris Agreement. She also referred to the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement, a delicate situation for France and Europe, which had to adapt and find other allies. China met the requirements of the emergency and “proved to be a natural ally on these issues. “Brune Poirson drew attention to the “very strong symbolic act” of China’s commitment, which does not have the same way of building and implementing public policies as the EU.

Moreover, these strong trends were accentuated during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted US protectionism. This has allowed Europe to accelerate its vision, on environment being a tool of power and might for the European Union. In particular with the Green Deal, which was then transformed into a recovery plan. The Green Deal responds to a vision of the world including trade with other areas, clear territorial missions existing on both sides, and it responds to a common vision of the EU and China. The European Commission’s Green Deal is financed by the recovery plans (with the support of the EIB), while China uses the Belt & Road Initiative, financed by government-to-government loans, export banks (China Development Bank), or multilateral banks (AIIB).

The European Heads of State will have to respond to these ambition tests at the next European Council and will then have to prove their commitment by raising the CO2 reduction targets. The People’s Republic of China, organizer of the COP15-Biodiversity, will have to show its capacity to engage third parties in international cooperation (in particular ASEAN on forestry issues).

A strategic panorama that hides massive and common challenges of energy transition

Also present at the Forum were the following personalities: Ding Yifan, researcher at the Institute of Global Development of the Development Research Centre of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, and Thomas Melonio, Executive Director of Innovation, Research and Knowledge at the French Development Agency. They spoke in the session “Restart, energy and ecological transitions in China and Europe”, moderated by Raphaël Schoentgen, former CTO and member of the executive committee of ENGIE and former president of Hydrogen Europe.

In addition to Brune Poirson’s remarks, Ding Yifan argued that decarbonisation of Chinese energy production was a key element in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but that it also required the transformation of the economy in several Chinese regions. Significant Chinese investment is being made to encourage the transition to hydrogen, and this is an area where cooperation between the EU and China could be beneficial to both sides. Thomas Melonio argued that it was crucial that Africa be included in the new cooperation agreements, especially as the Chinese and European development banks have the same objectives regarding Africa.

Brune Poirson, Ding Yigan and Thomas Melonio spoke at the Forum on China-Europe Relations and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This forum took place at the Palais Brongniart on 15 October 2020.

Intervention of François Loos, former Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade, at the Bridge Tank about the shared visions of future between the EU and China

Posted on 5 January 202128 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

As an experienced practitioner in the world of industry and international trade, François Loos argues for the necessary restructuring of EU-China relations, by submitting the idea that the Chinese resilience shows the way for a recovery in global activity

An alumni of Ecole Polytechnique, a high civil servant from Ecole des Mines by training, François Loos is also a committed politician, who was a Member of Parliament for Bas-Rhin, regional councilor for Alsace and Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade in the Villepin and Raffarin governments under the Chirac presidency.

In support of a united Europe

During his speech on post-covid globalization, François Loos explained that the EU-China relationship is hampered by bilateral relations instead of responding to a community approach. EU countries need to be coordinated and consistent with China. Indeed, the lack of EU unity is a dangerous handicap, as illustrated by the example of photovoltaic production in Europe threatened by Chinese imports. He highlighted the flaws in the European mode of governance, based on the will of consumer countries and on a majority decision-making system incapable of combating dumping or of speaking with one voice in the WTO.

Between the search for independence and strategic cooperation

COVID has demonstrated to everyone the need to aspire to independence, or non-dependence, from one’s neighbors. For François Loos, this autonomy can only be acquired for the EU on condition that it also has national champions in strategic sectors, in particular in the industry.

However, independence does not exclude cooperation. Far from having been mitigated by the crisis, the weight of China in the world economy has increased and makes the issue of Sino-European cooperation all the more central, as evidenced by the new Sino-European agreements’ negotiations.

This search for national independence is not always strategic according to the former minister : he mentioned the case of “good relocations”, those where the establishment of a company in a foreign country serves the local market. It remains to be seen whether China will accelerate the implementation of the measures planned to encourage Europeans to set up in China on an equal footing with local businesses.

Towards a shared vision of the future

The former minister insisted on the need to combine Chinese and European visions of the future. For that, it is necessary to define the strategic subjects to orient the Sino-European cooperation. Like the EU which was initiated in 1952 by a collaboration on coal and steel, he called for cooperation based on issues of common interest that would found a new type of relationship at the global scale and with China. The subject of raw materials, agricultural and mineral, for example, is a central fulcrum of this cooperation, strategic on both sides in terms of energy and food since China depends on its imports to feed its population.

Likewise, the environment is another necessary subject of cooperation with China, on condition that the issue is not only approached from the perspective of large companies, but rather associated with it, at the local level, the world of small and medium-sized enterprises, cities, communities, which are closer to reality and concrete solutions.

At the EU-China Cooperation Forum held on January 21, 2021, the former minister clarified that these collective visions could not exist without common standards and regulations. It is indeed essential that questions of the environment, energy, raw materials and food have a horizon that can be understood and shared by European countries, the United States and China.

To achieve a precise and open dialogue with China, François Loos recommended organizing international working groups to define these visions of the future, generate a state of trust and move forward together in these specific sectors.

François Loos closely follows the works of the Bridge Tank, notably on the EU-China Cooperation. These views were expressed during the Forum for EU-China post-covid cooperation, organized by the Bridge Tank on October 15, 2020.

Pranjal Sharma speaks during the Reboot Work Festival on the panel “AI, Automation & Future of work”

Posted on 18 December 20202 April 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Pranjal Sharma, advisor at the Davos World Economic Forum and member of the Bridge Tank’s board, was one of the keynote panellists of the Reboot Work Festival on the 17th of December 2020. He intervened in the panel entitled “AI, Automation & Future of work”, alongside with Rajesh Kumar, Regional Head of Marketing at UiPath. He argued that a new “normal” would come along the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with new digital trends to help businesses to readapt and build resiliency.

Meeting between Hakima El Haite, President of the Liberal International and Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara

Posted on 16 December 20202 April 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Hakima El Haite, President of Liberal International and member of the Bridge Tank’s board, had a private audience with Alassane Ouattara, the Ivorian President, on the 15th of December 2020. This event took place aside from Alassane Ouattara’s re-election and investiture as president, after his campaign as the candidate of the Rally of Republicans. He is also the leader of this party. They exchanged about the activities of the Liberal International, as well as about the development perspectives of Côte d’Ivoire.

Liberal International is the world federation of liberal and progressive democratic political parties. Recently, it notably called for democracy and human rights to be respected in the Ugandan elections and called on the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women to condemn violence against Egyptian women human rights defenders.

OMVS presents a check for 200 million CFA francs for the 9th World Water Forum

Posted on 12 December 20202 April 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Hamed Semega, member of the Bridge Tank’s board and High Commissioner to Sub-Regional Organisation for the Senegal River Basin Development Authority (Organisation de Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Senegal, OMVS), handed the organisers of the 9th World Water Forum (which will take place in 2022) a 200 million CFA francs check from the OMVS.

The official ceremony to welcome this financial support took place on the 11th of December 2020 in Dakar. During this event, an agreement of partnership was also signed between the OMVS and the forum’s executive secretariat to ensure cooperation between these two entities in 2021. In this agreement, the OMVS committed to support mobilisation of resources necessary to the organisation of workshops and other projects integrated to the Dakar 2021 initiative

Democracies, Governances, Rules of law in Africa, which perspectives?

Posted on 27 November 20202 April 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Alain Dupouy, president of the Objective Future Africa Club (O2A) think tank and Alain Juppé’s former advisor for Africa, hosted a workshop which gathered political actors and activists from West African countries, notably Guinea, Tchad, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Benin. This discussion was following the theme “Democracies, Governances, Rules of law in Africa, which perspectives?”. It took place on the 26th of November 2020.

Among the keynote speakers were Cellou Dalein Diallo, President of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea and former Guinean Prime Minister, Succès Masra, President of the Chadian Transformers Party, Abdoul Aziz Mbaye, former chief of staff for the Senegalese President Macky Sall, Alain Juillet, former head of the French General Directorate for External Security, Joël Ruet, President of The Bridge Tank, Laurent Bigot, former French diplomat, and Reckya Madougou, former Beninese Minister of Justice.

The points that were made during these exchanges were that democracy was perfectly compatible with Africa, as long as criteria of social justice and wealth redistribution were met. The international community also has to encourage dynamism for the private economic sector to help the professional development of the African youth. Africa’s future must be decided in Africa to ensure its longevity.

Debate between Rajiv Kumar and Yoginder Alagh on “Agricultural policies in the COVID phase”

Posted on 25 November 202019 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Rajiv Kumar, vice-Chairman and executive head of NITI Aayog, discussed with Yoginder Alagh, former Indian Minister of Power and member of the Bridge Tank’s board. NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission in 2015 and is chaired by Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister.

This dialogue was organised by the World Bank and constituted the introductory statements of the webinar entitled “Agricultural Policy in the COVID phase”. It took place on the 24th of November 2020.

Joël Ruet is a keynote speaker at the International Think Tank Forum on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road

Posted on 23 November 202022 July 2021 by the_bridge_tank

The International Think Tank Forum on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road gathered Chinese and foreign scholars, government officials and international organization representatives on the 10th of November 2018 in Guangzhou (Guangdong, China). It was co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

Joël Ruet was a keynote speaker of the opening ceremony of this forum.

RCEP agreement and India

Posted on 22 November 20202 April 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Pranjal Sharma, member of the Bridge Tank’s board, wrote a paper for The Daily Guardian entitled “RCEP and India: Between the lines” on the 21st of November 2020. The RCEP is a multilateral trade agreement between Asian countries, started by China during the 2011 ASEAN meeting. China intends on using this agreement, which creates a coalition of trade partners, to counter the American and European influences in the global economy.

In this paper, Pranjal Sharma argued that India did not sign this agreement as it has been sceptical of regional trade agreements involving China, especially considering that Chinese cheap exportations have seriously affected many sectors in many countries, such as Indian engineered products. Joining such a trade agreement could harm Indian domestic producers even further. The Indian decision to remain out of the RCEP therefore is the country’s chance to develop its own manufacturing competitiveness, which could lead to India’s emergence as China’s new global rival.