France-China relations
Encyclopedia
China-France relations, also known as Sino-French relations or Franco-Chinese relations, refers to the interstate relations
between China and France
(Kingdom or later).
Note that the meaning of both "China" and "France" as entities has changed throughout history; this article will discuss what was commonly considered 'France' and 'China' at the time of the relationships in question. There have been many political, cultural and economic relationships between China
and France
.
Numerous French Jesuits were active in China during the 17th and 18th century: Nicolas Trigault
(1577-1629), Alexander de Rhodes
(1591-1660, active in Vietnam
), Jean-Baptiste Régis
(1663-1738), Jean Denis Attiret
(1702-1768), Michel Benoist
(1715-1774), Joseph-Marie Amiot (1718-1793).
French Jesuits pressured the French king to send them to China with the aims of counterbalancing the influence of Ottoman Empire
in Europe. The Jesuits sent by Louis XIV were: Jean de Fontaney
(1643-1710), Joachim Bouvet
(1656-1730), Jean-François Gerbillon
(1654-1707), Louis Le Comte
(1655-1728) and Claude de Visdelou
(1656-1737). Returning to France, they noticed the similarity between Louis XIV of France
and the Emperor Kangxi. Both were said to be the God servitor, and to control their respective area: France being the strongest country of Europe, and China being the strongest power in East Asia. Other biographical factors lead commentators to proclaim that Louis XIV and Kangxi were protected by the same Angel. (In childhood, they overcame the same illness; both reigned for a long time, with many conquests.)
Under Louis XIV's reign, the work of these French researchers sent by the King had a notable influence on Chinese sciences, but continued to be mere intellectual games, and not tools to improve the power of man on nature. Conversely, China was fashionable in France, examplified by the Chinoiserie
fashion, and Louis XIV had the Trianon de Porcelaine built in Chinese style in 1670.
In the same time, the first ever known Chinese people came to the French Kingdom. Michel Sin went to Versaille in 1684 before continuing to England. More notable is Arcadio Huang
, who crossed the Kingdom in 1702, spent some time in Rome (for the Rites dispute), and came back to Paris
in 1704, where he was the "Chinese interprete of the King", and died in 1716. He started the first ever Chinese-French dictionary, and a Chinese grammar to help French and European researchers to understand and study Chinese, but died before finishing his work.
In the 18th century, the French Jesuit Michel Benoist
, together with Giuseppe Castiglione, helped the Qianlong Emperor
build a European-style area in Old Summer Palace
(often associated with the European-style palaces (Xi Yang Lou) built of stone), to satisfy his taste for exotic buildings and objects. Jean Denis Attiret
became "Painter to the Emperor" Qianlong. Joseph-Marie Amiot (1718-1793) also won the confidence of the Qianlong Emperor and spent the remainder of his life at Beijing
. He was official translator of Western languages for Emperor Qianlong, and the spiritual leader of the French mission in Peking.
, which demanded for France the same privileges extended to Britain. In 1860, the Summer Palace
was ransacked by French units. Many precious objects nowaday in French museums come from this looting. Later, France would seize Guangzhouwan as a treaty port, and take its own concession
in the treaty port of Shanghai.
French Indochina era
did so with China. This was precipitated by Charles de Gaulle
's official recognition of the People's Republic of China
. Deng Xiaoping
completed his studies in Paris prior to ascending to power in China.
. France eventually agreed to prohibit local companies from selling arms to Taiwan, and diplomatic relations resumed in 1994.
Since then, the two countries have exchanged a number of state visits. Today, Sino-French relations are primarily economic. Bilateral trade reached new high levels in 2000. Cultural ties between the two countries are less well represented, though France is making an effort to improve this disparity.
. As torchbearers passed through Paris, activists claiming allegiance to Tibetan independence and human rights
repeatedly attempted to disrupt, hinder or halt the procession. The Chinese government hinted that Sino-French friendship could be affected. Chinese protesters organized boycotts of the French-owned retail chain Carrefour
in major Chinese cities including Kunming
, Hefei
and Wuhan
, and hundreds of people joined anti-French rallies in those cities and Beijing. Both governments attempted to calm relations after the demonstrations. French President Nicolas Sarkozy
wrote a letter of support and sympathy to Jin Jing
, a Chinese athlete who had carried the Olympic torch. Chinese President Hu Jintao
sent a special envoy to France to help strengthen relations.
However, relations again soured after President Sarkozy met the Dalai Lama in Poland. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao
omitted France in his tour of Europe in response, his assistant foreign minister saying of the rift "The one who tied the knot should be the one who unties it." French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin
was quoted in Le Monde
as saying that France had no intention of "encourag[ing] Tibetan separatism".
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
between China and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(Kingdom or later).
Note that the meaning of both "China" and "France" as entities has changed throughout history; this article will discuss what was commonly considered 'France' and 'China' at the time of the relationships in question. There have been many political, cultural and economic relationships between China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
17th and 18th centuries
Nicolas Trigault
Nicolas Trigault was a Flemish Jesuit, and a missionary to China. He was also known by his latinised name Trigautius or Trigaultius, and his Chinese name Jīn Nígé .-Life and work:...
(1577-1629), Alexander de Rhodes
Alexander de Rhodes
Father Alexander de Rhodes was a French Jesuit missionary and lexicographer who had a lasting impact on Christianity in Vietnam. He wrote the Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum, the first trilingual Vietnamese-Portuguese-Latin dictionary published in Rome in 1651.- Biography...
(1591-1660, active in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
), Jean-Baptiste Régis
Jean-Baptiste Régis
Jean-Baptiste Régis was a French Jesuit missionary in imperial China.-Biography and works:He was born at Istres in Provence on 11 June 1663, or 29 January 1664; died at Peking on 24 November 1738...
(1663-1738), Jean Denis Attiret
Jean Denis Attiret
Jean Denis Attiret was a French Jesuit painter and missionary to China.Jean Denis Attiret studied art in Rome and made himself a name as a portrait painter. While a Jesuit novice, he did paintings in the Cathedral of Avignon and the Sodality Chapel....
(1702-1768), Michel Benoist
Michel Benoist
Michel Benoist October 23, 1774 in Beijing, China of a stroke) was a Jesuit scientist, who stood in the service of the ChineseQianlong Emperor for thirty years and is most noted for the waterworks he constructed for the emperor.-Education:...
(1715-1774), Joseph-Marie Amiot (1718-1793).
French Jesuits pressured the French king to send them to China with the aims of counterbalancing the influence of Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in Europe. The Jesuits sent by Louis XIV were: Jean de Fontaney
Jean de Fontaney
Jean de Fontaney was a French Jesuit who led a mission to China in 1687.Jean de Fontaney had been a teacher of mathematics and astronomy at the College Louis le Grand...
(1643-1710), Joachim Bouvet
Joachim Bouvet
Joachim Bouvet was a French Jesuit who worked in China, and the leading member of the Figurist movement.-Biography:...
(1656-1730), Jean-François Gerbillon
Jean-François Gerbillon
Jean-François Gerbillon was a French missionary, who worked in China.He entered the Society of Jesus, 5 Oct, 1670, and after completing the usual course of study taught grammar and humanities for seven years...
(1654-1707), Louis Le Comte
Louis le Comte
Louis le Comte , also Louis-Daniel Lecomte, was a French Jesuit who participated in the 1687 French Jesuit mission to China under Jean de Fontaney. He arrived in China on 7 February 1688....
(1655-1728) and Claude de Visdelou
Claude de Visdelou
Claude de Visdelou was a French Jesuit missionary.-Life:De Visdelou was born at the Château de Bienassis, Erquy, Brittany. He entered the Society of Jesus on 5 September 1673, and was one of the missionaries sent to China by Louis XIVin 1687. He acquired a wide knowledge of the Chinese language...
(1656-1737). Returning to France, they noticed the similarity between Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and the Emperor Kangxi. Both were said to be the God servitor, and to control their respective area: France being the strongest country of Europe, and China being the strongest power in East Asia. Other biographical factors lead commentators to proclaim that Louis XIV and Kangxi were protected by the same Angel. (In childhood, they overcame the same illness; both reigned for a long time, with many conquests.)
Chinoiserie
Chinoiserie, a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque", and pronounced ) refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences...
fashion, and Louis XIV had the Trianon de Porcelaine built in Chinese style in 1670.
Arcadio Huang
Arcadio Huang, also Arcadius Huang or Arcade Huang , was a Chinese Christian convert, brought to Paris by the Missions étrangères. He took a pioneering role in the teaching of the Chinese language in France around 1715...
, who crossed the Kingdom in 1702, spent some time in Rome (for the Rites dispute), and came back to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1704, where he was the "Chinese interprete of the King", and died in 1716. He started the first ever Chinese-French dictionary, and a Chinese grammar to help French and European researchers to understand and study Chinese, but died before finishing his work.
In the 18th century, the French Jesuit Michel Benoist
Michel Benoist
Michel Benoist October 23, 1774 in Beijing, China of a stroke) was a Jesuit scientist, who stood in the service of the ChineseQianlong Emperor for thirty years and is most noted for the waterworks he constructed for the emperor.-Education:...
, together with Giuseppe Castiglione, helped the Qianlong Emperor
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
build a European-style area in Old Summer Palace
Old Summer Palace
The Old Summer Palace, known in China as Yuan Ming Yuan , and originally called the Imperial Gardens, was a complex of palaces and gardens in Beijing...
(often associated with the European-style palaces (Xi Yang Lou) built of stone), to satisfy his taste for exotic buildings and objects. Jean Denis Attiret
Jean Denis Attiret
Jean Denis Attiret was a French Jesuit painter and missionary to China.Jean Denis Attiret studied art in Rome and made himself a name as a portrait painter. While a Jesuit novice, he did paintings in the Cathedral of Avignon and the Sodality Chapel....
became "Painter to the Emperor" Qianlong. Joseph-Marie Amiot (1718-1793) also won the confidence of the Qianlong Emperor and spent the remainder of his life at Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. He was official translator of Western languages for Emperor Qianlong, and the spiritual leader of the French mission in Peking.
19th century
From the (if rather distant) cordiallity of the ancien régime, Sino-French relations would deteriorate in European rush for colonies, even as they matured. Nineteenth century Europe was eager for the acquisition of colonies, and as European opinion of China deterorated, the once admired empire would become the subject of unequal treaties and colonisation. In 1844, China and France concluded its first modern treaty, the Treaty of WhampoaTreaty of Whampoa
The Treaty of Whampoa was a commercial treaty between France and China, which was signed by Théodore de Lagrené and Qiying on October 24, 1844.-Terms:...
, which demanded for France the same privileges extended to Britain. In 1860, the Summer Palace
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace is a palace in Beijing, China. The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water....
was ransacked by French units. Many precious objects nowaday in French museums come from this looting. Later, France would seize Guangzhouwan as a treaty port, and take its own concession
Shanghai French Concession
The Shanghai French Concession was a foreign concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1946, and it was progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concession came to an end in practice in 1943 when the Vichy French government signed it over to the pro-Japanese puppet...
in the treaty port of Shanghai.
French Indochina era
- Second Opium WarSecond Opium WarThe Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
, - Sino-French WarSino-French WarThe Sino–French War was a limited conflict fought between August 1884 and April 1885 to decide whether France should replace China in control of Tonkin . As the French achieved their war aims, they are usually considered to have won the war...
, and French IndochinaFrench IndochinaFrench Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, - Eight-Nation AllianceEight-Nation AllianceThe Eight-Nation Alliance was an alliance of Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States whose military forces intervened in China to suppress the anti-foreign Boxers and relieve the siege of the diplomatic legations in Beijing .- Events :The...
- French post offices in ChinaFrench post offices in ChinaThe French post offices in China were among the post offices maintained by foreign powers in China around the beginning of the 20th century. The French government issued special postage stamps for these offices beginning in 1894, initially for all the offices, then overprinted with the name of the...
- Yunnan–Vietnam Railway
Post World War II
France and the PRC had established ambassadorial level diplomatic relations by 1964, before West GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
did so with China. This was precipitated by Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
's official recognition of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
completed his studies in Paris prior to ascending to power in China.
Post-Cold War
This state of relations would not last, however. During the 1990s, France and the PRC repeatedly clashed as a result of the PRC's One China Policy. France sold weapons to Taiwan, angering the Beijing government. This resulted in the temporary closure of the French Consulate-General in GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. France eventually agreed to prohibit local companies from selling arms to Taiwan, and diplomatic relations resumed in 1994.
Since then, the two countries have exchanged a number of state visits. Today, Sino-French relations are primarily economic. Bilateral trade reached new high levels in 2000. Cultural ties between the two countries are less well represented, though France is making an effort to improve this disparity.
2008 rifts
In 2008, Sino-French relations took a downturn in the wake of the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics, with the theme of "one world, one dream". Plans for the relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing, China...
. As torchbearers passed through Paris, activists claiming allegiance to Tibetan independence and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
repeatedly attempted to disrupt, hinder or halt the procession. The Chinese government hinted that Sino-French friendship could be affected. Chinese protesters organized boycotts of the French-owned retail chain Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...
in major Chinese cities including Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, Hefei
Hefei
Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui...
and Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, and hundreds of people joined anti-French rallies in those cities and Beijing. Both governments attempted to calm relations after the demonstrations. French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
wrote a letter of support and sympathy to Jin Jing
Jin Jing
Jin Jing is a Chinese female Paralympic fencer. She was a torchbearer carrying the Olympic torch amid political protests during the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay in Paris, France...
, a Chinese athlete who had carried the Olympic torch. Chinese President Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
sent a special envoy to France to help strengthen relations.
However, relations again soured after President Sarkozy met the Dalai Lama in Poland. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
omitted France in his tour of Europe in response, his assistant foreign minister saying of the rift "The one who tied the knot should be the one who unties it." French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
was quoted in Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
as saying that France had no intention of "encourag[ing] Tibetan separatism".
See also
- Foreign relations of ChinaForeign relations of ChinaForeign relations of China may refer to:* Foreign relations of Imperial China* Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China, official name of government in control of mainland China...
- China Policy InstituteChina Policy InstituteThe China Policy Institute is a centre for research into Chinese Policy and Sino-British relations at the University of Nottingham, England. It is located in the University's China House and in Berners Street in London. Its Chairman is Elizabeth Wright, formerly a Foreign Office diplomat and...
- Foreign relations of imperial ChinaForeign relations of Imperial ChinaImperial China had a long tradition of foreign relations. From the Qin Dynasty until the Qing Dynasty, the Culture of China had an impact upon neighboring and distant countries, while gradually being transformed by outside influences as well....
- Foreign relations of the Republic of ChinaForeign relations of the Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is recognized by sovereign states. The course of the foreign relations of the ROC is dominated by maintaining diplomatic relations with these countries, as well as unofficial relations with other countries via its de facto embassies and...
(from 1911...)- Foreign relations of the People's Republic of ChinaForeign relations of the People's Republic of ChinaThe foreign relations of the People's Republic of China guides the way in which it interacts with foreign nations. As a great power and emerging superpower, China's foreign policy and strategic thinking is highly influential. China officially states it "unswervingly pursues an independent foreign...
(after 1949) - Foreign relations of the Republic of ChinaForeign relations of the Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is recognized by sovereign states. The course of the foreign relations of the ROC is dominated by maintaining diplomatic relations with these countries, as well as unofficial relations with other countries via its de facto embassies and...
(...to today)
- Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China
- Anglo-Chinese relationsAnglo-Chinese relationsBritish–Chinese relations , also known as Sino-British relations and Anglo-Chinese relations, refers to the interstate relations between China and the United Kingdom. Although on opposing sides of the Cold War, both countries were allies during World War II, and are members of the UN...