Every month, Take 5 sees a PRD resident answer five questions on whatever our editors feel like asking.
What’s an average day like for a consul general in China? This month, we were lucky enough to catch up with newly appointed Consul General of France Siv Leng Chhuor to see how she’s enjoying life in Canton and what she envisions for the future of Sino-French relations.
What’s a typical day like for you working as a consul general?
There is no typical day when you are a consul general. Every day is different. My mission in Canton is to develop the longstanding relationships between France and southern China, in all areas, including economic, cultural, touristic, educational, scientific… and with my team at the consulate, to support the local French community in both their professional and private endeavors, as effectively as we can.
With that end in view, I have since arriving here been meeting with tremendous people. For me, meeting people and building bridges between different peoples and communities in this way I find particularly rewarding.
China and France have a rich history of exchange. What are some of the French influences you’ve seen in China, or vice versa?
What immediately comes to my mind is the increasing concern for the preservation of heritage, a field where France has renowned expertise, and the success of the Chinese language among the younger generation [in France].
What does the future of Sino-French exchange look like?
Today our two countries are strategically linked in a global partnership. To give just one example, that relationship was decisive in securing the successful outcome of the Paris Conference on Climate Change in 2015 and the agreement secured there. It is important that France and China continue to strengthen their relationship, so that together they may face the opportunities, challenges and uncertainties of the multipolar world of tomorrow.
What do you like most about living in Guangzhou?
I discovered Canton when I arrived in September 2017. And it was a beautiful and lovely discovery. I like the boundless energy of this beautiful city. I like this mix of history, tradition and modernity. I like the hospitality of the Cantonese people, and their openness. I like its gastronomy, so diverse and so authentic. A French starred chef told me that for him the two best cuisines in the world are French and Chinese, and especially Cantonese cuisine. I would not contradict it!
If you had to describe Guangzhou using just three words to a friend back in France, what would you say?
Promise, uniqueness, energy.
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