"It's not that China is not transparent; Western media don't want China to be transparent." At the Hong Kong Book Fair, Laurent Michelon, French scholar and author of the book "Understand the China-West relations", expressed this sentiment in an interview with GDToday and Nanfang Plus. Michelon stated that he has long been troubled by the selective blindness of Western media, which motivated him to introduce the true and positive aspects of China's development to Western readers through objective writing. "I once worried that I would be criticized for not condemning China, but after my new book was published in France, it was very well-received. Some readers commented, 'Finally, someone is giving us a more objective view of China.'"
Helping western people understand the real China
Michelon has lived in China for over 20 years, and many of his European friends do not understand his choice. "They ask me why I have stayed in such a bad place for so long. I ask them what's bad about it, and they say it's because all they see about China in Western media is negative." Michelon noted that these friends from Europe don't even know about Beijing and Shanghai, but they "know" the Western media's portrayal of Hong Kong and Xinjiang. "Doesn't this mean they are brainwashed?"
Michelon believes that the China described by Western media greatly differs from his own experiences. Since Western media do not report positive aspects about China, he decided to write about it himself. "I don't intend to praise China; I just want to write objectively about what is happening in China and the reasons behind it," Michelon explained.
When writing "Understand the China-West Relations", Michelon was worried that he would be criticized for not echoing the Western media's negative portrayal of China. However, to his surprise, the book was very well-received in France. Many readers commented, "Finally, someone is giving us a more objective view of China."
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. According to public information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France ranks as China's third-largest trading partner and the third-largest source of investment in real terms within the European Union. China is France's largest trading partner in Asia and the seventh-largest globally. Michelon believes that despite being influenced to some extent by the United States in recent times, French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly stated that Europe should reduce its reliance on the United States and strive for strategic autonomy.
Recently, France also underwent significant National Assembly elections. Michelon is optimistic that with the left-wing coalition gaining a majority of seats, China-France relations will continue to improve.
Every step China takes influences the world
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing from July 15 to 18, 2024. Laurent Michelon, who was preparing for his book fair lectures in Hong Kong during this period, was also closely following this meeting. He believes that every step China takes and every decision made by the Chinese government will affect the world and certainly Europe as well.
"Many details of the Third Plenary Session are in the communique and are public. But have Western media looked at them? China announced its goal to establish a high-standard socialist market economic system by 2035, but they turn a blind eye to this positive information and continue to propagate the so-called 'China threat theory'," Michelon said. "Many Western media are 'playing politics', and are not at all objective. They are not like journalists but more like political officials, spokespersons for their governments."
For a long time, some Western media have criticized China for being "non-transparent", but Michelon believes that this so-called "non-transparency" is actually caused by Western media.
"Western media don't want China to be 'transparent', because the more obscure it is, the less the people in the West will know about what's happening in China, and the more they will be afraid," Michelon explained. During the Cold War, the United States used mass media for anti-communist propaganda, demonizing the governments of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and other socialist countries. Since then, Western media have been selectively filtering information to further manipulate public opinion.
"Currently, Western media are very dominant internationally, making it hard to hear the voices of other countries' media. In European and American countries, much information from China and Russia is also blocked, and readers are passively receiving information from American and British media only."
On July 17, the State Council announced that all open ports in China will implement a 24-hour visa-free transit policy for personnel from all countries. At 41 open ports across 19 provinces (autonomous regions, and municipalities), travellers from 54 countries, including France, will be granted 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free transit.
Michelon believes that the visa-free transit policy provides convenience for foreigners to come to China and learn about the real China from the most basic aspects of life, such as WeChat and electronic payments. "They will soon discover that China is not as described by Western media. I see many tourists filming vlogs; they act like 'ambassadors of China', sharing their experiences in China with people back home."
Michelon said that as more people come to China and understand it, Western media and politicians will not dare to speak recklessly because it will damage their credibility. "Without credibility, who will vote for you? I believe that under the influence of the visa-free policy, people will come to realize that China is not an enemy of the West."
Reporter | Chen Chen from GDToday, Chen Yu from Nanfang Plus
Video | Xiaoxin
Poster | Mia
Editor | Will, James, Zhang Xuanzhen, Ge Yuting
