People take part in the "Global Dialogue - Toward the Future" youth cultural exchange event in Paris, France on January 30, 2026. Photo: GT

The "Global Dialogue - Toward the Future" youth cultural exchange event was held in Paris, France, on Friday. Guests and youth representatives in the fields of culture, education, film and television from China and France gathered together to conduct in-depth discussions on cross-cultural communication and people-to-people exchanges.

As important representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, China and France possess profound cultural heritage, each with its own unique characteristics, and have long admired each other. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964, the two sides have gradually formed a multi-level pattern of people-to-people exchanges through continuous interaction, and their cultural cooperation has always been an important component of the bilateral relations.

On the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, the "Global Dialogue - Toward the Future" youth cultural exchange event, hosted by the Global Times and supported by the China Cultural Center in Paris and the UK-China Film Collab, took film and television exchanges as its starting point. Through keynote speeches, film screening, and post-screening discussions, it explored practical ways to enhance understanding, expand mutual learning in a multicultural context, and build a dialogue platform for exchanges between the Chinese and French youth.

In his address on behalf of the organizers, Bai Long, deputy editor-in-chief of the Global Times, said that the leaders of China and France highly value cultural exchanges and have reached important consensus on numerous occasions. This mutual expectation is continuously translating into genuine and sustained interaction between the people of the two countries. He emphasized that one of the values of the media lies in enabling friendships that transcend mountains and seas to be seen, understood, and carried on. The Global Times will continue to act as a "ferryman" for China-France cultural exchanges by telling stories of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, and disseminating more moving chapters about youth, art, and mutual understanding.

During the keynote speech session, guests from China and France shared their observations and reflections on bilateral cultural exchanges from different perspectives, including the practices of cultural institutions, educational cooperation, artistic creation, and the film and television industry.

Wang Meng, director of the China Cultural Center in Paris, said that through cultural exchanges, younger generations can more intuitively understand each other's cultural traditions and values, seeking common ground in exchanges and learning to respect differences, which is precisely the  significance of cultural exchange. Nicolas Deschamps, founder and president of the French Association of Co-Producers, appeared at the event dressed in a traditional Chinese Northeastern floral-patterned jacket. He shared his recent experiences of participating in the Jilin Documentary Festival, co-production film projects in Inner Mongolia, and the China-France film student exchange program, all of which demonstrated the diverse expansion of China-France film cooperation in creation, industry, and youth development.

French songwriter, singer and actress Joyce Jonathan shared her deep affection for China since childhood and her years of practice in performing in various parts of China and engaging with Chinese audiences. She said that the future is not far off, but rather gradually takes shape through daily exchanges and joint practices. She noted that China-France cultural exchanges should rely on young people, students, and artists, and can be continuously deepened through concrete interactions and cooperation, thus injecting vitality into the relationship between the two countries.

Florent Pratlong, dean of the Sorbonne School of Management, explored various ways to bring the Chinese and French youth closer together through innovative exchange activities and joint training programs through higher education and inter-university cooperation.

During the second part of the event, Hiu Man Chan, founder and executive director of the UK-China Film Collab, guided the audience to appreciate three representative films, Kangxi and Louis XIV, Wolf Totem, and Baby in Love, each representing different aspects of artistic expression, commercial success, and diplomatic narrative. She said that China's young and active movie-going population is driving the transformation of the film market and distribution mechanisms. Audiences are gradually becoming aesthetically fatigued with the singular Hollywood narrative and are looking forward to innovative cultural experiences. Young filmmakers can actively explore international co-productions and collaborations, viewing film as a platform for cross-border practice and a space for intellectual exploration, constantly seeking common ground amid differences, she added. 

Gilles Thompson, director of Kangxi and Louis XIV, attended the post-screening Q&A session, sharing his experiences in cross-cultural filmmaking, particularly historical films, drawing on his expertise in distributing Chinese films in the French market as well as his own experiences during filming. Guests and youth representatives actively participated in the discussion, engaging in in-depth conversations about the unique appeal of films in the era of new media, the distribution of Chinese films in France, and future collaborations.

Wang Jian, minister-counselor at the Chinese Embassy in France, attended the event.