Chongqing—On April 21, Bridging News had an exclusive interview with Vincent Chauvet, the Mayor of Autun, France. Chauvet stated that he is willing to introduce Chinese courses in Autun and plans to send teachers from Autun to teach in Chongqing.

From April 21 to April 22, Chauvet and his delegation visited Chongqing to engage in a series of exchanges focusing on science, culture, and education.

Chauvet said 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France and is also the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.

They toured the Chongqing Science and Technology Museum and several local schools, signing memorandums for friendly school cooperation. They also held detailed discussions on enhancing international educational collaboration and related topics.

During the interview, Chauvet also emphasized the significant challenge faced in the transition to energy skills. "We want to support electric cars," said Mayor Chauvet. "This is something we are trying to promote."

He noted that China excels in this sector, evidenced by the many green license plates on its streets and the growing presence of Chinese electric cars in the French market, where they are introducing robust competition. France leads Europe in electric vehicle infrastructure, boasting the highest number of rapid charging stations per capita, surpassing even Germany.

Chauvet stressed the importance of planning for resilient, eco-friendly, and low-carbon cities in the future and advocated for the integration of wooden buildings. 

Wooden construction is a potent tool against climate change, noting its superior carbon emission reduction compared to cement. Thus, Autun actively promotes wooden construction and seeks to grasp global timber and tree market dynamics.

Chongqing has 13,000 bridges, so Chauvet expressed his hope to collaborate deeply with Chongqing to explore combining wood and cement to create low-carbon bridges.

"So these are the examples of some sectors where we need to work closely together to improve trade, to improve trading rules, and make both our economies stronger," said Chauvet.

(Deng Yawen and Tao Yu, as interns, also contributed to this report.)