'Our mission is to take China to the world,' says Publisher Zhu Ling

China Daily, China's largest English-language newspaper, launched its first French edition on Friday in partnership with France's largest newspaper, Le Figaro.

The French edition marks the first effort of the most-cited Chinese newspaper in a major non-English-speaking country.

China Watch, a special monthly report prepared by China Daily, already is published in the United States and the United Kingdom, in cooperation with The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Daily Telegraph. The publication has been well received by readers interested in learning more about China through China Daily's original reporting.

"I am delighted to offer our French readers an opportunity to read and know more about China in their own language," said Zhu Ling, publisher of China Daily Group. "I am equally pleased that we are partnering with a leading newspaper like Le Figaro in our endeavor to reach out more to French people."

Hinting there would be more China Daily content in other languages as well, Zhu said: "Our mission is to take China to the world. Of course, we have been very successful in English for more than three decades. We have made a beginning in French; we now want to expand."

The two-page debut edition covered China's efforts to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and the country's new "Made in China 2025" action plan, which aims to enhance the country's manufacturing capability and competitiveness.

The French edition was welcomed by high-level government officials and experts in both countries.

Zhai Jun, China's ambassador to France, endorsed the cooperation between China Daily and Le Figaro as an innovative outreach by China's media. He said he expects the French edition will present a dynamic picture of China's development to readers, and facilitate the exchange of culture and the relations between the two countries.

Zhang Xiuqin, ambassador for the Permanent Delegation of the People's Republic of China to UNESCO, said the French version's launch meets a need for media cooperation.

"UNESCO has been advocating international cooperation and exchange in the media industry. We believe that the communication between media is an important way to carry out the dialogue among civilizations to promote cultural diversity," Zhang said.

David Gosset, director of the Euro-China Forum and founder of the New Silk Road Initiative, said China Daily both illustrates and explains China's global views for the future.

"The Chinese renaissance is arguably our world's most significant factor of change," he said. "It is therefore of the highest importance to have the global public opinion better informed on the Chinese dynamics and their external implications."

Jean-Marie Cambaceres, a former member of the French Parliament and president of the France Asia Association, said he reads China Daily's English version and "used to think it was unfortunate that there are no articles in French".

Pierre Picquart, author of Chinese Empire and Olympic Form of China, said the cooperation between the major French media and Chinese media is good news. "This cross-country communication and contact will conduct a better understanding of cultures and people," he said. "The content China Daily posted is attractive and gives a modern image of the new China."

Le Figaro, founded in 1826, is published in Paris. It is France's oldest newspaper.

tuoyannan@chinadaily.com.cn