书记先生、市长先生：
女士们，先生们，亲爱的同事朋友们：
　　我非常荣幸地代表参议员、波尔多市市长阿兰·朱佩先生，向大家致以良好的祝愿。尽管非常遗憾，他此次不能亲自来到这里，但他一直关注着波尔多和中国的合作。
　　正如你们所知，波尔多非常钦佩中国和中国几千年的悠久历史文化。尽管在我们的日常生活中会遇到不同的看法，但早在16和17世纪，两位波尔多人，也是著名的思想家就感受到了中国人民的伟大。
　　－米歇尔·德·蒙泰涅，1581年波尔多市长，在他的《试验》一书第三卷中写到：当我们为自己发明的火药和印刷术惊叹不已的时候，殊不知在这个世界的另一端中国早已使用了千年。
　　－至于孟德斯鸠，1626年波尔多大法院院长，对中国更是津津乐道。在他的《法律精神》一书中这样写到：使他们的人民生活在一个平静的社会中是中国立法者的目的，他们希望人们相互尊重，相互依赖，时刻为他人着想。因此，中国的立法者们制订了最广博的社会公则。当然，我也没有忘记，在20世纪初，波尔多海军卫生学院就倾向于中国。维克多·塞嘎兰，该院优秀学员之一，成为了法国最权威的汉学家。戴高乐将军是我最钦佩的伟人，因此在座的各位一定不会惊奇我再次引用他1964年6月6日接受中华人民共和国第一位大使递交国书时所讲的：和平最终属于全人类，但如果没有中国的参与，这个和平是无法建立的。正是这共同的信念，波尔多市长努力发展同你们国家的密切合作：－高层接触，在波尔多接待诸如由中华人民共和国副主席胡锦涛先生，政协主席李瑞环先生，国务院副总理李岚清先生率领的各类政府代表团。这些访问同朱佩市长与朱鎔基总理1998年6月在北京的会见一样重要，它允许我们在所有领域建立起了在相互尊重基础上的建设性对话关系。
　　作为参议院议员，我非常欣慰法中最高领导人拥有同样共识，建立多极世界，赢得在和平、民主、保持多元文化基础上的平衡。
　　我为中国成为世界贸易组织成员而高兴。正如希拉克总统指出的那样：加入世界贸易组织将促进中国的经济与法律，国家与市场，行政与企业，个人发展与社会保障的建立。但最能表达波尔多同中国的传统友谊是同武汉地区建立的姐妹关系。尽管这个关系确立不久，但它已经在各个方面带来了多种多样的交流。
主要有：
　　合作发展电动汽车，在这个项目上波尔多处于法国领先地位
　　两年来由波尔多高等商业学院和武汉理工大学共同培训的20多名武汉大学生
　　与高等教育培训相对应，还有武汉外国语学校和蒙泰涅中学的合作。需强调指出的是，7年来我们一直对你们为波尔多挑选来的高水准学生而惊叹。因为他们的表现，法国著名院校的预科班也开始接收了武汉的学生。
　　在结束我的讲话之前，我还希望用几句话描述一下我的城市。由于悠久的国际贸易，波尔多具有向世界开放的传统。它的名字与酒紧密相连而闻名于世。你们的同胞好象也被这个高贵产品的魅力所征服，这令我们非常骄傲。中国政府把葡萄酒关税从120％减至10％的举措，受到了各界欢迎。我希望它将有助于我们的中国朋友品尝到更高质量的美酒，而这正是我们所拥有的。
　　除此之外，波尔多暨阿基坦地区在某些领域也是欧洲的前沿：1.宇航集团在阿基坦的分部不仅生产欧洲航空器，而且提供阿丽亚娜火箭推进器；2.复合材料；3.激光技术。今年6月完成的激光模拟试验，使法国能够运用强大无比的能量做微型核试验；4.垃圾处理，是波尔多拥有世界性专利的技术。它使用透析膜方法使垃圾玻璃化，消除有害物质，从而保护环境。除了这些著名行业和技术，我们还有非常发达的其它行业：5.食品；6.木材。位于阿基坦大区朗德省的森林是欧洲最大的橡木林；7.汽车工业；8.多媒体信息产业；9.GERTRUDE公司于1981年就创立的交通管制系统已经出口到世界20多个国家和地区;10.我在前面就已经提到的电动汽车;11.旅游。我们所在的地区拥有280公里的细沙海岸线，尤其有保存完整的18世纪古建筑;12.最后，波尔多还是一个教育城。它有4所大学、14所学院，共计7万名学生就读。
　　这为城市发展提供了巨大的科研潜能。波尔多由此迈进了欧洲大城市建设行列，而该地位随着欧洲货币统一将更有助于同中国及亚洲的合作。
　　这就是我今天为什么以朱佩先生和波尔多全体市民的名义再次邀请武汉经济界、教育界和文化界的朋友们前往波尔多的原因，希望你们同波尔多的同行取得联系，并创造出更多的合作机会。
　　我坚信，我们两国政府即将在法国举办的中国文化年（2003年10月至2004年7月）和在中国举办的法国文化年（2004年到2005年），将使业已存在的友谊进一步加强。
　　波尔多和它的姐妹城市武汉也一定会在这些活动中起到发动机的作用。请相信，实现这些设想，你们会永远得到波尔多市政府的有力支持。

Speech by Vice President of Bordeaux Urban Common Wealth,
Chief Consultant on International Relations of Bordeaux, France

Mr. Governor
Mr. Secretary
Mr. Mayor
My dear colleagues and friends, Ladies and gentlemen,

I am greatly honored to be here with you all, on behalf of Mr. Alain Juppe, Senator & Mayor of Bordeaux, to bring you friendly greetings from Mr. Juppe. Though it is really a pity that he was not able to come here, he has long been paying close attention to cooperation between Bordeaux and China.

As you may have known, people of Bordeaux extremely admire China and its long-standing civilization starting thousands of years ago. Despite various views we come across in our daily life, 2 ideologists from Bordeaux became aware of the greatness of Chinese people as early as in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Michel De Montaigne, Mayor of Bordeaux in 1581, wrote in the 3rd chapter of his book "Les Essais" : We couldn’t help marveling at gunpower and printing technique invented by ourselves while having no knowledge at all that they had been put into use in China a thousand years ahead of time .

Montesqieu, President of Bordeaux Grand Court in 1926, was even more interested in China. He wrote in his book "The Spirit of Laws" like this: It is the purpose of Chinese legislators to have their people live in a peaceful society. They expect people to respect each other, rely on each other, and never fail to care about each other. Therefore, Chinese legislators make the rules of social life with the most extensive meaning.

I also remember that, at the beginning of the 20th century, Bordeaux Naval Medical Academy gave preference to China. Victor Seganan, one of its excellent students, later become the most authoritative sinologist.

General De Gaulle was so great a man I admire most that everyone present must not be surprised if I quote his words once again as he said on June 6, 1964, when he accepted the letter of credence handed over by the first ambassador from P.R.China:
Peace belongs to the whole world after all. But this kind of peace couldn’t be reached without the participation of China.

Just on the basis of the aforementioned view we have in common, Mayors of Bordeaux have been making great efforts continuously to develop close cooperation with China, which are reflected mainly in two aspects:
1. Contacts between the two sides at high levels
Bordeaux have received official delegations of all kinds led by top leaders of China, such Mr. Hu Jintao, Vice President of China,
Mr. Li Ruihuan, President of Political Consultative Committee,
And Mr. Li Lanqing, Vice Premier of the State Council.

These visits bears identical importance as the meeting between Mayor Jupppe and Premier Zhu Rongji in Beijing in June 1998, which allowed us to establish constructive dialogue relationship in all fields on the basis of mutual respect.

Being a senator, I feel gratified that top leaders of both nations hold the common opinion that we should endeavour to set up a multi-polar world with a balance based on peace, economic development, democracy and the maintaining of diversified culture.

I also feel pleased with China’s full membership of WTO, the fact just like what President Chirac pointed out:
Entrance into WTO will facilitate the establishment of sound systems of economy and laws, state and market, administration and enterprises, personal development and social security in China.

2. Sister-city relationship with Wuhan is the most expressive way to reflect traditional friendship between Bordeaux and China.
Though this relationship was set up not long ago, it has brought us various exchanges in many aspects, mainly listed as follows:
1-The two sides are cooperating on the project to produce electricity-driven motor vehicles regarding which Bordeaux takes a leading place in France.
2-Over 20 Wuhan college students have received joint training given by Bordeaux Administration College and Wuhan University of Technology.
3-Cooperation exists not only in the field of higher education but is also developed between Wuhan Foreign Languages Middle School and Montaigne Middle School. What should be raised especially is that, we have been amazed at those outstanding students you have chosen to send to study in Bordeaux. Their excellent performance lead to the acceptance of students from Wuhan by preparatory classes in some prestigious schools in France.

Before the end of my speech, I’d like to give you a profile of my city in a few words. Bordeaux has a tradition of opening up to the world due to its long-term history involving international trade. Bordeaux is well-known all around the world for its name is closely connected with wine. We take pride in the reality that it seems your compatriots have been conquered by the charming and noble product as well as other people. The measure taken by Chinese government to lower the tariff on wine from 120% to 10% are welcome by all circles of international society. I hope it will help our Chinese friends get more chances to taste dainty wines of higher quality than before, which are abundant in our city.

And what’s more, Bordeaux and Aquitaine Region are standing in the frontline in Europe with regard to such industries as following:
1. Aeronautical Group Aquitaine Branch not only produce spacecraft for Europe, but also provide propeller for Ariana Rocket.
2. Composite material.
3. Laser technology. The laser analogy test carried out this June enables France to do minimum nuclear experiment with the application of mighty energy.
4. Garbage treatment, for which Bordeaux has been granted an international patent. Garbage is made into glass through dialysis membrane method, and in such a way noxious constituent is eliminated and the environment is protected.

Besides these renowned industries and techniques, we have some other well-developed industries:
5. Food industry.
6. Timber production. Located in Landes Department of Aquitaine Region is the biggest oak forest in Europe.
7. Automobile manufacturing industry.
8. Multi-media information industry.
9. The traffic-control system created in 1981 by Grtrude Company has been exported to more than 20 countries and regions in the world.
10.Electricity-driven motor vehiucle manufacturing industry which I mentioned just now.
11. Tourism. Our region boasts a fine-sand coastal line as long as 280 kilometers and many historical buildings erected in the 18th century are preserved intact.
12. As a city of educational excellence, Bordeaux possesses 4 universities, 14 colleges with a total number of 70,000 students on campus. This generates huge potential of scientific research for the development of the city. Thus Bordeaux has stepped into the rank of metropolis in Europe. Such status will be more beneficial for our cooperation with China and Asia with a uniformed European currency.

That’s why today I am here, in the name of Mr. Juppe and all the citizens, sincerely inviting our friends from the economic, educational and cultural circles in Wuhan to visit Bordeaux, and expect you get to know your counterparts in Bordeaux and create more chances for cooperation.

I am confident that the already-existing friendship must be further strengthened as a result of the upcoming Chinese CulturelYear in France (2003.10-2004.7) and French Culturel Year in China (2004-2005) which are to be hosted by our governments.

Wuhan, the sister-city of Bordeaux surely will play the role of an engine in these activities. Please believe us that you’ll enjoy the powerful assistance from Bordeaux municipality in a bid to turn all these dreams into reality.