French National Day Reception | ‘Our partnership is stronger than ever’

Arnaud Barthelemy (center) awards Ung Vai Meng (left) with the status of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic

Diplomatic relations between France and China have never been so good, the French Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau claimed yesterday. A reception to celebrate the French National Day, which is also known as “Bastille Day,” was held yesterday at Sofitel Macau.
Speaking at the reception, Arnaud Barthelemy highlighted that this was the fifth and final time he would be officiating at a French National Day celebration in Macau. “In the last five years, we have accomplished a lot. Our partnership is stronger than ever. Macau plays a significant role in bringing France and China together,” he said.
Opting to address the audience in English, the consul general praised the work of the France Macau Business Association, which he considered “a key institution to strengthen the role of France in Macau,” together with Alliance Française and the Sofitel Hotel.
As on previous occasions, the French consul pointed out that France is currently the third-biggest supplier to the MSAR, after mainland China and Hong Kong. According to Mr Barthelemy, France can help the region to achieve the goal of economic diversification, but bilateral relations between the two regions go well beyond trade.
Talking to an audience packed with local figures related to the cultural sector, the consul praised Macau “as a city of culture, heritage and education,” adding that many joint art events have been organized here.
He recalled that the exhibition “Masterpieces of Painting from French National Museums” was held last year at the Macau Museum of Art (MAM) to mark the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between France and China. This year, the main art event that France is bringing to Macau is a selection of 17 sets of video installations created by French artist Robert Cahen, considered a pioneer of international video art. Titled “Traverse,” the exhibition is being showcased at MAM until September.
Representing the chief executive, the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosario, mentioned that “Tourism can promote cultural exchanges,” before adding that “more and more brands from France have actively participated in trade fairs in Macau.”
To close the ceremony, the president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng, was awarded the title of “Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters” by the French Republic. In a brief trilingual speech (Chinese, Portuguese and French, a language that he has been learning at the Alliance Française), the artist and bureau head pledged to continue to contribute to the cultural exchanges between Macau and France.
As a token of gratitude, Ung greeted the members of the audience with eight sketches of French urban landscapes, created during his visits to France, where he holidays every two years.

french long vacations

Arnaud Barthelemy has estimated that there are currently some 300 French citizens living in Macau, and joked that many of them did not attend the function at Sofitel since they are probably still enjoying a summer break from work. “They are not all here because French citizens like to take long vacations, but when they are not on holiday they are very active,” he said, generating chuckles from the audience.