The importance that the country attaches to research. France is a place that takes research seriously. First of all, the education system there is excellent: you only have to look at the number of scientists it produces. Secondly, it’s a place where the government actively encourages R&D. When you have all that, anything’s possible.

Adisseo, our French subsidiary, makes a food additive that’s very useful in animal farming. They started out small, developed a unique technology, improved it year after year and grew their business in an intelligent way. Today, they have the biggest production facility for their product in the world. That’s what can happen when you believe in innovation.
 

One month after we acquired our French subsidiary, we were approached by the Invest in France Agency. They put us in touch with lawyers and consultants and said, “If you need any kind of help, just let us know”. We’re in contact with them all the time. Whenever there are new policies, new incentive plans, new subsidies available, they tell us about them. They’ve been incredibly helpful.

Another example is whenever the French Embassy in Beijing hosts a big event, they invite us. They treat us just like a French company. That has helped us to make contact with other French companies and government agencies. Those contacts have led to a lot of promising business partnerships, including a long-term procurement contract between BlueStar and French chemicals companies.
 

The quality of France’s infrastructure. It’s very impressive. You only have to look at what a sophisticated subway system they have in Paris. And travelling between Paris and other French cities is just as easy. We have headquarters in Paris and Lyon: thanks to the TGV high-speed train, I can get from one to the other in two hours, door to door. When you factor in worldwide connections from French airports, Paris has to be one of the most convenient locations in the world.
 

They’re very creative and they insist on doing things the right way. I like that. In China, you can just tell your workers to do something. In France, you need to explain why we’re doing it. And once they understand why we’re doing it, once they agree with the underlying logic, they’re incredibly productive. It’s all about finding ways to maximize communication within the company.

In fact, working with the French has encouraged us to rethink our own management processes. French corporate management is at the forefront of international best practice. We’ve learned a lot from their experience. It has definitely helped us to upgrade our own management structure.
 

Creativity. People often ask me why I like France so much. It’s because every time I go there, I understand the creative side of the French a little better. From the 18th century right up to the present day, France has produced so many influential philosophers, novelists and scientists.

When I was younger, I read a lot of Flaubert, Maupassant and Dumas. Reading those novels really made me want to get to know France. And when I finally went there, I realized that France isn’t just a very beautiful country, it’s also full of incredibly innovative people. The French are always thinking about how they can improve an existing product, or how they can create and develop a new one. They’ve got innovation in their DNA.
 

I love France. And not just because the food is fantastic. When you go to Paris, you can feel the history on every street corner. There aren’t many countries that have contributed so much to human civilization. That’s the creativity of the French people again. The rest of the world has a lot to thank them for.