Be My Guest | Cross-disciplinary writer's view of China: Another angle different from western media depictions
Laurent Michelon, a French scholar who adopted the Chinese name "Luo Hong", has lived in China for nearly 25 years. For the past seven to eight years, he has worked in the China-Europe trade sector in Hong Kong. China's rapid development left a positive impression on him, leading to his decision to stay in China for the long term.
Recently, he published his new book "Understanding the China-West Relationship: The Reluctant Superpower and the Isolated Hegemony." As a "cross-disciplinary writer," Michelon said that his motivation for writing stemmed from friends' question: Why do you stay in a country where "negative news is everywhere"? Michelon wanted them to read positive reports about China, only to receive the response, "There are no such things." This made him realize that the Western media's portrayal of China is always negative. "But both my friends from the West and I have had good experiences living in China," he thought, "So why not write about it myself?"
Michelon believes that Western media serve as the mouthpiece for the "deep state," reflecting the agendas of the true power brokers behind Western governments, who take action against countries that refuse to align with or submit to them. Western media, in turn, follow the "deep state's" directives by demonizing these targeted countries. Michelon admitted that after publishing his book, he encountered difficulties, such as struggling to find a publisher in France, as the content was seen as overly favorable to China, with some even suspecting him of being a "spy from Beijing."
"I just want French people to understand what is working in China, why is China so successful, and how France could be inspired by this and do the same in France." He was pleasantly surprised that after being interviewed by some independent media outlets, 99% of the viewers left positive comments, indicating that more and more French people are beginning to sense something wrong with the information they're receiving from Western media.
Western media often hype the "China collapse theory," but for Michelon, who is deeply involved in China-Europe trade, the reality is quite the opposite. Since China continues to maintain the fastest economic growth in the world, he pointed out that even as the US and certain governments, easily manipulated into opposing China, attempt to halt imports from China and diversify supply chains, China still manages to achieve around 5% economic growth, showcasing the strength of its economy.
Michelon believes that China and France will work closely together in international relations. He sees China's policies, like the Belt and Road Initiative, as greatly benefiting Europe. He also noted that the European Union does not represent the European people or countries and that US law is not European law. According to him, under pressure from the US, countries like France may have to make pro-Western choices. Still, they are also actively seeking ways to avoid fully antagonizing China and to maintain stable relations. "So I encourage Western people to come to China themselves—it's the best way to avoid Western political propaganda."
For more details about Laurent Michelon, please follow his Telegram channel, YouTube, and X account.
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