Chinese Vice Premiere Liu Yandong (third from right) and former French Premiere Jean-Pierre Raffarin (fourth from right) at the opening of the first Sino-French Cultural Forum. [Photo by Mao Jingkun/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing hosted the first Sino-French Cultural Forum on Thursday, with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong and former French Premier Jean-Pierre Raffarin making an appearance at the opening ceremony. Liu said in her speech that the history of the Sino-French relation is also a history of cultural and educational exchange.

"Currently there are two million French (citizens) who are learning Chinese, and 100,000 Chinese learning French," Liu said.

Raffarin, former premiere whose visit to China in 2003 when the country was still troubled by SARS led to many Chinese to consider him a friend to the country, also expressed his enduring compassion for China.

"Culture bonds us together. Today's forum couldn't have been possible were it not for the amity, consideration and progression in our cultural communications," he said.

As the first non-governmental cultural platform between the two countries, the forum also received the support from top leaders in both China and France.

In a congratulatory letter read at the forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed the hope that the forum will develop into a major platform for communication and cultural exchanges between the Chinese and the French.

France President François Hollande also sent a congratulatory letter to express French support for the forum.

The opening was also graced by big names in world of art and culture.

Among the speakers was French architect Paul Andreu, Chinese American architect Chien Chung Pei and French director Jean Jacque Annaud.

Andreu said his experience in designing the National Center for the Performing Arts enlightened him in how to communicate between two cultures.

"We had divergences regarding the designing plans, but I always remembered Wu Jianming, the then Chinese ambassador to France, he said to me, 'never compromise'. I knew then that listening to each other is hard, but we've got to make the effort," Andreu said.

As part of the forum, the International Dehua Porcelain Exhibition, a review of Sino-French exchange and communication history, as well as discussions between mayors of Chinese and French cities on urban development and the creative culture industry were held on Thursday and Friday.

The forum was organized by the Western Returned Scholars Association and the China France Cultural Research Center. Next year's event will move to the French city of Lyon.