France is willing to support the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, with the best way forward being to work together on a project-by-project basis, former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has told China Daily.

In an exclusive interview ahead of the state visit of President Xi Jinping to France from March 26 to 27, Raffarin said it is in France’s national interest to be part of the BRI.

“We also want our companies to propose projects, which are good for BRI, but also good for the interests of our enterprises,”said Raffarin, who served as prime minister from 2002 to 2005.

“We support the BRI globally, but because it’s a big project, with so many applications in different parts of the industry and the economy, we want an agreement, project by project.”

Raffarin was appointed special envoy on China affairs by French President Emmanuel Marcon. He pointed out that it is not pragmatic to have an agreement about every industrial sector, because, as sovereign states, both countries need to protect the interests of their own business and industry.

“It’s easier to go project by project, and, after some experience, we can add a larger vision,” Raffarin said.

His comments came after Italy signed a BRI MoU with China during Xi’s visit to Rome last week, becoming the first G7 country to join the global infrastructure plan.

According to figures from China’s Ministry of Commerce, from January to November 2018, China’s direct investment in France reached $330 million. China’s further investment in Europe has prompted concerns for the West, which Raffarin thinks are unnecessary.

“It is not the first time in our European history to have such an attitude.  The nation with very strong and rapid growth is always in a very difficult position in the public opinion, because we are afraid about the strengths of the others,”he said.

“For example, we were afraid of cultural pressure from the USA in the 1960s, and 20 years later, we had the same feelings against Japan with its technological projects. Now, China is back around the table of big nations. I think we have to accept that and do not be afraid but to discuss.”

Raffarin said the two countries are expecting to close contracts and announce new projects. He also said the dialogue between France and China could be very useful in forming a new vision for multilateralism in a changing world.

In addition to strong existing collaborations between France and China, including in the automobile, aviation and health industries, Raffarin said the most important thing for the future of France-China relations is to identify third-country projects, such as Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK, which is jointly financed by China and France, as well as opportunities in Africa.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, by the end of November 2018, France had invested in 5,647 projects in China, with actual investment value amounting to $17.49 billion.

Raffarin said:“There is no official rules to succeed in China for French enterprises and the main rule is to respect Chinese people.”

Well-known by many Chinese people as a“good friend”of China, the 70-year-old said he has visited China more than 100 times since his first trip in 1970.