In April 2024, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, President Xi Jinping met with Alain Mérieux, Chairman of the Fondation Mérieux of France, in Beijing.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that for a long time, China and France have carried out a series of cooperation in the field of health and achieved fruitful results. One of the promoters of these fruitful results was none other than Alain Mérieux, President of the Fondation Mérieux. Today, let's walk into the story of Alain Mérieux's engagement with China's medical and health industry.
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The headquarters of the Fondation Mérieux, located in the heart of Lyon, France, is home to Alain Mérieux's office. A "China Reform Friendship Medal" is placed in a conspicuous place in this century-old mansion.
Alain Mérieux, President of the Fondation Mérieux: This is the very beautiful medal that I received when I met with President Xi Jinping.
In order to thank the international community for its support and assistance to China's reform and opening up, President Xi Jinping awarded the "China Reform Friendship Medal" to 10 international friends. Frenchman Alain Mérieux received a certificate of honor with the number 001.
Alain Mérieux, President of the Fondation Mérieux: I am proud to receive the China Reform Friendship Medal from the Chinese government on December 18, 2018, 40 years after the reform and opening up of the People's Republic of China. 3,500 people attended the ceremony. It was a very grand occasion and I was very impressed. I'm proud that it's a great memory.
Alain Mérieux came to China for the first time in 1978 to introduce vaccines to the Chinese scientific community. This trip became the beginning of his decades of friendly cooperation with China.
Alain Mérieux, President of the Fondation Mérieux: I have had the privilege of going to conferences or lectures with my collaborators, to the audience of professors, doctors or veterinarians. Their average age was about 75 to 85 years old, because scientists were scarce in China at that time.
In 1986, when Alain Mérieux was the vice-chairman of the regional council of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in France, he concluded a cultural and technological exchange and cooperation agreement with Shanghai, which further strengthened the cooperation between China and France in the field of medical research. Since then, Mérieux and his French colleagues have traveled frequently between China and France.
Alain Mérieux, President of the Fondation Mérieux: I saw the rapid development of China during that period and in the period that followed. It was very impressive to me and can be said to have upended my perception of that era.
Under Mérieux's leadership, bioMérieux has carried out extensive cooperation with China in the fields of vaccines, medical diagnostics, immunization and prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. In the joint response to public health events, the Fondation Mérieux is at the forefront of medical cooperation with China.
Alain Mérieux, President of the Fondation Mérieux: The first is cooperation on respiratory viruses. It is within this framework that we have created a laboratory. At the time of my son's death, it was named after him. I am very grateful to the Chinese government for naming a national laboratory after my son, the Christophe Mérieux laboratory, which specializes in respiratory viruses.
At the age of 80, Mérieux hopes to cooperate with China in a broader field to jointly assist Africa and other regions to improve the local medical environment and improve the health of the people.
Alain Mérieux, President of the Fondation Mérieux: For 20 years, our foundation has been dedicated to helping countries in need, those in danger of war. We have been volunteering in Haiti for 20 years. I am a big believer in the concept of partnership. In particular, we have cooperated with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and established a tripartite cooperation with the Malian health authorities. Our foundation is an authority in the field of health in Mali and we have been working together continuously.
Alain Mérieux, President of the Fondation Mérieux: I sincerely hope that we can play an important role in world peace as our two countries, China and France, celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Editor in charge: Liu Bo