(ECNS)-- Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said in an interview with ECNS that the civilizations of both China and France have a long and profound history, but modern people do not fully grasp the differences between the two civilizations.

　　Over the past few decades, the Chinese people have shown remarkable courage in paving the way for modernization, and China has undergone tremendous changes, however, much of this is not widely known by the Europeans, Raffarin noted.

　　"Encouraging the study of Chinese in Europe and promoting the learning of French in Asia and China is of paramount importance. Only through such initiatives can we delve more deeply into mutual understanding," he said.