Interview: It's totally unfair to see China only through negative lens, says French entrepreneur

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- "China is a country that's worth marrying in so many ways, and it's totally unfair to see it only through a negative lens. It has so many positive aspects," French entrepreneur Arnaud Bertrand has said.

Bertrand, who lived in China for seven years, sees saying real things he witnessed in China and showing a different picture of China as "his duty" being the husband of a Chinese woman, the father of two girls, and someone who has traveled around and is familiar with the country.

In a spirited online debate titled "Is the Chinese System Better than the American System," organized on April 5 by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a nonprofit American educational organization, Bertrand emerged victorious over Adrian Zenz, an anti-China German academic based in Washington D.C. who has been promoted by part of the American political sphere and mainstream media.

In the debate, Bertrand expressed with solid facts that the Chinese model fits the very particular economic and geopolitical context that China is in today, and the Chinese system is suitable for promoting the well-being of its people.

The most impressive thing about living in China, Bertrand said, is to see the speed of change, for instance, the improvement of the environment. "Look at the sky, we're in Beijing right now, and it's so blue. It's changing very fast. If you look on the street, a huge percentage of the cars are electric cars."

He said China is showing the world how to protect nature. "If we cut ourselves from China, we cut ourselves from all those lessons. We cut ourselves from the main manufacturing power in the climate transition. So that's another big reason why we need to work hand in hand with China on this global challenge."

Bertrand, who has a strong following on Twitter, is glad to share his observations and experiences in China and his insights on heated topics worldwide.

"I think at the end of the day, if no one speaks out (about China), the situation gets worse and worse where it's more and more difficult to speak out," he said.