It is important for Hong Kong to retain its openness and unique East-meets-West culture, which has been attractive to the global community, including France, French Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau Christile Drulhe said in an exclusive interview with The Standard.
Drulhe said the image of Hong Kong has suffered in the past few years, but argued its attractiveness remains, and because of this, France has maintained a significant presence in the city.
In 2024, there were 350 French companies in Hong Kong. Ninety of them have regional headquarters in the city - the sixth most, behind China, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany.
Around 10,000 French nationals in Hong Kong are registered with the consulate, while half of the whole French community in China is based in the city.
Drulhe said Hong Kong continues to appear as a very international and open city and possesses specificities, including the rule of law, which she said has made the city prosperous.
"Hong Kong is very unique within China. Hong Kong is very Chinese, but also very much related to Europe, including France," she said.
"I think it's important that Hong Kong can retain this international overture, its openness and this very unique environment that has made [it] so attractive to the international community."
Drulhe also looks forward to exchanges between Hong Kong and France in areas such as ocean science and blue economy at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice from June 9 to 13.
Hong Kong representatives, including Gan Jianping, head and chair professor of the Department of Ocean Science at the University of Science and Technology, will attend the global gathering.
Regarding sustainability cooperation, Drulhe said globally leading French enterprises that have been established in Hong Kong for decades promote green innovative solutions that can help the city meet its target of achieving carbon neutrality.
French companies participate in major businesses in Hong Kong, from waste management to the development of important infrastructure such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
French experts also participated in the establishment of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, which currently meets 25 percent of the city's energy needs.
Hong Kong is also home to around 60 French technology companies, including around 30 start-ups created in the city by French founders.
Most of them are members of the La French Tech Hong Kong-Shenzhen community, which supports French start-ups to settle and expand in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area.
Asked about bringing more French start-ups to the city, Drulhe said France is acknowledged as a "start-up nation" that recognizes the potential of more exchanges in digital transition, artificial intelligence, green construction and cyber security.
French President Emmanuel Macron has outlined an ambitious goal to bring the number of French tech "unicorns" to at least 100 by 2030.
Last year, France and China marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Both sides have emphasized the importance of people-to-people exchanges and the commitment to bring these ties to a new level.
"[In] today's world, which is quite complicated more than ever, I think France appears as a long time and reliable partner. So despite all the challenges, there should be some opportunities," Drulhe said.
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Christile Drulhe, who speaks Putonghua and majored in Chinese studies, describes herself as one of the many people in France who are attracted by Chinese culture.
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Cultural organization Alliance Française in Hong Kong is one of the largest in Asia in terms of students, with around 5,500 learners per year from adults and teenagers to children, French Consul General Christile Drulhe said.
