Yves Mouillet (first from right) with his family in France.

I had the chance to receive an international education in my childhood. Despite the fact that I am of French nationality, my mother of Polish origin always tried to speak to us in Polish, to open a window to the world for us and give us an international vision that is not confined to France, our native country. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why I became interested in China from an early age.

My story with China, as incredible as it may seem, began even before I was born. To be precise, it was in 1976 when my mother met a young Chinese lady from Hong Kong who came for sightseeing in Warsaw. Despite the cultural barrier, they hit it off immediately. My mother invited her to taste typical dishes of Poland and introduced her to her hometown for a few days.

In 1989, when I was barely eight years old, this Chinese friend of my mother's came to visit our family in Nancy, a city located in the northeast of France. Her visit undoubtedly contributed to developing my attachment to China. This young Chinese lady showed exquisite manners, and her grace, elegance and kindness left me with an indelible memory.