Chinese people join the French Foreign Legion. According to statistics, there are still more than 200 Chinese serving in the French Foreign Legion, and there are about 560 Chinese veterans of the French Foreign Legion. The general view of the foreign legion on Chinese soldiers is that they are able to endure hardships, have strong discipline, and achieve excellent results. It is reported that many Chinese serve as tank soldiers in the French Foreign Legion. This is because they are privileged to be among the best in military assessments.
The French Foreign Legion has a tradition of "grouping together". There are currently 172 Foreign Legion comrades-in-arms associations around the world. Most of these comrades-in-arms are named after places, such as the "Paris Comrades of the French Foreign Legion". Only the "Chinese Comrades of the French Foreign Legion" is named after the word "Chinese".
The recognition of the Chinese Comrades-in-arms Association shows that the French military recognizes the contribution of Chinese soldiers to France, and it also shows that the Chinese are respected in the French Foreign Legion.
In 1991, after the Gulf War, more than 20 Chinese soldiers returned from Iraq, all bald, and appeared on the streets of Paris, attracting countless eyeballs. China Radio International also reported on them. Soon there was another craze for joining the army among the Chinese youth in Paris, with people going to the recruitment station to sign up almost every day.
According to statistics, more than 800 Chinese have been tested in the Foreign Legion since Hu Yongduo. The native place has also expanded from the early Wenzhou people to people from various regions. The general arms include paratroopers, engineers and armored soldiers.
In 1995, a Chinese comrade died of cancer, leaving behind two children under the age of three. Comrade Hu Yongduo; 26 others including Hu Liping, Hu Liping, Yu Sanming, and Yang Weiguo have retired. His comrades helped with funeral arrangements. They came up with the idea of ??establishing a comrades-in-arms association to facilitate the organization of social activities and mutual help among comrades-in-arms, so they applied to the General Association of Veterans of the Foreign Legion.
Unexpectedly, the process of establishing the association was full of twists and turns. In line with the avoidance of racism in French politics, veterans' associations do not want mono-ethnic associations within the army. After repeated negotiations, Hu Yongduo, who serves as a member of the Standing Committee of the General Assembly, teamed up with his old friend, former NATO Commander-in-Chief and four-star general Ivan de Keher, to persuade the other 23 members of the Standing Committee of the General Assembly, and finally agreed to the Chinese Veterans formed associations. The association's full Chinese name "French Foreign Legion Veterans Chinese Comrades Association" is printed on the French flag as the flag, with the unifying symbol of the Foreign Legion in the middle. The venue is located in Aubaix-Villiers, a city in the northern suburbs of Paris, where Chinese people gather.
The Comrades registered at the Chinese Embassy in France in 2004, and only then began to participate in a series of celebrations in Chinese society as an association, entering the mainstream. The Chinese Comrades-in-arms Association was the first comrades-in-arms association established in the Foreign Legion, and South Korea followed suit thereafter. On the contrary, countries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe have a large number of people, but they never have their own organizations. They join the army to support their families, and after retiring, they usually return to their home countries. This is also the difference between Chinese veterans and veterans from some other countries.
On March 1, 2009, the Chinese Veterans of the French Foreign Legion held the inauguration ceremony of its fourth president. More than 500 Chinese and French people from all walks of life attended. In his inauguration speech, the new president Chen Jian said that the comrades-in-arms association is a bridge of friendship and a bond of unity. “The comrades-in-arms association makes us more closely connected. We were once soldiers, and the same experience made us understand the future of life. The meaning has a deeper interpretation." Chen Jian also said that he felt a great responsibility after taking over this flag and becoming the new president. "I believe that only by doing my best and using full enthusiasm can I be qualified for this new chapter. position and lead the new Standing Committee to continue to develop and grow the Comrades in adhering to the purpose of the Comrades: Unity, Mutual Assistance and Integration.
In his speech, Counselor Xu Jiangong represented China in France. The embassy congratulated the new president on their inauguration, and praised the Chinese Comrades Association for demonstrating the contributions made by Chinese in France to French society. He said that there are currently more than 400 active soldiers in the French Foreign Legion, and they work with them. Like the retired Chinese comrades, they devoted their lives to serving France and became a vivid embodiment of the exchanges between the people of China and France.
Counselor Xu Jiangong hopes that the Chinese Comrades-in-arms Association will make greater contributions to the friendship between the people of China and France and to the further integration of the Chinese into French society.
In addition, a Chinese school has been established in Huili, highlighting small class teaching. The number of students is not large, but the education team of the Presidency has high requirements for the quality of education. Most of the students are children of comrades-in-arms. In the Chinese class, they follow the teaching materials issued by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and start learning Pinyin. This Chinese school not only allows children to learn knowledge, but also gives the next generation of comrades an opportunity to get to know each other and make friends.
2. Strengthening integration
The Comrades Association has many similarities with the many overseas Chinese groups in Paris, but there are also some differences.
The same thing is that members of the overseas Chinese group are enthusiastic about various affairs in the French bridge community, aiming to build bridges between China and France in politics and business. But the difference is that the Comrades gather their members as a club and have always done a good job integrating into French society. For example, every year in April, comrades will be sent south to participate in CAMERONE (Legion’s Festival), and a series of celebration activities will also be organized at the meeting. Since the members of the association are all from the Foreign Legion, they have lived and fought in mainstream French society for a period of time, and they have frequent interactions with active military officers and soldiers.
In the activities organized by the army every year, our association members are invited to participate.
3. Serving the Society
In 2008, the Foreign Legion wanted to build a museum. The funds were mainly raised by themselves. The Chinese Comrades Association donated 50,000 euros, which was the largest donation among all comrades chapters.
After the earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan, the Chinese Comrades of the Foreign Legion also raised 50,000 euros through phone calls and other methods within two hours. They also held a rally of tens of thousands of people in support of the Beijing Olympics held by the French overseas Chinese community. More than 40 Chinese soldiers were dispatched to maintain law and order.
Recently in July, Chinese serving comrade Wang Fengjia unfortunately died in a car accident. After receiving the notice, the comrades-in-arms association immediately established a funeral committee to receive Wang Fengjia's family and accompany him south to his unit to attend the memorial service. During this process, the funeral committee also set up a donation box at the meeting, and raised a donation of 5,000 euros in two days, which was handed over to Wang Fengjia's relatives by members of the presidency.
After our association moved to AUBERVILLIERS, a city where Chinese people are concentrated, we have also established a certain good relationship with various overseas Chinese groups and chambers of commerce in this city.
The establishment of the Chinese Comrades-in-arms Association shows that the French military recognizes the contribution of Chinese soldiers to France. Regarding the future development of the association, he hopes to make his voice heard in the mainstream channels of French society, and also hopes to do a good job in the future. The education of a generation should never forget that they will always be Chinese. Source: My friend’s blog