Europe-China Forum founder: Tianjin could be new century super-smart city

David Gosset, founder of the Europe-China Forum, author of "Limited Views on the Chinese Renaissance" (2018) and a recipient of the 2015 Tianjin Friendship Award, shared his insights into the coastal city of Tianjin, a traditional industrial center in North China, with China Daily reporter Yang Cheng. He highly lauded Tianjin's role in China's 20th century and its continuing contribution to China's 21st century renaissance.

Q: Could you comment on Tianjin's development in recent years, and in particular its strides in artificial intelligence manufacturing, economic transformation and improvements to its business climate?

A: I visited China for the first time in 1996, and Tianjin for the first time in 2006, for a lecture at Nankai University. I have the privilege now to be a visiting professor at this great university which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

In 2009, in partnership with Tianjin we organized the eighth Europe-China Forum. I have therefore been witnessing the massive changes of Tianjin for 13 years.

It is progress in terms of infrastructure which has allowed the city to transform so rapidly -- the high speed trains, the airport, the many highways connecting the city with the rest of the country and with the world mainly through Northeast Asia. Tianjin has played a key role in China's 20th century, and will contribute to China's 21st century Renaissance.

With the integration of the notions of sustainability, high tech and AI, Tianjin will become one of China's smartest cities. As Tianjin was one of China's first modern cities in the first half of the 20th century, it has the potential to become a 21st century super smart city.

Q: In what areas do you think the city could make improvements?

A: Tianjin, which already receives domestic and international tourists, could do even better in this important sector for the economy.

It has history, traditions, interesting architecture, museums, and a beautiful river, and all these are attractive for tourists.

The hospitality sector in Tianjin has a lot to offer so what can be done is to promote in a more proactive way a city which is truly unique. Tianjin, which is more introverted or reserved than Shanghai, has to invent for itself a communication which is aligned with its specificities.

Tianjin is already well-known, and it now has the potential to become a global brand.

As far as tourism is concerned, it has also to be noticed that Tianjin looks different during the four seasons of the year, so one can come back to Tianjin for pleasure several times a year!

Q: If you could choose another city around the world to compare with Tianjin, which city would you think is quite similar with Tianjin and why would you select it?

A: I would not directly compare Tianjin with another city. Tianjin is really unique. It makes its own charm. However, you have, at least, two kinds of cities: with a river and without a river.

In that sense, because of the Haihe River, Tianjin is close to the cities in which life is organized around the movement of water. To use a metaphor from the visual arts, Tianjin is more cinematic than photographic.

When I ask myself why I feel so comfortable in Tianjin, what also comes to my mind is the impact of the European architecture in old Tianjin.

As a French person born in Paris, I can see some correspondence between the language of architecture in Tianjin and the European style, so Tianjin might be geographically located far away from Italy, Germany or France but it is in fact a bridge connecting Europe and China.