Consulate-General of France

Consulate-General of France 🇫🇷
Location: 25/F & 26/F Tower II, Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Rd, Central

Bonjour ya’ll, visiting the French consulate almost made us wanna spontaneously sing La Marseillaise! Walking in on the 26th floor, Nick immediately likened the place to a Children’s Hospital, with some interesting blue-tiled walls and a sleek interior. After checking in with the security guard, we sat down on a long blue couch, which was, unfortunately, firmer than we imagined. However, we thought the wooden decor and modern yet colorful design was quite satisfying. We were then brought to an office where we met Mr. Cormier, the acting Consul-General of France.

Speaking about his background, he told us that he was more of a “Couch Diplomat”, in other words, his assignment is more “comfortable” as opposed to missions in areas such as Afghanistan and Iraq. After this introduction, we were given a brief summary of the French Consular Mission. He told us that given France’s historical worldwide presence, cultural exchange was very important. They have an annual event called the French May Arts Festival, which celebrates French achievements in the field. Mr. Cormier also emphasized that culturally, Hong Kong and France were somewhat alike, given that they are both an international crossroads, with diverse populations. He even went as far as to say that like the US, being “French” is a concept, even having Tunisian ancestry himself.

France’s presence in Hong Kong is substantial, with approximately 15-25 thousand French residents, making up around half of all French people in China. Economically, France is also a big partner with Hong Kong, exporting mostly food and importing masks during the pandemic. The consulate consists of several teams, Business France, cultural exchange, politics and press, security, and the chancery all make up the 50 members of the French Consulate.

Given the hospitality we received from Mr. Cormier and his staff, we’d like to say Merci for their time, and encourage you all to visit France one day!