马年大吉 : Happy Year of the Horse!
This Chinese New Year, I think back on my formative years spent in China, from 1994 to 1999. They had a profound impact on my view of the world, industry, and progress.
An ancient verse comes to mind:
老骥伏枥，志在千里。
“Even an old horse in the stable still aspires to travel a thousand miles.”
曹操 (Cao Cao)
This verse particularly resonates with me.
My Chinese name is Ma (马): the horse.
In Chinese culture, the horse embodies endurance, loyalty, and controlled strength. Not agitation or pride. A calm power. An energy focused on the horizon!
This image also resonates with France.
An ancient nation. An ancient civilization. Sometimes described as an “old horse in the stable,” and yet…
Our country still has immense ambition,
with remarkable capacity for innovation, talented young people, and an industry ready to transform itself.
Like Cao Cao’s horse, France has not said its last word. It still aspires to travel a thousand miles. Not out of arrogance. But out of hope!
In an uncertain world, may temperance keep us clear-headed and hope set us in motion again!
May this Year of the Horse be one of harmony between China and France. Two great civilizations. Two long histories. A shared desire for progress in the service of the world.
Long live La French Fab on horseback !
马到成功.
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