Themed on "Blue Planet", the 9th China-France Environment Month kicked off earlier this month in Beijing. Nicolas Pillerel, Minister Counsellor for Culture, Education and Scientific Affairs of the French Embassy in China, attended the opening ceremony and talked to China Daily.

In this interview, he shared his insights on a variety of issues including how people could protect the environment through their everyday habits, the cultural similarities between China and France, the role traditional culture plays in shaping a nation's identity and the future prospects for Sino-France cultural exchanges and cooperation.