On April 26, President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech entitled "Together to Create a Better Future of the Belt and Road" at the Opening Ceremony of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, summarizing the One Belt, One Road Initiative. The fruitful results achieved in the past six years have sent a strong voice to the international community that China is opened for business.
Our international students from countries along the Belt and Road and three Chinese students gathered in the conference room of the Overseas Education College (OEC) /International College to deliberate on President Xi Jinping's speech at the forum.
In his keynote speech, President Xi pointed out that the "One Belt, One Road" Initiative is to jointly focus on interconnection, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and jointly address the risks and challenges facing humanity, and achieve mutual benefit and common development.
Fan Xueli, an Iranian master student of TCSOL, said that China's high-speed rail and port infrastructure construction is leading the world. China has helped Iran complete its railway transformation from the capital Tehran to the eastern metropolis Mashhad. After the implementation of the "One Belt, One Road" Initiative, many Chinese commodities were brought to Iran to make the life of the Iranian people more convenient. The trade between China and Iran is getting better and better, and there are more and more businessmen from both sides.
Pei Qingya, a language student from Vietnam said that she did not know about the Belt and Road until she learned that the Jiling-Hedong line project in the city she lives in, as part of the 13.021-km urban rail transit project in Hanoi, Vietnam, was built with the help of China. She was very surprised and moved. Although the project has not yet been completed, it has received many praises from the Vietnamese people. Everyone is looking forward to it.
Bai Tingli, A Turkish master student of TCSOL who won the third prize in the Second National "Han Teaching Hero Came", mentioned that more and more Chinese companies have invested in Turkey and played an important role in the Turkish economy. In Turkey, Chinese people can be seen everywhere. It is reported that in 2018, the number of Chinese tourists to Turkey reached 400,000, an increase of 60%. She also hopes that under the framework of the Belt and Road, TCSOL will become increasingly useful, as more people around the world are learning Chinese.
Yan Bixing, a master student of TCSOL from Egypt, mentioned that few people in Egypt would choose to study Chinese five years ago, but in recent years, there are more Chinese companies in Egypt, which has greatly increased their employment rate and spurred people to learn the Chinese language. One Belt, One Road has a great influence on her. As a student who studies Chinese, many companies have offered her internship opportunities even though she is yet to graduate. This is very rare. She believes that the Belt and Road will make the world a better place and make our future better.
Lin Zhiliang, an undergraduate from Indonesia majoring in Chinese, said that there are an increasing number of Chinese companies investing in Indonesia. The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway has become a landmark project for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Indonesia, and one of the major early projects of the Maritime Silk Road.
Kazakhstan's postgraduate Qinya believes that since 2016, Kazakhstan has successfully connected "Nurly Zhol" with the Silk Road Economic Belt. This is a good change from an economic perspective and will benefit the economies and prosperity of both countries. However, from the perspective of environmental management, there may be different levels of environmental pollution problems, and the environmental management framework of the two countries should be improved to achieve "green development".
In his keynote speech, President Xi Jinping said that we should actively build bridges between different civilizations and learn from each other, and form a multi-faceted and interactive humanistic exchange pattern. We will continue to implement the Silk Road Chinese government scholarship program, and organize the International Youth Forum on Creativity and Heritage as well as the Chinese Bridge Summer Camp for young students.
Fan Xueli, an Iranian-born graduate student who recently won the second prize of the first Chinese International Education Master Teaching Skills Competition, said that more and more Iranians want to learn Chinese and understand China. The Belt and Road Initiative has also brought her a very good development opportunity. Last year, the Chinese Embassy in Iran recommended her as a Chinese government scholarship recipient, so now she can study with her teachers and classmates. As an Iranian, she will certainly strive to further deepen the friendship between the two countries.
Li Xiaolong, who comes from Tajikistan and loves Chinese Kung Fu, said: "With the One Belt, One Road Initiative, China has established a Confucius Institute in Tajikistan where students can learn Chinese and Chinese culture. When I came to China, I made many Chinese and foreign friends and have realized the dream of learning Chinese culture. I hope that relations between China and Tajikistan will be one of a better and long-lasting friendship."
Dawei, a master student of TCSOL from Russia, recalled: "When the One Belt, One Road Initiative was first proposed, I had not yet gone to college. I chose to come to China to study Chinese because at that time, China was a country unfamiliar to me, and I wished to learn its language and cultures. It surprised me that after a few years, the 'Chinese fever’ swept across Russia. I have never thought that many Chinese companies will come to Russia. Trade exchanges have brought many job opportunities. There is no doubt that these changes have a close relationship with the Belt and Road." Dawei believes that the Belt and Road will further strengthen the cultural exchanges and solidify the mutual understanding between China and Russia while comprehensively promoting economic and trade cooperation and development.
Chen Duanduan, the lecturer of the "Chinese Culture Experience Course" of the OEC, said: "Although China is a big country, we advocate peace. We advocate the establishment of a community of human destiny. We want to share the experience and achievements of China's development with the countries of the world. At OEC, I have met many students from all over the world, and everyone here is a talent from countries along the Belt and Road. As a teacher of XMU, I can share with you my knowledge on comparative culture, sociolinguistics and applied linguistics and find a way for everyone to understand and get to know each other, I am very proud of it.”
Xiao Ningyao, a Chinese language teacher at the OEC, said: "Today's discussion is very lively, and it has also increased my understanding of your respective countries and the real impact of the Belt and Road in each person's life. In my career, there is always a word that comes to my mind, that is, understanding, this is the foundation of culture. Lack of understanding is bound to create or cause panic. The more I think, the more I realize that the fundamental difference between people is not so huge. Today, we are using high-level Chinese vocabulary exchanges here as a model of mutual understanding. As Mr. Fei Xiaotong said, "Every form of beauty has its uniqueness. Precious is to appreciate other forms of beauty with openness. If beauty represents itself with diversity and integrity. The world will be blessed with harmony and unity."
In his keynote speech, President Xi Jinping said, "Two years ago, it was here that we met for the First Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, where we drew a blueprint of cooperation to enhance policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity. Today, we are once again meeting here with you, friends from across the world. I look forward to scaling new heights with you and enhancing our partnership. Together, we will create an even brighter future for Belt and Road cooperation."
Pan Hongmei, a master student of TCSOL, believes that "people-to-people connectivity" is the social foundation of the One Belt, One Road Initiative, and the first thing to be solved in dealing with the people-to-people connectivity is language connectivity. In 2015, Pan Hongmei went to Cambodia, a country along the Belt and Road, as a Chinese volunteer teacher, and taught Chinese at the Confucius Institute at Royal Academy of Cambodia. When she heard foreign students trying hard to talk in Chinese, saw the children in the classroom listening to the Chinese story with full attention, and listened to the sharing of the children from countries along the Belt and Road, like "Teacher, I think China's new four inventions are really cool!", she was very proud of her efforts and the development of the motherland. The One Belt, One Road Initiative provides a good development opportunity for Chinese teaching and Chinese culture "going out". By 2018, XMU has established 16 Confucius Institutes within 13 countries.
Lin Yudong, an undergraduate student at the International College involved in the 2017 Dublin Project, shared what he understood as "people-to-people connectivity". People from all countries and nationalities have the yearning for world peace, the pursuit of a better life, the desire for social security, fairness and justice, and the expectation of a beautiful environment, equality and love among each other. We believe that if we are all equal, respectful, friendly and caring, the world may enjoy a longer period of peace, and each of us can truly understand the pure truth, goodness and beauty of human nature.
Guo Xu, a doctoral student, said that from 2012 to 2016 when he worked in Indonesia, he has witnessed the process how China's One Belt, One Road Initiative was proposed, promoted and implemented. He was in charge of the distance education project of the OEC in Indonesia. At that time, they held a weekly Chinese cultural seminar, which was attended by the leaders of major Indonesian companies. They were very enthusiastic about the Initiative and actively discussed what it had brought to Indonesia's development opportunities and practices. The practical actions resulted in the building of bridges between the two countries. He feels that the One Belt, One Road Initiative is not only the echo of the history, but also the deepening and expansion of human development. And it is convincing that the Initiative will get better and better.
Luo Junfeng, vice chairman of the Party Committee of the Overseas Education College/International College, concluded: "Today everyone gathered to share their understanding of the One Belt, One Road Initiative. This is not just a seminar, but also a cultural exchange class. In my opinion, the core of cultural exchange is communication. No matter where we come from, no matter what our skin color is, no matter what our culture is, it is important to do a good job of communication. Today's sharing is good communication. Understanding brings together the hearts of the people. Dear students, you all serve as bridges connecting people from different countries, as witnesses to China's development and promoters of business cooperation in the future. You all are good communicators of civilization and also an important link for excellent Chinese culture to 'go global'."
