Chinese Association for International Understanding

Current Location : Home -> Friendly Exchanges


Enhance People-to-People Exchanges Promote Common Prosperity:


on the Visit of Study Group of NGOs in Central and Eastern European Countries Liu Dan At the invitation of CAFIU, a joint study group consisting of representatives from NGOs, think tanks and media in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Russia visited China from April 13th to 23rd, 2015. The study group visited Beijing, Lanzhou, Zhangye and Shanghai. In Beijing, CAFIU Secretary General Ni Jian chaired a discussion on the topic of the “Belt and Road” Initiative. Deputy Secretary General Zheng Yao made a presentation about the recent economic and social development in China and the strategic plan of “Four Comprehensives”. Mr. Cui Hongjian, Director of Department of EU Studies of China Institute of International Studies exchanged views with the group on strategic vision of the “Belt and Road” as well as China’s cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries. The study group also visited China Academy of Space Technology. In Gansu Province, the study group listened to introduction about local plans implement “Western Development” strategy and the “Belt and Road” Initiative, had an exchange with the provincial NGO Network for International Exchanges, visited modern agriculture demonstration projects such as edible fungus production base and dairy farm, provincial museum and Lanzhou LS Group. In Shanghai, the group visited Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Jinqiao Economic and Technology Development Zone, Citizen Service Center in Gubei, Changning District, ZTE Shanghai R&D Center, and Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. In addition, the group conducted a discussion with representatives from several NGOs, including the management of Gongyi Xintiandi Park. Zhangye, which is metaphorized as a pearl on the ancient Silk Road, left the group with deep impression. The city is located in the middle of Hexi Corridor. Hei River—China’s second largest inland river—originates in Qilian Mountains and runs through the city. With flat terrain and fertile soil, Zhangye has a long history of agriculture production and is reputed as the bread basket in Northern China and “land of milk and honey”. Over recent years, seizing the opportunity brought about by the “Western Development Strategy”, the city of Zhangye has been actively developing modern agriculture and animal husbandry and formed a development pattern with beef cattle as key industry, supplemented by diary and sheep raising industry. The city has become a national level breeding and supply base of cattle and sheep as well as a reserve of live cattle in China. The study group traveled to Qianjin Village, Ganzhou District within the desert and saw rows of neatly-arranged stables where thousands of cows are strolling, dozing or grazing. We were led into an office where through a glass wall we saw a massive revolving milking machine working automatically in a room as large as thousands of square meters. Dozens of cows were being milked on the machine, standing side by side quietly. Some members of the group said it would be hard to imagine such as modern breeding concept and equipment in the middle of a remote desert if they had not seen them with their own eyes, and that a village enterprise could own 20000 cows and have achieved such scientific and standardized production, management and operation. We learned that there are many more animal husbandry bases and leading enterprises like this one in Qianjin Village, and they are all developing robustly with government support. Some representatives said in an interview with Zhangye TV station that even in such a short visit, they could feel the profound historical and cultural heritage in the ancient city, witness the great achievements in the local economic and social development and are indeed impressed with the vitality and potential of the city. The visit to Shanghai Gongyi Xintiandi Park—an incubation base for social organizations and the following discussion with representatives of NGOs in the park brought pleasant surprise to the study group. There are over 20 charity agencies engaged in areas including old-age care, employment assistance for people with disabilities, education of disadvantaged groups, community integration and environmental protection. The foreign friends were most touched by the magnanimous act of artists from Shanghai Film Review Association. To help visual or auditory impaired people to enjoy movies, the Association established an accessible movie studio. With its expertise and resources, the Association reprocesses ordinary movies into visually or auditory impaired-friendly ones and has produced over 80 movies of such kind. The members of the Association often go to places such as community activity centers to play movies free of charge, which not only satisfies entertainment needs of people with disabilities and enriches their spiritual world, but also build a bridge for them to know about the outside world. Members of the delegation said that the time-honored benevolent nature of the Chinese people can be observed everywhere in the park, and the exchange with NGOs in the park enabled them to have a comprehensive understanding about development of NGOs in Shanghai. They commented that like their counterparts in other countries, NGOs in China are facing similar problems in terms of funding or projects, but they are lucky to have government support and help. If they had not been here in person and seen with their own eyes, it would have been hard for them to believe that the Chinese Government supports NGOs’ development and even builds incubation basis and provides free venues. However, these concrete measures to encourage development of NGOs are not known to people in East European countries. In such a perspective, China should enhance its publicity to Central and East European countries so that more people there can have objective and truthful understanding of China which is in continuous development and progress. Most members of the study group were visiting China for the first time. They believe the visit is rich in content by adopting various forms – there are both in-depth exchanges and field visits. The trip took them not only to metropolitans such as Beijing and Shanghai, but also to underdeveloped western China. They traveled by high-speed railway, visited high-end industry such as space technology and free trade zones, and experienced things ordinary in people’s life such greenhouses in the countryside and citizens’ activity center in cities. They are able to personally see and experience economic and social development in China, which gives them relatively comprehensive and in-depth understanding about China. In the visit, representatives from various NGOs all expressed their wish to further deepen exchanges and cooperation with CAFIU to contribute to bilateral people-to-people exchanges, increase of understanding and friendship between our peoples and develop state-to-state relations between our countries. They also said through discussions with Chinese experts, they have learned more about the strategic vision of “One Belt and One Road”. They are convinced that the Strategy—with policy communication, road connectivity, trade facilitation, currency circulation and people-to-people exchanges as its major content—will further promote China’s pragmatic cooperation with relevant countries, including Central and East European ones with the view to promoting economic prosperity in those countries, strengthening mutual learning between different civilizations and facilitating peace and development in the region and the world at large.