By Olukayode Idowu
About 30 journalists from 18 countries are presently attending the maiden edition of a media exchange called “Travelogue of China,” holding in Qingdao City, East China’s Shandong Province.
The exchange programme, which started on Monday, May 22, invites the journalists to discover historical and cultural inheritance of China, the development of modern technologies, and high-quality development achieved by Chinese cities.
The exchange serves as a bridge connecting China and the world, said Zhang Xinzhu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Qingdao Municipal Committee and secretary of the CPC Work Committee of the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area, Qingdao.
Wu Hailong, President of the China Public Diplomacy Association, said through the activity, the foreign journalists can discover the real China and express what they see and hear through their reports to showcase an all-round and vigorous image of China in an objective manner.
Chen Renze, deputy director of the Cyber Communication Bureau of the Cyberspace Administration of China, noted that journalists are an important bond for building close contact between the people. “We hope that through the activity, the journalists can promote mutual understanding between China and the world,” Chen said.
“This year marks the 72nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. We’re impressed by the achievements Qingdao has made,” said Saud Faisal, chief digital officer of Pakistan Observer.
Ruslan Kenjaev, deputy editor-in-chief of Uzbekistan’s Narodnoe Slovo, expressed that he is deeply impressed by the vitality of Qingdao. Here, he sees how high-speed trains shorten the travel time between people and people, between cities and cities and between countries and countries.
In addition to Qingdao, the foreign journalists will also visit Weifang city, which is known for its kite culture and Jining city, which is regarded as the hometown of Confucianism, during their one-week stay in Shandong.
