News Share (Nov 16-30)

1. Xiamen strikes a chord with expats

A total of 32 foreign journalists from 28 countries, including Kenya, Argentina, Uganda, Colombia, Nigeria, Mexico, and Cuba, embarked on a journey to Xiamen in East China's Fujian province from Nov 16 to 17.

During the trip, they visited Xiamen Port, Yundang Lake and Gulangyu Island to learn about the city's efforts and progress in developing port tourism, preserving ecology and promoting local music.

"I've heard the story of Yundang Lake, and I'm really impressed by the city's efforts to protect the water environment and preserve ecology. I really enjoy the beautiful scenery here," said Tiemoko Konate, a journalist from Mali.

During their trip to Gulangyu Island in Siming district, they visited the Gulangyu Organ Arts Center and listened to a grand symphony produced by a century-old Casavant Opus 700 pipe organ, the largest one of its kind in Asia.

They were also treated to a glove puppet show, a provincial intangible cultural heritage item and a representative art form unique to Minnan (southern Fujian) area.

2. Intl Symposium for BRICS Think Tanks 2022 opens in Xiamen

Themed on "Accelerating the development of BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center and contributing to global development and cooperation", the International Symposium for BRICS Think Tanks 2022 kicked off on Nov 17 in Xiamen.

At the event, Zhuang Rongliang, vice-mayor of Xiamen, pointed out that the construction of the innovative base has focused on three key fields, namely, policy coordination, talent training and project development and has yielded fruitful results.

According to Zhuang, Xiamen will take an active part in the development of think tanks, further deepen the BRICS partnership, promote the building of the BRICS innovation center, expand BRICS cooperation, and inject more BRICS elements into global development.

A series of activities for BRICS China Year were also held and a proposal to boost cooperation among BRICS countries in digitalized manufacturing transformation was put forward during the event.

3. Xiamen-Nice-Durban Dialogue promotes exchanges among maritime civilizations

Officials and experts from international port cities of Xiamen in China, Nice in France and Durban in South Africa shared ideas for boosting cooperation on preservation of ocean resources and promoting sustainable development at a forum held online and offline in Beijing and Xiamen on Nov 22.

The Xiamen-Nice-Durban Dialogue: Mutual Learning Among Maritime Civilisations for a Shared Future was jointly hosted by China International Communications Group (CICG) and the Xiamen Municipal People's Government, and attended on site and virtually by officials from government agencies and international organizations, as well as experts on maritime and related studies from China, France and South Africa.

Attendees exchanged views on the experiences of Xiamen, Nice and Durban in promoting marine conservation and sustainable development and building an open and inclusive blue partnership for mutual benefit, with the aim to forge consensus on marine conservation and development, and promote the building of a maritime community with a shared future.

4. Friendly Cultural Exchange Program concludes with success

The Fourth Friendly Cultural Exchange Program organized by the Xiamen People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Huaqiao University concluded on Nov 26.

During this edition of the program, a series of online lectures themed on China's new energy vehicle industry, China's digital culture, Fujian's protection of world heritage and how foreigners do business in China were delivered in English to 222 participants from nine countries.

Participants from Greece, the United Kingdom and Indonesia said at the closing ceremony that they had an immersive experience of China's development and lifestyle and have deepened their understanding on China. They hope to visit China, especially Xiamen one day.

The program has received great support from the Chinese Mission to the European Union which has helped promote the program's international reputation through its official WeChat and Twitter accounts, said Lin Na, vice-president of the Xiamen People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

The four editions of the program have attracted more than 800 participants from 19 countries. They include local residents, companies' employees, and government officials, as well as college students and teachers, according to Wang Jianhua, vice-president of Huaqiao University.