The United Front Work Department of Jiangnan University and Wuxi Returned Overseas Chinese Federation have jointly initiated and launched the event series of “Understanding China and Perceiving Wuxi”, aiming to impress the international students with profound experience of Wuxi’s rich culture background and economic-social development thus enabling them to know more about China, Chinese civilization, and China’s development. It is expected that the stories of China are shared and the voice of China is spread across the world so as to demonstrate a reliable, admirable and respectable image of China. On Mar. 14th, representatives of the international students from Jiangnan University attended the opening ceremony and visited some companies owned by returned overseas Chinese. Zhu Fei, standing member of the CPC committee of the university and head of the United Front Work Department and Gong Xiaobin, Dean of the School of International Education also participated in the event.

The opening ceremony was held in the West Railway Station Logistics Park. Cao Ngoc Huyena, a Vietnamese student from Jiangnan University delivered a speech on behalf of the international students. She said in fluent Chinese, “I will leverage my Chinese proficiency to strengthen the exchange and cooperation between China and Vietnam, bolster their economic and trade ties, improve mutual understandings and make more contribution to the friendship between the Chinese and Vietnamese people.” Gong Xiaobin, Dean of the School of International Education stated, “As the higher institutions and the city depend on and support each other, both the university and the city shall be committed to building a bridge for intergrowth of China and friendly foreign countries and fostering an environment where global students love to live and study.”

After the opening ceremony, international students paid a visit to Miracle Automation Engineering Co., Ltd. where the person in charge introduced how the company had gradually transformed from a township enterprise of collective ownership into a listed company. They also visited its exhibition hall and workshops that displayed the corporate culture and values of integrity, diligence, innovation and win-win cooperation. In the West Railway Station Logistics Park, the international students witnessed containers packed with goods about to be loaded onto the China-Europe freight train and leave China for the global market. They felt excited and started to look for their own countries on the train route map. In the afternoon, the students went to Jiangsu Phoenix Art Materials Technology Co., Ltd. The Wuxi-based enterprise bravely took chance as one of the earlier companies to invest in factories in countries along the Belt and the Road route. In positive response to the call of the Belt and Road Initiative, the company has been actively engaged in the construction for the Belt and Road Initiative and established an image of a responsible Chinese enterprise for all countries in the world to work together in win-win cooperation and build a community of shared future for humanity. During the visit, the international students actively communicated with the head of the enterprise. They were not only awed by the beautiful landscapes and profound culture of Wuxi, but also deeply impressed by Wuxi’s private sector which is open-minded, inclusive, enterprising and vigorous.

The event series of “Understanding China, Perceiving Wuxi” is an innovative attempt to leverage the network for returned overseas Chinese affairs, integrate quality resources and improve the work platform. It builds a bridge supported by returned overseas Chinese and pools the efforts of higher institutions, local federation for returned overseas Chinese affairs, and businesses owned by returned overseas Chinese. In the future, the university will rely on this platform to construct pilot bases of social practice and cultural experience for international students in key enterprises owned by returned overseas Chinese. It will also train students jointly with the enterprises owned by returned overseas Chinese to meet their needs. The aim is to promote international exchange and cooperation for building a bright future together by helping international students to grasp a real, three-dimensional and multi-faceted China, thus cultivating friendly envoys who understand China, befriend China, and love China.

The international students visit the West Railway Station Logistics Park to see China-Europe freight trains

The international students are trying products