reporter's observation: african counterparts' "china story" continues to write a new chapter
2024-09-07
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“hi, xiu, will you attend the 2024 focac?” on the eve of the summit, a sunny, dark-skinned young man’s avatar flashed on the reporter’s wechat account. “hi, solomon, how are you? are you going to be in china for the focac?”
solomon elusoji is a nigerian colleague whom the reporter met during the 2018 beijing summit of the forum on china-africa cooperation. in the six years since then, the reporter has occasionally received some "sequels to the china story" shared by him, "xiu, i have graduated with a master's degree from renmin university of china!" "xiu, i have published a new book "traveling with big brother", which records my ten-month travel notes in china. i will mail you a copy to read!" "xiu, i moved to the united states this semester and am studying for a doctorate in international communication at georgia state university. i am sorry that i cannot attend the summit this time. i look forward to seeing you again!"... because of a summit, the "china story" of this african colleague continued to continue with new chapters, and the reporter's heart also had more attention to the distant places.
△on september 5, the 2024 beijing summit of the forum on china-africa cooperation opened in the great hall of the people. in the press center of the national convention center, chinese and foreign journalists watched the opening ceremony through the big screen. photo by qi bo, reporter of the cppcc daily and cppcc network
the first meeting between the reporter and solomon at the press center of the 2018 beijing summit of the forum on china-africa cooperation six years ago is still fresh in my mind. it was the first time for this young african man to come to china. at the beginning of that year, when the forum on china-africa cooperation summit was held, he received a scholarship from the chinese government for young african media professionals to study and conduct research in chinese universities. in early february of that year, solomon came to china in advance and studied at the school of journalism and communication of renmin university of china. "xiu, do you know? my childhood dream was to be a journalist and a writer. i wanted to see the world outside nigeria."
participating in the coverage of the 2018 beijing summit of the forum on china-africa cooperation was the first time in solomon's career that he left the african continent and started his "journey to see the world". "before coming to china, i knew about chinese kung fu, the great wall of china, and that china is the world's manufacturing center, because in nigeria, i can see a lot of consumer goods imported from china... this trip to china to attend the china-africa forum has enhanced my understanding of china. i have the opportunity to visit chinese cities and interview many chinese journalists and government officials. i want to stay in china. the rich historical and cultural relics and new technology companies here are very attractive to me. china is a very remarkable country!" seeing china in a centralized and diverse perspective at the summit made solomon decide to follow his career dream and continue to stay in china, studying and traveling, and deeply observing the concrete appearance of this "oriental dragon".
△on september 5, the 2024 beijing summit of the forum on china-africa cooperation opened in the great hall of the people. in the press center of the national convention center, chinese and foreign journalists watched the opening ceremony through the big screen. photo by qi bo, reporter of the cppcc daily and cppcc network
"xiu, i recently read a book, the dragon's gift – the real story of china in africa, written by an american scholar who studies china-africa relations. reading this book gave me a deeper and more objective understanding of china's help to africa. china's aid to africa is not like other donors who like to use billboards to promote their presence. the chinese are sincerely teaching people how to fish. my country, nigeria, has largely followed the western economic development model in its economic development model over the past 60 years. now it is time to learn from china's development experience."
at the end of 2020, when countries around the world were affected by the covid-19 pandemic and the economy was generally in a downturn, the reporter returned to solomon's greetings and feelings.
what kind of impression did a brief encounter with china that happened to a young african journalist because of work leave on him? we can vaguely see the answer in solomon.
as the reporter typed the above words while sitting in the press center of the current beijing summit of the forum on china-africa cooperation, many african colleagues were curiously experiencing the digital video recording and transmission system provided free of charge by the press center of the summit for chinese and foreign journalists. through them, the sound of the beijing summit of the forum on china-africa cooperation will be seen and heard by more friends on the african continent. what does china, the distant "oriental dragon", look like? why are china and africa good friends, good partners, and good brothers? will one or several of them, like solomon, write their own "new chapter of the chinese story" after the summit? inside and outside the venue, reporters are looking forward to recording and becoming part of their "chinese story".
new media editor: yang mingzhu (intern)
