At a crucial stage in the continuous advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, to deepen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation among Belt and Road countries and to foster a deeper understanding among international youth talents of China's local development practices, from May 6th to 10th, Shanghai Business School organized a training program for 18 trainees from seven Belt and Road countries—Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Gambia, Grenada, and Uzbekistan—to conduct in-depth exploration and learning in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, focusing on industrial innovation, green development, cultural heritage, and rural revitalization.
I. Industrial Innovation Exchange, Exploring New Development Paths
1. Digital Technology Empowering Traditional Industries: Innovative Inheritance of Yixing Purple Clay Culture
At Jiangsu Zhuoyi Culture Development Co., Ltd., trainees gained an in-depth understanding of the unique charm of technological innovation empowering traditional cultural industries. The company's innovative "e-commerce + copyright + auction" model and its pioneering digital authentication system for artworks have opened up new avenues for the development of the traditional Yixing pottery industry. The company's development model aligns with the "innovative path" construction concept proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping. It not only provides a reference for the development of traditional cultural industries in China but also offers new ideas for the modernization transformation of traditional industries in Belt and Road countries, facilitating innovative cooperation models to unlock new value in traditional cultural industries within the Belt and Road framework.
Trainees engaged in lively discussions with company representatives on issues such as how traditional industries can leverage modern technology to achieve transformation and upgrading, and the measures taken by the Chinese government to promote the entry of traditional cultural industries into the international market. Gibril, Deputy General Manager of Gambia Gel Julla Company, showed strong interest in digital transformation services for traditional factories, particularly focusing on the copyright incubation model of Douyin e-commerce. He stated that China's experience in helping traditional factories connect with domestic merchants through online platforms is worth learning, especially the merchant screening standard system, which can be applied to the upgrading of our handicrafts."
2. Green Development Leading the Future: A Resource Revolution at the Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Yixing City Wastewater Resource Concept Plant, with its advanced green development concepts and globally leading wastewater treatment technologies, became a focal point for the trainees. Adhering to the goals of "sustainable water quality, energy recovery, resource recycling, and environmental friendliness", the plant reinterprets the relationship between wastewater treatment plants and cities, providing an innovative example for building a sustainable urban ecosystem. With a high degree of concern for environmental protection and resource utilization, trainees asked questions about key issues such as the multiple uses of treated wastewater, the efficient utilization of biogas power generation, and the technical difficulties of heavy metal treatment. The company showcased the plant's outstanding achievements in green and circular development, providing a reference model for Belt and Road countries in wastewater treatment and resource recycling. This echoes General Secretary Xi Jinping's emphasis on "promoting green development", promoting exchanges and cooperation among countries in the environmental protection field, and jointly addressing global environmental challenges.
Teketel, a senior expert on sustainable utilization and monitoring of wetlands and water bodies at the Ethiopian Environment Protection Authority (EPA), highly praised the wastewater treatment technology, believing that the closed-loop design of using treated water for agricultural irrigation is exemplary. He stated: "The treated water data shows that heavy metals meet the standards. I very much hope to learn the specific technical detection standards to address the challenges of treating a mixture of industrial and domestic wastewater in Ethiopia.”
3. Innovation-Driven Development and Global Cooperation: Far East Holding's Smart Energy Blueprint
Far East Holding Group Co., Ltd., a leading enterprise in China's cable industry, left a deep impression on the trainees with its outstanding achievements in technological innovation, intelligent manufacturing, and sustainable development. In response to the trainees' concerns about the company's environmental protection, product adaptability, and market expansion, company representatives stated that the company has established a special department to handle solid and liquid waste, reflecting its high degree of attention to environmental protection responsibilities; breakthroughs in the technology of some equipment to withstand high temperatures demonstrate the adaptability of its products in different environments; and the export of products to multiple countries and their application in major projects such as wind power demonstrate the company's strong competitiveness in the global market. These achievements align with General Secretary Xi Jinping's advocacy of "promoting technological innovation" and "supporting the construction of an open world economy", providing valuable experience for enterprises in Belt and Road countries in driving development through technological innovation and expanding international markets, encouraging cooperation among countries, and jointly enhancing their position in the global industrial chain.
Buba, an official from the Gambia National Enterprise Development Initiative, stated, "Chinese enterprises perfectly combine technological innovation with green production, showing us that industrialization does not equal to pollution; the scene of robots performing precise operations in the intelligent factory is impressive; and I especially appreciate the company's philosophy of 'quality is life'. I hope to let more African youth see and learn from China's craftsmanship.”
II. Cultural Tourism Integration Experience, Feeling the Charm of Chinese Culture
1. Integration of Inheritance and Innovation—Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Tourism: Historic Blocks Rejuvenated with New Vitality
No. 2 Pottery Factory's successful transformation from a traditional Yixing purple clay production plant into a comprehensive street area integrating cultural creativity, quality commerce, and a pottery-themed lifestyle represents a stunning industrial transformation. Shushan Ancient South Street serves as a benchmark for the preservation and development of historical and cultural heritage. By coordinating the protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and introducing emerging industries, it has preserved the historical charm of the ancient street while also imbuing it with new commercial vitality. No. 2 Pottery Factory's cultural, commercial, and tourism street area and Shushan Ancient South Street, as examples of the integrated development of Yixing's intangible cultural heritage and tourism industry, allowed trainees to deeply feel the innovative vitality of traditional culture in modern society. Trainees strolled through these areas, personally experiencing the unique charm created by the integration of intangible cultural heritage and the modern tourism industry, and gained a deeper understanding of the importance of cultural heritage and innovative development. This also puts into practice the "civilization path" construction advocated by General Secretary Xi Jinping, promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning between different countries and regions, and allowing ancient intangible cultural heritage to flourish under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Nikita, an official from the Grenada Child Protection Authority (CPA), stated: "The transformation of No. 2 Pottery Factory is amazing. It perfectly combines industrial heritage with cultural and creative commerce. This model is extremely valuable for the renovation of cultural streets in the Caribbean region.” Dilshodbek, a young project expert at Andijan State Technical University in Uzbekistan, focused on Shushan Ancient South Street's dynamic preservation strategy, believing that "the balance between historical buildings and modern commerce provides new ideas for the restoration of ancient Silk Road cities in our country."
2. Rural Revitalization Model: From Poverty-Stricken Village to Wealth-Creation Platform
In Baita Village, trainees gained in-depth insights into the successful model of "integrating agriculture, culture, and tourism, and driving industrial innovation" to promote rural revitalization. Once a poor and underdeveloped village, Baita Village, by clearly defining its development goals of "branding high-efficiency agriculture, making ecological resources profitable, industrializing cultural projects, and characterizing rural tourism", integrated various resources to create four distinctive industries and a series of tourism products. This has built a comprehensive tourism framework that combines dynamic and static activities, high-end and low-end experiences, and caters to both the elderly and young, leading villagers to achieve poverty alleviation and wealth creation. Yaohu Town, based on Yixing's unique mountain, water, pottery, bamboo, and tea cultural elements, combined with historical and cultural heritage, has created a picturesque tourism and resort area, showcasing diverse paths to rural revitalization. The construction of Baita Village and Yaohu Town aligns with General Secretary Xi Jinping's ideas on promoting rural revitalization and achieving common prosperity, providing valuable reference experience for rural development in Belt and Road countries, helping countries strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the field of rural development, and jointly exploring a path to rural revitalization suitable for their national conditions. Trainees, in these two rural revitalization model villages, deeply experienced the enormous driving force of integrated industrial development on improving the rural economy and the lives of farmers.
Anthony, an official from the Bahamas Information Service Center, stated: "Baita Village's path to branding high-efficiency agriculture is particularly suitable for Caribbean island nations to develop ecological tourism and specialty agriculture.” Yulbek Sharipov, Special Expert from Uzbekistan's Innovative Development Agency, resonated deeply with Yaohu Town's "Pottery Culture + Eco-Tourism" model, remarking: "Our country also has rich ceramic and Silk Road heritage, and we can learn from this industrial development of cultural IP."
3. Urban Living—Innovative Experiences & New Concepts: Ecological Exploration of Xijiu Cloudscape
The Xijiu Cloudscape project by Yixing City Urban Development Investment Co., Ltd., with its innovative sky garden design, creates an ideal space for city residents to get close to nature and enjoy leisure and social interaction, interpreting a new ecology for modern urban living. The project meets the requirements of "high-standard people's livelihood" emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping, reflecting China's innovation and progress in urban development concepts. It provides new directions for thinking about urban construction and improvements to the living environment in Belt and Road countries, encouraging countries to focus on people's well-being and improve the quality of life in urban development. Trainees gained a deep understanding of how to balance modernization with residents' desire for a natural life in urban construction and felt China's high degree of attention to the quality of life for residents in urban planning and construction.
Varnavas, a central committee member and director of the Energy Authority of Cyprus, commented: "The sky garden design concept of the Xijiu Cloudscape project is very novel. We are planning new urban communities, and this design takes into account both ecological and social spaces, can be fully referenced, especially considering for the climatic characteristics of the Mediterranean region.”
4. Traditional Culture Revitalized in a New Era: In-Depth Experience with Pottery
Trainees visited the Qianshu Dragon Kiln, with over 600 years of history, where they participated in the making of purple clay teacups, personally experiencing the unique charm and profound heritage of traditional pottery craftsmanship. A visit to the Ceramics Museum provided a systematic understanding of the development of ceramic culture, allowing them to appreciate the breadth and depth of traditional Chinese culture throughout history. These experiential activities not only deepened the trainees' understanding of traditional Chinese culture but also promoted cultural exchange and interaction among young people from different countries, becoming a vivid practice of people-to-people connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative. This implements General Secretary Xi Jinping's initiative to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and promote civilized dialogue, building a bridge for communication between young people from various countries, enhancing friendship and trust.
Conclusion:
This trip to Yixing allowed trainees to gain an in-depth understanding of China's advanced concepts and successful practices in industrial innovation, green development, and the integration of culture and tourism. It successfully built a bridge for exchanges and cooperation among young talents from Belt and Road countries, not only broadening the trainees' international perspectives but also providing new ideas and references for exchanges and cooperation among countries in related fields. The inspection and exchange activities closely revolved around General Secretary Xi Jinping's important statements on jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, practicing the requirements of high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative from multiple aspects, laying a solid foundation for promoting countries to work together to achieve common development goals, and accumulating valuable experience for further deepening people-to-people exchanges and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Written by: Liang Bo
Photograph by: Liang Bo
Reviewed by: Chen Wei
