Eager to be bridge-builders, authors of the 'Me and China' writing campaign echo friendship initiatives Avenues of bonding

BEIJING, Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: On July 30, the Award Ceremony of the "Me and China" Writing Campaign and the "Silk Road•People-to-People Friendship Dialogue" Story Sharing Session were convened in Lanzhou, in Northwest China's Gansu Province.

Award-winning participants pose for a group photo at the Award Ceremony of the "Me and China" Writing Campaign in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 30, 2025. Photo: Zhang Kaifeng/People's Daily

The ceremony was jointly hosted by the People's Daily and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), co-hosted by the Gansu Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Representatives of the writing campaign winners from 11 countries gathered with delegates from friendship organizations, Chinese enterprises, universities, and research institutions to share touching stories of exchanges and discuss the bright prospects for people-to-people friendship.

Launched in February 2024 by the People's Daily and the CPAFFC, the "Me and China" Writing Campaign drew extraordinary engagement. By the end of 2024, over 1,300 submissions had poured in from over 80 countries and regions.

From founding the American Flying Tiger Historical Organization to organizing visits by Flying Tigers veterans to China, and from assisting in building the Guilin Flying Tigers Heritage Park to reenacting the Hump Route despite countless obstacles - Ma Kuanchi, vice president of the American Flying Tiger Historical Organization, shared pivotal moments he had witnessed. Our relentless efforts aim to ensure that the Chinese and American people, never forget this precious history and keep the Flying Tigers' spirit alive, he said.

Ma noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945) and the World Anti-Fascist War. In this significant year, we must cherish the friendship forged in blood between China and the US.

Civilizations become diverse through exchanges and enriched through mutual learning.

Vienna Cammarota, who has admired the Italian traveler Marco Polo since childhood, has long been fascinated by the ancient Silk Road. On April 26, 2022, the retired Italian tour guide set off from Venice with the book - The Travels of Marco Polo, embarking on a journey to retrace the ancient Silk Road entirely on foot. Over three years, Vienna trekked 22,000 kilometers across 15 Eurasian countries. "Every step I took was to trace the origins and resonance of civilizations. I witnessed firsthand that despite being thousands of miles apart, China and Italy are closely linked through culture," Vienna said. 

Among the contributors to the essay collection were international students passionate about traditional Chinese culture. One of them, Zaw Win Maung from Myanmar, is studying Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at Henan University of Chinese Medicine.

Zaw noted that TCM offers a different lens with which to view life: It sees humans as an integral part of nature, coexisting in harmony. "I believe I'm not just learning prescriptions or needling techniques. I'm also learning the wisdom of harmony between humanity and nature, and the tenderness and reverence toward life embedded in Chinese culture," Zaw said.

Not long ago, Fathiya Mohamed-said, a young woman from Tanzania, graduated from School of Medicine with Jiangsu University. In her hometown, Chinese medical teams have long been praised for their compassion and professionalism. Fathiya shared that she was deeply inspired by their work: "To me, they are heroes. I'm truly proud to follow in their footsteps and become a doctor."

"Bridge" was a recurring theme throughout the event, with many guests expressing their willingness to act as "bridge-builders," fostering connections among peoples across borders.

"They say I'm a 'living history' of CSCEC Egypt," said Hanan Othman, the administrative manager who joined the Egyptian branch of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) in 1988, becoming the first Egyptian employee at the company. Today, the firm employs nearly 7,000 locals.

Over the past 37 years, Hanan has not only witnessed the company's rapid growth, but also formed many close friendships. "I hope my friendship with Chinese colleagues can become a bridge connecting the peoples of Egypt and China."

Fomenko Ekaterina, a Russian teacher at the China University of Petroleum, has lived and worked in China for nearly 20 years and shares an even more unique connection with the country. A chance blood donation revealed that she has Rh-negative blood - rare in China and known as "panda blood." She immediately decided to become a regular donor and has since donated more than 4,800 milliliters.

People-to-people connectivity is the most fundamental, solid, and enduring form of connection. In just two hours, a vibrant exchange of heartfelt speeches and warm applause brought together storytellers and listeners from different cultures, testifying to the vitality of folk friendship and the ongoing momentum of people-to-people diplomacy between China and the world.