(A Closer Look at China · Diplomacy) Connecting people's hearts, Xi Jinping's "Friends" crosses mountains and seas

  China News Agency, Beijing, September 28th: ​​Connecting the hearts of the people, Xi Jinping's "Friends" crosses mountains and seas

  Author Zhong Sanping

  "Meet new friends and never forget old friends." Along with his footprints at home and abroad, the stories of Chinese President Xi Jinping's exchanges with foreign friends have become "friends" across mountains and seas; the friendship passed down from generation to generation with old friends also projects " The relationship between countries lies in the blind date of the people” in China’s diplomatic philosophy.

  Some old friends are connected when they were young.

The descendants of the important Lao leader Guining Pholsena have been studying in China for many years and have left footprints of their youth. Many of them, including Samano Pholsena, were alumni of Xi Jinping when he was studying at the Bayi School in Beijing.

  In 2010, when Xi Jinping, then vice-president of the state, visited Laos, he made time to meet with the Pholshena brothers and sisters.

In 2017, during Xi Jinping's state visit to Laos, he met with these old friends and classmates again.

From the bronze corduroy trousers worn by the children of the Porshe family at the Bayi School, to the scene of their cleaning, Xi Jinping has vivid memories.

In the eyes of Samano Ponsche, Xi Jinping has never changed, "President Xi is a person who values ​​friendship and righteousness, and he will never forget whoever has contacts with him."

Data map: On October 15, 2021, the "Lancang" EMU passed the border between the two countries in the China-Laos Friendship Tunnel.

Photo by Cao Anning issued by Xinhua News Agency

  Some friendships begin with work opportunities in the early years, and grow deeper in the course of frequent visits.

In 1985, Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Zhengding County Party Committee of Hebei Province, went to Muscatine, Iowa, USA for an inspection, and Ms. Sarah Randy was in charge of the reception.

27 years later, Xi Jinping revisited Muscatine and came to Randy's house to renew friendship with old friends.

Randy said that the moment Xi Jinping walked into the living room, the whole room was boiling.

He has been chatting with old friends, ignoring meals.

"He still remembers everything that happened back then and had endless conversations with old friends. We have so many memories to relive."

  In 2018, Landy's memoir "Old Friends: The Story of Xi Jinping and Iowa" was officially published.

In 2022, she wrote to Xi Jinping to thank him for his precious friendship with old friends.

In his reply, Xi Jinping hoped that Ms. Randy and the old friends in Iowa would continue to make new contributions to the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.

  Xi Jinping's "Friends" across mountains and seas not only embodies the Chinese culture's concept of friendship that "people are not like old people", but also the "two-way running" of international friendship, and it is a journey after another to connect people with each other.

  At the "Classmates' Reunion" in Laos, not only the Samano brothers and sisters, but also their next generation met with Xi Jinping.

"President Xi particularly emphasized that we should tell the next generation more about the friendship we started from our parents, and we should pass on the friendship from generation to generation." Samano said.

  Bacon, the former governor of Tasmania, Australia, has been obsessed with Chinese culture since he was young. He visited China many times during his term of office and became friends with Xi Jinping, who was working in Fujian at the time.

In 2001, it was the 20th anniversary of the establishment of friendship between Fujian Province and Tasmania. Bacon was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of Fujian Province", and Xi Jinping accepted Bacon's invitation to "walk around and take a look at Tasmania".

  After Bacon passed away unfortunately, Xi Jinping made a special trip to visit Bacon's family during his visit to Australia in 2014.

Bacon's eldest son, Mark, said he would actively promote economic and trade cooperation with China, while his second son, Scott, said he would take his daughter to China in the future.

  The relationship between countries lies in the blind date of the people, and the blind date between the people lies in the mutual understanding of hearts.

Xi Jinping's "Friends" is becoming more and more part of the chapter of China's interaction with the world through the years of aging.

Data map: Pan Weilian, an American professor at Xiamen University.

Photo courtesy of Xiamen University

  Pan Weilian, a long-time friend of Xi Jinping and a foreign professor at Xiamen University, published the book "I Can't See Out - Lao Pan's Letter from China", which tells the story of China's reform and opening up from the perspective of foreigners and helps the world better understand China.

Xi Jinping was moved by this strong Chinese sentiment.

  From another point of view, Xi Jinping's "Friends" and the friendship contained in it that crosses thousands of mountains and rivers are also the epitome of China's long-term exchanges with international friends.

  Looking back on history, there are many international friends known as the "old friends" of the Chinese people, from Bethune, Edgar Snow, Agnes Smedley, who were recorded in the annals of history, to today's William Pan and Randy. and others, the friendship between China and old friends has been passed down from generation to generation, witnessing the continuous growth of the circle of friends for international cooperation.

  This is also just as Xi Jinping pointed out, "The Chinese people attach great importance to friendship, and we will never forget the old friends who have stood together through thick and thin, understood and supported each other".

(End) (Photo source: Xinhua News Agency, China News Service, China News Service)