(East and West Questions) Short Comment: Why does the small town diplomacy love Tunxi?
China News Agency, Beijing, April 1 Question: Why does the small town diplomacy love Tunxi?
Author Xu Xueying
During the new tea season, the ancient Huizhou town is surrounded by empty and misty mountains.
A number of international conferences quietly kicked off at the foot of Mount Huangshan, bringing another touch of spring to it.
From March 30th to 31st, the third Afghan Neighboring Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Tunxi, Anhui, followed by the "Afghanistan Neighboring Countries + Afghanistan" Foreign Ministers' Dialogue.
More than 10 days ago, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also chose Tunxi as the venue for their talks with the Zambian, Algerian and Tanzanian foreign ministers.
Why do small town diplomats love Tunxi?
One or two can be seen from its historical context.
Tunxi is located in the center of Huangshan, Anhui Province.
Huangshan City holds two pieces of jade, "Huangshan" and "Hui Culture".
Among the districts and counties under the jurisdiction, the entire Huangshan Scenic Area is located in the Huangshan District. Historically, Shexian, Yixian, Xiuning, and Qimen, together with Wuyuan and Jixi, constituted the Huizhou Prefecture of the four dynasties of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The characteristic cultures of Huizhou merchants, Huizhou cuisine, Huizhou architecture, Xin'an science and so on have radiated from this.
In the heyday of Huizhou merchants in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there was a saying that "without Huihui, a town would not be a town". Today's Zhang Xiaoquan Scissors, Hu Kaiwen Moye, and Zhang Yiyuan Tea House all originated from the original Huizhou merchants.
The repaired Zhenhai Bridge is photographed in Tunxi District, Huangshan City, Anhui Province on December 21, 2021.
Photo by Fang Yeyalei of China News Agency Image source: CNSphoto
As a double heritage of world natural and cultural heritage, Mount Huangshan has intertwined ridges and valleys, and loops of streams.
In the reception hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, there is an iron painting of "Welcome Pine", which is highly praised by Premier Zhou Enlai.
Make friends from all over the world, welcome guests from all over the world, and the welcoming pine has become a cultural symbol of China's openness and inclusiveness.
From the Boao Forum for Asia to the Wuzhen Summit of the World Internet Conference, to the meeting between the Russian foreign ministers in Guilin Shanshui and the four ASEAN foreign ministers visiting China at the foot of Wuyi Mountain… China’s home diplomacy is more and more chosen outside the first-tier cities.
Landscapes, ancient towns, and islands are connected in series, creating a diplomatic chapter that changes scenery step by step.
Night view of Tunxi Old Street.
Photo by Shi Yalei
The small town is connected to the diplomacy of the big country, which shows the self-confidence of China.
China's business card is not only Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, but the solemnity and prosperity cannot sum up the entire form of the city.
At present, China has achieved a more comprehensive, sufficient and balanced development, and regional characteristics have also been highlighted in the practice of adapting to local conditions.
The "singing in unison" and "harmony" of urban development have given China more confidence in its openness.
Small towns may be "small" in terms of economic size, population, and area, but they can be "beautiful": they may have a strong cultural context, or they may embody extraordinary, magnificent, and extraordinary views... Diversified cultural genes have cultivated China's openness and inclusiveness. The mentality of the Chinese city allows the world to see the color of Chinese cities, and also conveys to the world the wish of sharing beauty and commonwealth.
The second is to allow more Chinese cities to go global.
Every international event is a window to the outside world. The Swiss town of Davos is world-famous for hosting the World Economic Forum, and the French town of Cannes is also internationally renowned for its international film festivals.
Similar to city diplomacy, small city diplomacy has the advantages of affinity and regional characteristics, which can provide a good and comfortable environment for international negotiation and cross-cultural exchanges, and provide a high-quality platform for global governance and cooperation.
"Soft power" escorts "hard power", and "hard power" also sets the stage for "soft power".
The main body of small-town diplomacy is the country, and its attribute is the official overall diplomatic activity of the country, which explains the development status and prospects of the region. .
Political occasions, culture and economy have been softened, and small Chinese cities have gained new links to the world.
At the Global Promotion Conference of Anhui Province in 2017, Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised Huangshan as "the best mountain", "not only in China, but also the most beautiful mountain in the world".
The third Afghan Neighboring Foreign Ministers' Meeting provided an opportunity for Tunxi and even Huangshan City to go further into the world.
In the future, there may be more diplomatic small towns, which are famous at home and abroad with heavy makeup and light makeup.
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