by Rammah Hadi Hadi Al-jubari
Director of the Yemeni Media Observatory, Head of the Rights and Freedoms Committee in the General Union of Yemeni Journalists, Yemen
Engaging with or working alongside the Chinese means being disciplined with your time, exerting all your efforts, and utilizing every resource for work and productivity. This might be the secret to the success and prosperity that China enjoys and shares with its partners worldwide.
During my visit to China to participate in the 7th Belt and Road Journalists Forum 2024 held in Chongqing, southwestern China, I discovered China as an independent, diverse, and self-sufficient world that the rest of the globe needs, but which needs no one. Before this, I only knew China as an economic power and had a basic understanding of its international standing.
When I was informed that the Belt and Road Journalists Forum 2024 would be held in Chongqing, I researched the city and found it ranked ninth among China’s largest cities according to Wikipedia. I imagined it as a small city, but I was surprised by the scale of the city, which surpasses major European and Arab capitals in its capabilities, economic strength, infrastructure development, and population size. Chongqing is indeed an economic artery for global trade, significantly contributing to the vitality of commerce and logistics between Europe and China.
Upon arriving in Chongqing, my first visit with a group of journalists from around the world was to the Chongqing International Logistics Hub. There, we learned that Chongqing occupies a strategically important location, connecting several major transportation routes, including the Yangtze River and railways that link China to the world.
Chongqing is one of the key cities supporting the Belt and Road Initiative and is one of the four municipalities directly governed by the central Chinese government. The city’s logistics hub is one of the active institutions in this initiative, integrating various modes of transportation, including railways, rivers, roads, and air transport, and providing flexible and efficient logistics solutions.
At the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, from Chongqing Planning Center Square, I gazed at the urban towers and buildings, witnessing the significant transformations the city has undergone in its path of development, improvement of living standards, and urban growth. Here, I realized I was standing in the heart of a city that serves as a gateway to China’s interior and a major market for international companies.
At Chongqing Planning Center, I explored the city’s historical heritage, which spans thousands of years. The interactive images of the city at the museum’s entrance, glowing with lights and teeming with life, are breathtaking. The museum curators pointed out a century-old photograph of the city, clinging to the mountains as if fearful of the river and refusing to approach it.
The museum’s administrators provided promotional presentations that blended entertainment and education. For me, it was an enjoyable, beneficial, and inspiring experience, all confirming Chongqing’s rapid urban development, its role as a major industrial hub, and its significance in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Though Chongqing is known as the most populous city, I found its streets almost empty of pedestrians and saw no traffic jams. So where are all these residents? These were some of our questions as journalists on our way to the high-speed train station. The answer came quickly when we saw crowds resembling a massive demonstration in the vast waiting hall, each person heading to various destinations within the city and its surrounding provinces. The railway station we visited was one of three major stations, while the city has over 200 train stations.
Chongqing’s streets are remarkably clean, a result of strict laws imposed by the authorities, including fines for violations, and the use of advanced equipment, all contributing to improving the quality of life for citizens and making Chinese cities more attractive to tourists.
Our next destination was Yongyang, a city of cultural and historical significance known for its important role in the Three Gorges Dam project, which led to a significant portion of the city being relocated to higher ground, with the old city submerged as part of the reservoir’s creation. This transformation made Yongyang a city with deep historical roots and modern resilience.
Between visiting the Zhang Fei Temple, Fuxing Theater, and the Three Gorges Opera performance, one can sense the fragrance of history and Chinese civilization, considering China as one of the oldest continuous civilizations in the world, with roots stretching back thousands of years, serving as an inspiration for many other cultures. Undoubtedly, China’s civilization is not just a glorious past but a living present and a promising future.
From our visits to modern agricultural gardens and rural villages in Gan Ning, Nankiao Village, and the Grand Wetland Park in Liangping, we were assured of the unique geographical nature of southwestern China, which supports significant agricultural projects producing various crops and exporting them worldwide.
The Chinese agricultural gardens are distinguished by their use of modern technology, significantly benefiting from technological innovations that enhance production efficiency and reduce waste, even to the point of eliminating the need for previously essential elements in agricultural production, such as soil, which has been replaced by alternatives for some products thanks to these innovations and technologies.
An extraordinary sense of amazement might overwhelm you as you stand at night aboard a ship at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. There, you can enjoy a magical artistic scene reflecting modernity and beauty. The city’s towers line up in every direction, adorned with dazzling lights, while the city’s bridges, too, cast a stunning glow, bringing joy and painting a picture of happiness and love.
Chongqing is also a city of mountains and beauty, where mountains and towers race to embrace the sky, completing the most beautiful image with the harmony of modernity and human engineering with nature and its beauty, leaving beautiful memories that are hard to forget in the minds of its visitors.
*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.