A group of U.S. students have toured Beijing as part of a program aiming to help young Americans gain deeper understanding of China's culture and development, and to enhance the friendly ties between the people of the two countries via such exchanges.
The Discover China program, launched by Beijing Foreign Studies University, is designed to welcome U.S. students to an integrated course on China Studies with topics covering diplomacy and foreign policy, history of China's international exchanges, economy, culture and society, among others.
The first session of the cultural exchange program started on Friday. Students from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania will participate in field visits, academic lectures, and seminars during the week-long activity.
On the first day of their China tour, these young people visited the headquarters of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi in Beijing and get a first-hand glimpse of the company's first electric car model - the Xiaomi SU7.
"This is a really nice car. It's really advanced. It's a lot of technology and the music sounds really great," said Shalee Bennett, a student.
"I think one downside of them being sold in the States is the price will definitely go up very much in the States. But it's very advanced technology and I feel like it's the future of what technology will be," said Emma Monday, another student.
The students also got the chance to try other Xiaomi gadgets, including smartphones and tablets.
On the same day, the students also toured other landmarks of the Chinese metropolis, such as the Forbidden City, to learn more about the history and development of China.
"It's really pretty here in China. I didn't know the weather was going to be this nice. There's like a lot of greenery and trees. You don't see this many trees and flowers in American cities," said Kellen Mcdaniel, a student.
"I've really liked the tour so far. I feel like I'm learning a lot of stuff and seeing a lot of things that, like really eye-opening and interesting, and they're like you really can't see anywhere else. So I've really enjoyed that," said Caroline Bianco, another student.
Their journey comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping made an announcement last November in San Francisco that China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years to increase exchanges between their peoples, especially between the youth.
During the rest of the trip, the group will visit universities and other tourist attractions including the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Confucius, where they are expected to explore more of both Chinese traditional and modern culture.
U.S. students tour Beijing on cultural exchanges program
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
