The 2024 Belt and Road International Regatta concluded in Türkiye's Bodrum Town on Saturday, with a victory for the home team.
Starting from China’s Beihai City on Nov 27, fourteen teams from six countries, including Russia, Hungary and China, waded through Malaysia, Croatia and arrived at Türkiye on the fourth day.
In the end, Türkiye's Ameerajet Team emerged victorious, clinching the championship.
"I've been attending a lot of races in Türkiye and also international regattas, but this regatta, I really love it because the organization was great and every single detail. So I really appreciate for this regatta. Hundred percent, we will of course attend that race next year," said Efe Karakaplan, captain of Ameerajet Team.
Situated at the crossroads of the Eurasian landmass, Türkiye serves as a geographical and cultural bridge connecting Europe and Asia. It is one of the earliest supporters of the Belt and Road Initiative and an indispensable partner in its construction. China and Türkiye are actively promoting the coordinated alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with Türkiye's "Middle Corridor" project.
"The Belt and Road International Regatta was held in Türkiye for the first time. It's not just bilateral but multilateral (involving many countries), and I believe its impact is significant," said Zhou Meifen, counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Türkiye.
Throughout the event, a series of colorful sports and cultural exchange activities were held, not only promoting communication and cooperation between China and Türkiye, but also providing an excellent platform for participating countries to enhance mutual understanding and friendship.
The debut participation of the Russian team added a new dimension to the event.
"I'm really excited, it's a great sport event. It's a lot of competition, but it's at the same time very friendly and I think it's a great idea to unite people from different countries, participating in such events," said Vasily Afanasyev, a member of the Honeybuzz Choncc Team.
2024 Belt and Road International Regatta wraps up in Türkiye
The fourth China-CELAC Forum opened in Beijing on Tuesday, bringing together over 100 representatives from Latin American and Caribbean countries to discuss opportunities for deeper cooperation.
The forum highlighted the growing partnership between the two sides, emphasizing shared goals of peace, development, and cooperation.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of Communist Party of China Central Committee, put forward four key proposals -- deepening political ties, advancing shared modernization, exchanging governance experiences, and strengthening people-to-people connections through youth, media, and cultural exchanges.
He emphasized China's commitment to deepening cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), stating that the country plans to invite 300 political representatives annually to exchange ideas on trade, investment, technology, and culture.
Political leaders from LAC nations echoed Liu, calling for more pragmatic cooperation in various sectors.
Leonardo Resende, national youth president of the Brazilian Democratic Movement, stressed the significance of investment in sustainable development.
"China is making significant investments in infrastructure, energy, and transportation throughout the region. It's crucial to align these investments with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that projects are environmentally sound and have a positive social impact. Cooperation, environmental sustainability, energy transition, and the protection of global ecosystems are vital, especially with the Amazon's critical role in climate regulation. Partnerships should focus on initiatives that blend environmental preservation with sustainable development, such as reforestation and ecotourism," he said.
Lindy-Ann Dottin, assistant general secretary of Grenada's National Democratic Congress expressed her wish to see China help LAC nations alleviate poverty, improve transportation infrastructure, and advance agricultural technology.
"The areas I expect toward the greatest cooperation, and presently, it has been happening already, it's in terms of alleviating our poverty whereby we have persons who are less fortunate to be able to have proper housing, [so that] they are better able to take care of their children. You have proper road networks so that you can commute to your farms; better agriculture techniques, because in the Caribbean, as you know, agriculture is one of our main sources of income. And once we are better able to have the knowledge [about] how we can better produce for our nation. Because as they say,'once you could feed your nation then you have a wealthy nation.' So that's what I'm basically looking to come out of this forum," she said.
4th China-CELAC Forum opens in Beijing
