Understanding China’s efforts in building a community with a shared future for mankind: Lin Songtian

 Lin Songtian, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, conducts an exclusive interview with People’s Daily Online. (People’s Daily Online/Peng Yukai)

“I hope that through the ‘My Story of Chinese Hanzi’ international competition, we can express the deep connotations and great significance of Chinese culture and convey the value of benevolence to the world. We would like to call for mutual respect and love, and unity and cooperation among all countries going through tough times and build a community with a shared future for mankind,” Lin Songtian, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said in an recent exclusive interview with People’s Daily Online.

The finals for the 2021 “My Story of Chinese Hanzi” international competition, hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and organized by People’s Daily Online and the Xining Municipal Government, are scheduled to be held on Oct. 12 in Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai province.

Since the online competition kicked off in May, it has seen the active participation of nearly 3,000 contestants from more than 50 countries and regions around the world. After many rounds of fierce competition, 10 winners from 10 countries who stood out in the semi-finals were selected by the contest organizing committee to move onto the finals.

The Chinese character “Ren”, the theme of the competition, represents benevolence, a fundamental value long cherished in Chinese culture. Against the backdrop of a grim global COVID-19 pandemic situation, increasingly complex international relations, and a slow recovery of the global economy, the values represented by “Ren” should be firmly upheld, Lin stressed.

Pointing out that cultures learn from each other through exchanges, and cultural exchanges lead to progress, Lin said that during the competition, the contestants will learn a great deal about “Ren”, and thus improve their understanding of the inclusivity and benevolence China has long advocated. With the finals set to be held in Xining, a place that boasts a beautiful ecological environment and one where different ethnic groups and cultures mingle together, Lin hopes that the contestants will be able to share what they see and how they feel during their trip to the province so as to present a true, three-dimensional and comprehensive picture of China to the world.

“The people of the world have different ways of thinking and lifestyles, but share the aspiration for beautiful things and a better life,” Lin said, explaining that the competition aims to carry forward the values carried by “Ren”, including mutual respect, equal treatment, and harmony, while promoting exchanges between different civilizations, and building a beautiful world with diverse civilizations.

Lin expressed his good wishes to the contestants, hoping that they can do their best and enjoy the process in its entirety. He said that he sincerely hoped that they could serve as a bridge for friendly exchanges between Chinese people and the people of the world, as well as being ambassadors for cultural exchanges between different civilizations and cultures. He wished for the final competition to have a successful conclusion.

In addition to the competition, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries will host a series of other cultural exchange activities, including a global short video contest with the theme of “China’s beautiful countryside,” a grape wine culture and tourism expo, and an international youth calligraphy exhibition, among others, according to Lin.