Brazilian journalists explore dynamic growth, innovation in central China

WUHAN, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- As this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Brazil diplomatic relations, a delegation of more than 20 Brazilian journalists participated in a recent four-day tour in central China's Hubei Province, exploring dynamic growth and innovation there.

One of the highlights of the tour, which ran from Saturday to Tuesday, was a test drive of the M-Hero 917, a homegrown electric off-road vehicle produced by Dongfeng Motor. The route used for this test drive featured challenging road conditions such as ponds, steep slopes and rugged rocks.

With a pocket camera in hand, Felipe Durante, a Brazilian YouTuber with over 100,000 followers, captured every moment of the ride.

"Very nice ride. The car is very stable, and literally, I could not feel anything when we went over the rocks," Durante said, adding that he was amazed by the quick growth of China's new energy vehicle (NEV) industry over the past five years, which he described as a huge win for global environment protection.

Durante said he could not wait to share his experience with his followers, as this would enable more people to know about the development of China's NEV sector.

Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, once known as an automotive hub, currently leads the charge toward electric and intelligent connected vehicles. Wuhan has nearly 570 driverless vehicles, and they have served 1.5 million passengers and generated nearly 1.2 million autonomous driving orders.

Pedro Castro, a CNN correspondent based in Brazil, took an autonomous vehicle ride in Wuhan. After confirming the trip on a screen, the vehicle's steering wheel began to move on its own. Equipped with radar and cameras on its roof, the car monitored road conditions in real time, smoothly adjusting for unexpected pedestrians or obstacles.

"It's the first time for me to see a running car with no driver. In the first minutes, I was a little bit afraid, but after that, I just enjoyed the trip, and it was very comfortable," Castro noted. "I think this will be a future trend, especially in big cities like Sao Paulo, where we have more than 10 million people."

The journalists' curiosity peaked when they arrived at the headquarters of Hubei E-Hawk Technology Co., Ltd., a leading player in China's burgeoning low-altitude economy.

The sight of a logistics drone, with its six outstretched wings, captivated their attention. They kept asking questions about its load capacity, flight endurance and potential applications in agriculture.

"Many products (I saw in Wuhan) are pretty important to deal with climate change, especially the drones. The drones can help us very much deal with the deforestation and watch what is happening, especially for a country like Brazil where there's a huge forest," said Agnes Franco, a journalist with Rede Brasil.

Even after a busy morning, Franco did not allow herself to rest during the lunch break. She found a shady spot outside and furiously typed away on her laptop, eager to share her observations with her audience back home.

"Part of the media of my country sadly doesn't tell the truth about China. So for me, it's very important to come here and tell stories of what I've been seeing," said Franco, adding that the partnership and friendship between Brazil and China have been about more than commerce and business over the past 50 years.

"What we have is way more than that. We are also sharing our different cultures and opportunities," she noted.