China News Service, Fuzhou, November 3, Title: Happiness, Dreams, Trust - Stories of Civilization Exchanges on the New Silk Road
Author Zheng Jiangluo Yan Xu
The "happy grass" from China takes root and sprouts along the footsteps of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road"; the dream that originated in Rio de Janeiro crosses the ocean and arrives in China; language and writing build a bridge of communication, witness friendship, and convey trust...
The 2026 “Belt and Road” Media Cooperation Forum was held in Fuzhou on the 3rd. In the theme sharing session, four Chinese and foreign guests shared their stories of participating in the “One Belt, One Road” civilization exchange.
In 1997, Juncao technology was listed as a project for Fujian Province to assist Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands Province, marking the first stop for Juncao technology’s foreign aid. Locally, Juncao cultivates delicious edible fungi and brings real income to local families. It is affectionately called "Chinese grass" by local people. Today, China’s Juncao technology has been promoted to more than 100 countries and regions around the world. In Africa, people call it "happy grass".
"During the implementation of projects in different countries, we insist on focusing on helping local poor farmers get rid of poverty, adapting measures to local conditions, adapting to the simplest, and developing innovatively." Lin Zhanxi, chief scientist of the National Juncao Engineering Technology Research Center, known as the "Father of Juncao", hopes that this "happy grass" can better benefit people at home and abroad.
Marcia Melchior, artistic director of the Fortress of Copacabana Orchestra in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has visited China for the third time. When she talks about the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, she thinks not just of trade and investment, but of people, encounters, opportunities, and dreams.
In 2024, Marcia led the young musicians of the orchestra to China for the first time. “We played on the Great Wall, surrounded by hundreds of cheering and applauding tourists. It was so exciting!” she recalled.
After that trip to China, Marcia felt the changes in the children from their desire to learn, grow, and understand the world. "When two big countries like China and Brazil move forward side by side in the same direction, seemingly impossible dreams can become a reality." She said that development can only truly demonstrate its significance when it benefits the people, creates opportunities and brings the two peoples closer.
More than 20 years ago, Egyptian tour guide Abbas Said became involved with Chinese culture. After that, he walked between pyramids, temples and museums, telling Chinese tourists about ancient Egyptian civilization in fluent Chinese.
"A sincere word, a vivid picture, and a humanistic story published in the media can bring Cairo and Beijing closer than thousands of geographical miles." Abbas said that he was fortunate to be part of such a vivid exchange. Media workers, cultural workers and practitioners in various industries should play a role in promoting exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations and enhancing understanding, trust and friendship between people of all countries.
Sherik Korzhumbayev, editor-in-chief of "Kazakhstan Business News", has visited China many times, participated in international forums, visited various parts of China, and communicated with experts and people from all walks of life. These experiences made him understand that to understand the real China, we need to observe it from its rich and diverse regional features.
Sherik used words to record every detail of the exchanges between the people of Kazakhstan and China, and also told the outside world about China's industry, logistics, digital economy, cultural heritage and daily life. He believes that the news media should pay attention to listening to different voices, respect cultural differences, adhere to objective reporting and in-depth communication. The value of international communication lies not only in the speed and breadth of information dissemination, but also in its ability to truly promote mutual understanding and trust among different civilizations.
