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Huang Youyi, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and executive vice president of the Translators Association of China, talks to a China.org.cn reporter in Beijing, March 6, 2017. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Huang Youyi, a national political advisor, has told China.org.cn that it is important to explain the Belt and Road Initiative in languages understood by other cultures.

Huang, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and executive vice president of the Translators Association of China, believes some in developed countries deliberately choose to misunderstand China's proposal.

"I was attending a round table conference in Europe on the Belt and Road Initiative, and, though we talked about it for two days, some European experts still said they didn't understand us and didn't know what we are going to do," Huang recalled. "They may have poor knowledge, or just don’t want to know, because of their prejudice towards China."

However, he said those from developing countries are willing to collaborate with China to share development benefits. "They want to know if the Belt and Road Initiative can practically raise their cities or if China will just give them funds," he said. "It is a challenge to explain ourselves."

"First, we have to know what various foreigners are thinking, and we should talk to them in different languages; second, you must explain in specific terms suitable for vastly different people; third, you have to know about foreign cultures and talk to them in ways they can readily understand."

Huang is attending the annual session of the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, which will close on Monday.

"We have a song with lyrics like 'we have the yellow faces that will never change,' and we feel proud to be a race of yellow men. However, if a white man sang 'we have the white faces that never change,’ he would be called a white supremacist. So, we must have good communication with different cultures, otherwise we will be seen as racist and arrogant."

Huang added that foreigners paid attention to different aspects of China in different times. "20 years ago, Americans loved to know China's healthcare, traditional medicine, acupuncture and Taichi; now Russians pay attention to this aspect, and Americans want to know more about China's military aspects.

"In recent years, China's internet literature translation has expanded rapidly in developed countries. If we want foreigners to know more about China and export our soft power, you must know what they need in different countries and in different times."

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