—People's Daily Reporters Tell Impressive Stories between China and its Neighbors

In his speech during the conference on China's diplomatic work with neighboring countries held from October 24 to 25 in Beijing, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, highlighted the principles guiding China's neighbor diplomacy: Friendship, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. In their daily press conferences, foreign correspondents from People's Daily were able to gain a deep glimpse into the continuous development and increasing closeness between China and its neighboring countries over recent years. The impressive stories they have witnessed during their daily work offer a clear reflection of the amicable relationship between China and surrounding countries.

Lending hands to each other at critical time

China and Thailand are at work on a project of mutual benefit known as "Jeen Thai Phee Nong Gan" (China and Thailand are brothers) in all fields, especially in tough times. The reporter visited a remote fishing village in Phuket which was badly hit during the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. Villagers at that time were in danger of losing confidence in their ability to go on. However, thanks to the timely assistance from China, the villagers rebuilt their homes rapidly. In 2008, when these villagers heard that a huge earthquake struck west China's Wenchuan County, they acted immediately to raise donations for people in disaster-stricken areas, showing their love and support. A villager from the fishing village said to People's Daily that, "When emergencies happen, China and Thailand will always stand together and help each other, because we are brothers."

At the beginning of 2010, a rare heavy snow inundated Mongolia, resulting in an extreme shortage of necessities in the disaster area. The Chinese Government made a quick decision to provide the Mongolian disaster area with relief materials worth 10 million yuan. To deliver the supplies to the disaster-hit area in a timely manner, China even employed its air force for transportation. In the early morning of February 1, three Chinese air force cargo planes landed at Ulan Bator International Airport with Chinese relief supplies. It was the first batch of aid that Mongolia received from foreign countries during the snowfall disaster. The then Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia Miyeegombyn Enkhbold said the timely assistance of China to Mongolia embodies the good neighborly and friendly relations between the two countries.

After the deadly earthquake in Wenchuan, Damdin Demberel, the then chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia, and the then Mongolian Foreign Minister Sanjaasuren Oyun came to the Embassy of China in Mongolia respectively to extend their condolences for the earthquake victims. Mongolian people from all walks of life also went to the embassy to offer condolences and make donations. Among the donors, the oldest is over 80 years old while the youngest is still in preschool.

Recent years have witnessed an increasingly deepened and close friendship between China and Indonesia, which was particularly evident at critical moments. In 2004, an Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami struck the shore of Sumatra near the city of Banda Aceh, bringing catastrophe to the city. The Chinese Government did everything it could to offer assistance. Leyard, an Indonesian doctor who has been involved in the relief efforts, highly praised the medical teams from China. A local official of Aceh said that China's assistance to Indonesian people fully embodied the brotherly friendship between the two countries.

After the earthquake struck Wenchuan, the Indonesian Government immediately sent its medical assistant team to Wenchuan. Ede, an official from the Indonesia's disaster relief department, said the friendship between China and Indonesia is at an all-time high.

Lively people-to-people exchanges

"Relationships between countries rely on the friendship of people." The mutual understanding between people, especially those in adolescence, is particularly important. China and Russia have made specific plans for exchanges between young people of the two countries in the future. The two sides have agreed to hold activities in the "Year of Exchanges between China and Russia" respectively in each other country in 2014 and 2015. The two countries also set a goal that the overall number of overseas students studying in each of the respective nations should reach 100,000 by 2020. In April 2012, the Chinese Government announced inviting 300 students from Moscow University to study in China for a period of time. And this May, Moscow University invited 100 Chinese college students to Russia for academic exchanges.

During the exchange activities, the friendship between youths of the two countries has been deepened. In a photo exhibition after studying in China, students from Moscow University spoke excitedly about their experience in China and their feelings. While learning much about the rich culture of China, they deepened friendship with their Chinese counterparts. At a party in Moscow University themed Chinese and Russian culture, college students from the two countries enjoyed a lively get-together. On stage at the event, they gave a variety of performances featuring national character; while off-stage, they talked about dreams and life with each other cheerfully.

"China and India are brothers," the young hostess told People's daily in a small party held by an Indian colleague in New Delhi. Actually, the simple sentence was very popular in the 1950s when Sino-Indian relationship enjoyed a "honeymoon" period. Though more than half a century has passed, the memory and expectations of the Sino-Indian friendship are deeply rooted in the heart of Indian people. Wilma, a lawyer of the Indian Supreme Judicial Court, told People's Daily that China and India have shared a friendly relationship for more than one thousand years. As both countries have been invaded and oppressed by foreign colonists, it is all the more reason for the two countries to enjoy an even closer relationship.

"A far-off relative is not as helpful as a close neighbor," said the headmaster of the Takaban primary school in Tokyo, Japan when addressing the welcoming ceremony on May 8 this year for students from Jiusan primary school of Dalian City in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

After the ceremony, Japanese primary school students held hands with Chinese students on a walk to the classroom. Almost every Chinese student was surrounded by a group of Japanese students. Japanese girls and boys warmly taught their Chinese friends how to use public facilities in the school. To welcome Chinese friends to her home, a Japanese girl makes up her room very early to prepare for her Chinese guests.

An official from the Japan-China Children Friendly Exchange Association, the sponsor of the visit of the activity, said a distant relative is not as helpful as a near neighbor. He said that when he sees the intimate scene of the children from both countries during their exchange activities, no matter how hard in the future, the Association will adhere to such exchanges.

Chinese as a bridge for friendship

"Jeen Thai Phee Nong Gan" has been seen as the best illustration of the friendship between China and Thailand. The Thai royal family has been always dedicated to the promotion of Sino-Thai friendship too. As the envoy of friendship of China and Thailand, Thai Princess Sirindhorn is very popular with Chinese people. Sirindhorn has visited China for more than 30 times, committing herself to the cultural and educational cooperation and exchange between the two countries. She has a special fondness for China, and has ever written an inscription in Chinese that"Chinese and Thai brotherhood will last forever"to wish a long-lived Sino-Thai friendship. In an interview with People's Daily, the Thai princess said she not only herself studies Chinese, but also encourages other Thai people to do so, which she said will help to enhance friendship through exchange. What she wants to see most and has been dedicated to is making "Jeen Thai Phee Nong Gan" deeply rooted in the heart of both peoples.

"Mandarin fever" in other countries is certainly a kind of closeness for the Chinese people. When conducting interviews in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, People's Daily reporters can always receive greetings in Chinese from local people in the streets and lanes. No matter officials, scholars, students or taxi drivers – most of them are very friendly to the Chinese people. Many will talk with the reporters actively about their impression on China and experience in China.

Along with the deepening of cooperation between China and Central Asian countries in recent years, Chinese-teaching becomes more widespread in the region. And the number and size of Confucius Institutes in Central Asian countries also grows rapidly. At present, there are four Confucius Institutes in Kazakhstan and three in Kyrgyzstan. In Kyrgyz National University, the most famous university in Kyrgyzstan, there are more than 3,000 students studying Chinese, accounting for one tenth of the total number of the university. The number of students studying in Kyrgyz-Chinese College within the university has grown 10 times within five years since it founded. Every year, a large number of teachers and students from the college travel to China to study Chinese.

In South Korea, there are many civil servants and office workers studying Chinese hardly. It is not rare that if you meet some South Korean people that are able to speak Chinese in the country. La Yunho is a South Korean stall keeper who has sold Korean snacks for more than 16 years. His stall takes on a new look this year. He added some posters outside his stall writing in Chinese such as "serve the people," "food is the paramount necessity of the people." La told People's Daily that though he has never been to China he loves China very much and pays much attention to news about China. "I recently noticed a piece of news that Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Southeast Asian countries not long ago, "said La, who is just one of the numerous common South Korean people that are fond of China. He is also an epitome of the China-South Korea friendship.