by Tania Georgieva Glouhtcheva

I come from Bulgaria. Most people think it is a small European country, but actually, it is the 16th biggest country on the continent. While its size is small compared to others, it is great regarding history, culture, traditions, nature, etc.

During my first stay here last year, as part of the China International Press Communication Center program for foreign journalists, I learned an important lesson that there is no such thing as a "small country."

Every country in the world, regardless of continent, level of development, race or religion -- holds significance. As Chinese President Xi Jinping says: "We live in the same global village."

This makes us a big family and that's why we should all aspire to one thing -- to make the world a better place.

It may sound like a dream, but aren't we here today to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the beginning of a dream -- President Xi's dream of improving people's lives through the Belt and Road Initiative?

In these 11 years, more and more countries and international organizations joined this effort. Countless roads, railways, ports, airports, hospitals, schools have been built. People from different continents are now more connected and enjoying a life they've never imagined.

Of course, Western countries remain skeptical of the project, unable to believe that someone would offer help without asking for something in return. Maybe it's a cultural difference. Nothing is more fulfilling than making somebody else happy because of you, which is true wealth.

I remember that when I was a child, my dad used to tell me to give my unused toys to other kids who did not have any. At that time I would ask in surprise: "How come I have toys but they don't?"

As I grew up I realized that toys weren't the only problem. Many children go to bed hungry, live without a roof over their heads, or don't even have a childhood because of poverty, war, or other injustices.

We see injustice around us every day. If we join hands and efforts, we can change the world. The main problem is that a small percentage of extremely wealthy individuals are driven by greed. This reminds me of a story.

A very greedy man was desperate for more land. One day, he saw a farmer and offered him some coins for his land. The old man told him, "We don't own the land -- it was there before us and will be there after us." But he agreed to give the newcomer as much land as he could cover on horseback from sunrise to sunset. The next day the greedy man rode as far as he could. When he noticed that it was getting dark, it was too late -- his horse had died. The man began to run, and as the last rays of sunlight faded on the horizon, he crawled to the farmer's feet and died. The old man simply asked: "Why did you need so much land? What are you going to do with it now?"

Building a better world is possible, though it won't be easy to achieve. Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.

There is a famous Bulgarian song whose lyrics say: "If you have given bread to a poor person, or if you have given anything in your life, you haven't lived in vain." The song is old, but worth its weight in gold.

China is the best teacher when it comes to giving -- not only material things but also wisdom and good examples when it comes to politics and improving people's lives.

Last year, a Chinese professor was asked what the secret to China's success was and how underdeveloped countries could become developing or even developed.

The professor replied: "There's no secret. Just observe. Take whatever you want as an example and bring it back to your country. What works for us may not work for you, but you can try to adapt it. We don't want to impose anything, because we recognize that we all have different cultures and historical backgrounds."

And he was right. We have this great opportunity to share experiences, and it doesn't matter what your political ideas might be.

Editor's note: Tania Georgieva Glouhtcheva is head of the international department at Bulgaria's DUMA Newspaper. She made the remarks in a speech at the 2024 Belt and Road Journalists Forum held in southwest China's Chongqing on Aug. 31.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Xinhua News Agency.

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