"This wave of 'China fever' caused by the transit visa exemption has instantly shattered the anti-China propaganda carefully crafted by the West."
"Our China's 'Three New Things' are based on the huge scale and high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. "
" What specific strategies should Russian companies adopt to establish a new cooperation system? "
During this period, China launched a 144-hour transit visa-free policy for citizens of 54 countries, attracting many overseas tourists. On Internet platforms at home and abroad, "China" has become a hot word, and behind this wave of "China fever", people are still discussing the "China model fever." In the " this is China " program broadcast on Dragon TV on July 29, Professor Zhang Weiwei, Dean of the China Institute of Fudan University, and Professor Wu Xinwen, researcher of the China Institute of Fudan University, discussed "China fever" and "China model fever". ” was discussed.
"This is China" Issue 244
Zhang Weiwei's speech
Recently, China has launched a "144-hour transit visa exemption" for citizens of many countries, attracting a large number of overseas tourists to visit China. These tourists actually discovered a China that was completely different from what the Western media portrayed. They posted the videos they took in China on overseas social networking sites. Many videos with the label "china travel" quickly became popular. It spreads all over the world. The West did not expect that a small six-day transit visa exemption would instantly break the cocoon of anti-China propaganda and information that the West had carefully crafted for decades.
As we have mentioned many times in this program, the Western media has vilified China to such an extent that many small things that Chinese people take for granted and use daily without realizing it are enough to make many foreigners' jaws drop.
For example, in China, girls can hang out on the streets in the early morning; you can use your mobile phone to take pictures everywhere in China, and you don’t have to worry about your phone being snatched away. This is still a luxury in many Western countries; China’s subway is clean and convenient, compare The New York subway is dirty and messy; China's high-speed trains are comfortable, smooth, fast and convenient, and you can even order takeout on the high-speed trains; so many express packages in China are left there for no one to steal, unlike many supermarkets in the United States where even shampoo and mouthwash are locked away In the cabinet; Chinese cities are fashionable, safe and prosperous, with more high-rise buildings in Shanghai than in the entire eastern United States; there are so many delicious foods from all over China, with eight major cuisines, and it is impossible to eat all kinds of local specialties.
It is normal to travel around a country in six days in the world, but in China, even a city such as Beijing is not enough to visit; China has too many natural beauties, a video titled "Places in China that are too beautiful to be true exist" , which has received more than 40 million views. Of course, China’s technology is too advanced. There is a rumor among foreigners: “You only need to download three apps: Alipay, WeChat and Meituan, and you will have no problem going anywhere.”
Someone said: Before coming to China, I only knew that China is a country with a long history. An ancient country; after coming to China, I discovered that China is still a very modern superpower. Some people say that our government said not to go to China, and our media said that China is very risky and you may be arrested as a spy.
Due to being fed negative information for a long time, many foreign tourists feel some kind of anxiety or uneasiness before arriving in China. But as soon as I arrived at the Chinese airport, I realized that I had entered a truly modern civilization. It not only has the most modern hardware facilities, but also has efficient and convenient customs clearance and open and confident smiles. What foreigners have seen and heard with their own eyes and ears, including videos and pictures, as well as many heart-touching remarks, often make Chinese people who watch the videos deeply moved. It is true that "I have a great foreign scholar to argue for me."
When foreigners come to China and tell the truth, the lies that the West has spread for a long time will be exposed, and the Western myths that China's "public intellectuals" have long fabricated will also be self-defeating. One comment that received the most likes was: "The more you explore China, the more you realize that the Western mainstream media is a joke." I have long said, "As soon as you go abroad, you become patriotic." This is aimed at most Chinese people; now it is foreigners." As soon as I come to China, I fall in love with China." This is aimed at most foreigners.
Today's China is such a magical country that is "both old and young, both traditional and fashionable, both Chinese and global", a very wonderful "civilized country".
This wave of "China fever" caused by the visa-free transit reminds me of a report:
A French entrepreneur named Arnold Bertrand participated in a conference on the China model in the United States last April. debate. During the debate, he used his own experience of living in China for seven years to say that the Chinese governance model has brought stability, prosperity and more freedom to the Chinese people.
He said, in the United States, do people have the "freedom" to walk alone anytime, anywhere, and as they please? He showed that the probability of a person becoming a victim of violent crime in the United States is 70 times higher than in China. This “freedom from fear” is true freedom.
He believes that China's system and model are unique. It has eliminated extreme poverty in China, ensured the safety of every Chinese person's life, provided China with a stable development environment, and also brought sustained prosperity and people's quality of life. The improvement ultimately ensures that the Chinese people gain more freedom.
Former Polish Deputy Prime Minister Koledek also pointed out in a seminar not long ago that the polarized politics of the West have caused social divisions in their own countries and are full of confrontation internationally, while the Chinese people, Chinese government leaders, and Chinese business leaders and Chinese scholars proposed a "win-win, win-win model" for everyone.
"China fever" and "China model fever" are also appearing in other parts of the world today. I visited Russia three times in the first half of this year, and "China fever" and "China model fever" are also emerging in Russia. Mobile phones, cars, home appliances, etc. made in China can be seen everywhere, and their quality has been widely praised. The latest Gallup poll shows that 83% of Russians hold a positive view of China, while only 1% of Russian respondents over 55 who have experienced the collapse of the Soviet Union hold a negative view of China. 8%. President Putin has publicly praised the Chinese model many times recently.
On June 5, the day when the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum opened, President Putin held a discussion with the heads of international news organizations participating in the forum. He said this: "We are happy for China and happy for the successes of the People's Republic of China in many fields, including the field of space, which are unique." He also said that these all show that "China has successfully created It has become a general consensus among Russian experts that it has developed a very unique and very efficient economic development model that is more effective than the American model.
He also pointed out that it was a "huge mistake" for the United States and some European countries to try to hinder China's economic development: "In general, the Chinese economy is very reliable and is increasingly developing into a high-tech economy. In my opinion, the United States or It is a huge mistake for some European countries to try to limit the development of China's economy in some way, because in my opinion, to be successful, you need to adapt to this process and not try to prevent it."
Putin also said. Criticizing the so-called "overcapacity theory" of China in the West, he said it was pure "nonsense." "People who say these things think they believe in the market and are 'marketists.' What on earth is going on with them? They Don’t you know who determines whether there is overproduction? It is determined by the market. If China produces a certain number of cars and the market can absorb them all, what is overproduction?”
On the last day of the forum, President Putin delivered another long speech, focusing mainly on Russia's domestic economic development. The host asked him a rather pointed question: What economic model is Russia planning to adopt now? Will it adopt "authoritarian socialist capitalism"?
Putin did not answer directly. He said: "I made this point not long ago: We should pay attention to what is happening around the world. For example, many experts believe that China's economic model is worse than various models that exist so far - including North America. model and the European model – more effective.I agree with this assessment, it is indeed the case. All economic data shows this. The Chinese model combines the advantages of the planned economy and the market economy according to China's conditions."
He also said with a smile: "Many of us regard economics as science. It is more of an art. A model must be suitable for a country’s own reality, history, culture and social conditions. There is no single standard that can be applied to all countries in the world, and no country can rigidly copy the models of other countries. "
Before this on May 28, Belarusian President Lukashenko also publicly praised the Chinese model. He quoted President Putin as saying that China knows how to plan and manage, which is the reason for China's economic success. Lukashenko He said that this is also the direction Belarus should develop. He said that the so-called "free market" advertised by the West does not actually exist. They use the dollar to control the world, do whatever they want, and blindly privatize, which is like a "ticking time bomb". With regard to planning and management, this "bomb" may explode at any time.
Yuri Tavrovsky, a Russian scholar who has done extensive research on the Chinese model, published an article in Russia's "Moscow Komsomolets" on December 19 last year. Summary: “The secret of China’s success contains three elements – state-owned economy, market economy and a stable ruling party. Among them, the ruling party is responsible for coordinating the collaboration of the first two elements to serve the interests of the entire country. Military industry, natural monopoly industries, transportation, energy, infrastructure, major banks, and education and medical systems are owned by the state. At the same time, the private economy contributes more than 60% of the country's GDP, more than 80% of urban labor jobs, and More than 50% tax. "
He made a point in particular: Since the Russian special military operation, most Russians have given up the illusion of equality and mutually beneficial coexistence with the West. "Liberal capitalist ideas" are gradually marginalized in Russia, and those who hold this idea People are beginning to lose their dominance of discourse in the media, literature and art. Young people are increasingly interested in socialism.
Some polls show that about 50% of young people want to live under a socialist system. Music, publications about the military and economic triumphs of the socialist period, the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union, etc. became increasingly popular. At the same time, Chinese goods, especially Chinese cars, flooded the Russian market, raising concerns about the efficiency of socialism. Thinking about the problem. Their excellent quality has changed people's past stereotypes about the quality of Chinese products and inspired them to think deeply about the benefits of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
On July 11, 2023, the 7th China International Trade Fair was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia. At the Russian Expo, visitors took photos with the cars exhibited by Chinese companies. Staying in China as a visiting scholar completely changed his past views on China.
In the 1990s, he was worried that China would abandon its own traditions and socialist ideas by embracing Western-led globalization. His field trips and academic exchanges in China changed his understanding. He sincerely believed that the Chinese model was successful and that China had embarked on a successful path that was different from the Soviet path and the Western path.
He also spoke highly of it. I proposed the theory of "civilized country" and took the initiative to introduce it to Russia; he pointed out many times that President Putin has also publicly stated that Russia is a "civilized country" on many occasions. More and more Russian scholars believe that I summed it up. The eight criteria for a "civilized country" proposed by the Chinese government are the "four supers and four special features": super large population size, super vast territory, super long historical traditions, super rich cultural heritage, unique language, unique society, unique ’s politics, unique economy – also applies to Russia.
In the first half of this year, our China Research Institute team visited South Korea, Mongolia, France, Malaysia, Thailand, Russia and other countries. I myself was invited to introduce China's path and model in these countries. The latest one was on the afternoon of June 19, a lecture titled "The Chinese Model and Its Global Significance" was given at the Russian National Library, a cultural landmark in Russia.
I started with President Putin praising the Chinese model and discussed with the Russian audience the main characteristics of the Chinese model, such as the philosophical basis of the Chinese model is practical rationality, the Chinese model pursues good governance, the Chinese model develops a mixed economy, and the Chinese model strives to achieve political power A balance between , social power and capital power that is conducive to the interests of the majority of people. I also outlined China’s rise as a “fourth industrial revolution” and emphasized that China has reached the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution today.
I also introduced the underlying logic of the China model, which is the rise of a "civilized country". I said that China will not export its Chinese model to the outside world, but more and more countries are turning their attention to China, hoping to learn from China's successful experience. The Chinese model can indeed modernize many countries and provide a lot of new wisdom for global governance. But this is another big topic. In fact, I have touched on it many times in the "This Is China" program, so I won't go into details here today.
Wu Xinwen’s speech
I happened to be part of a delegation from the China Institute of Fudan University that visited Russia. In a few days, I experienced the charm of Russia as a “civilized country” and saw Chinese brand cars and shopping malls coming and going on the streets of Moscow. Products made in China, I have some observations and thoughts on the wave of "China fever" and "Chinese model fever" in Russia, and I would like to share them with you here.
There have been four "Look East" or "China Fever" events in Russian history.
After the outbreak of the Revolution of 1911, Lenin, Stalin and other Communist leaders set their sights on the East represented by China. As China's revolutionary situation developed, the Comintern with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union as its core leadership actively guided and helped the establishment and early operations of the Communist Party of China. It also founded Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow to cultivate talents for the Chinese revolution and effectively promoted the Chinese revolution. This is Russia’s first “look east”.
The second time Russia "looked east" happened after the founding of New China. In the 1950s, China and the Soviet Union formed an alliance. The Soviet Union supported China's 156 industrialization projects, assisted China in funds, equipment, technology, etc., and sent Soviet experts to China to guide and help China's industrialization and socialist construction, while accepting Chinese students studying abroad cultivate talents for China’s socialist construction. This can be said to be Russia’s second wave of “Look East.”
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, some "prophetists" in Russia began to pay attention to the differences between China's reform model and the Soviet reform model, that is, instead of rashly carrying out radical political reforms, they first carried out gradual economic reforms. During that period, China's steady and steady development was in sharp contrast to Russia's rapid turmoil and decline. More and more Russians saw this and began to think about Russia's future development path. This is the third time Russia has "looked east."
Russia’s fourth “Look East” occurred after the “Color Revolution” in Ukraine in 2014 and has lasted for more than ten years. At this stage, China's development has changed from quantitative accumulation to qualitative leap, and Russia's strategy of integrating into the West has been completely shattered. Faced with the West's comprehensive suppression, isolation and sanctions, all walks of life in Russia have learned from the painful experience and turned their attention to China.
On February 9, 2024, in Moscow, the capital of Russia, vehicles drove past Chinese New Year themed decorations. Xinhua News Agency
Compared with the previous three times, Russia’s fourth “Look East” or “China Fever” has not only gained a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of China’s development achievements, but also the Chinese model and Have more thoughts and research on the Chinese Communist Party’s experience in governing the country. This wave of "China fever" has shown new characteristics.
First, focus on China’s institutional advantages behind China’s development miracle.
Tavrovsky, chairman of the Expert Council of the Russia-China Friendship Peace and Development Committee, believes that "socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era" is a new world economic system after feudalism, capitalism and Soviet model socialism. , this system draws on the advantages of the previous model and organically combines the centralization of national strategic planning with the full competitiveness of the market, the mass socialist ideology and individual creative self-realization. The leadership role of the party is this The most important part of the system model.
The second is to pay attention to the ideological innovation behind China's development achievements.
Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Russia Zyuganov pointed out that the Communist Party of China attaches great importance to theoretical innovation and combines the basic principles of Marxism with the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is an important secret to the success of the Communist Party of China.
The third is to change Russia's "teacher" and "big brother" attitude toward China during the Soviet period, emphasizing that Russia must learn from China in an all-round way and draw on China's development experience.
Larin, an expert at the Far Eastern Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Nagorny, vice chairman of the Russian Izborsko Club, and others clearly stated that Russia must refer to and learn from China's development experience if it wants to achieve rejuvenation. In addition, Russian experts also pointed out that China’s party and government cadre training, special economic zone pilots, infrastructure construction, real economy priority, e-commerce, green energy, electric vehicles and other fields have valuable experience that Russia can learn from. With the joint promotion of China and Russia, learning exchanges in many fields have been fully launched and have achieved initial results.
Fourth, we pay attention to the Chinese model and the global significance of Sino-Russian cooperation.
Uyanayev, director of the Russia-China Relations Research and Forecasting Center, found that in the process of implementing the "Belt and Road" initiative, China has developed bilateral and multilateral relations with various national groups, international organizations, specialized groups, committees, etc. He praised the Belt and Road Initiative for taking into account the concerns of all parties, following the values of win-win, respect and trust, and attaching importance to peaceful development and mutually beneficial cooperation.
During this trip to Moscow, we can feel that all walks of life in Russia have more nostalgia for and recognition of socialism in the Soviet period. Some elements of socialism are also showing signs of recovery in Russia. But the extent to which Russia can distance itself from capitalism and learn from socialism requires further observation.
However, what is certain is that the mutual learning, support and all-round cooperation between China and Russia, the two "civilized countries" within the frameworks of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, the "Global South" and the United Nations, will definitely help It aims to form a new type of globalization based on joint consultation, joint construction, sharing and win-win, promote the further evolution of the world system from a unipolar world to a multipolar world, and ultimately build a more just and reasonable new global order. . thank you all!
roundtable discussion
host : Starting from the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, in fact, for a long time, everyone has been curious about China in various ways. For example, when overseas tourists came to China in the past, they would be amazed by Chinese customs, culture, food, and of course the beautiful mountains and rivers, etc. But this time, when we look at the content of the short videos they posted, the focus is still obvious. It’s different. For example, they will pay attention to how quiet, convenient, safe and so on we are. Teacher Zhang, what do you think these changes mean?
Zhang Weiwei : I think the “China fever” brought about by this visa exemption has its own characteristics.
First, it comes from the feelings of ordinary people in Western or non-Western countries. You see an Indian "Internet celebrity" who went to Urumqi. He originally thought Urumqi was very backward, but he found that it didn't seem to be much different from Beijing and Shanghai. He was amazed there. Also, people in Western countries have been misled by Western mainstream media for a long time, thinking that China is backward, poor, unsafe, and even the sky is dark. However, after coming to China, they found that it was completely different.
Song and dance performance in the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar China Central Radio and Television International Online
In addition, now is the era of short videos on the Internet, and I have to admit that many people do it for traffic, because as long as he puts the video of China travel, many people will watch it. In a sense, China has been criticized too much by the West, and it has become a focus. As long as it is about China, no matter whether it is good or bad, everyone pays attention to it.
I saw a short video, and I was so amused that I burst into tears: An American was learning Chinese on the street and asked how to say "delicious" in Chinese. The person said "delicious", He kept saying "delicious" and "delicious" everywhere, but he couldn't pronounce the four tones well, and sometimes he said "tasteless".
Moderator : Because they have been misled before and have been exposed to too much information that slanders China, they also want to know what China is really like. Teacher Wu, have you seen the relevant short videos?
Wu Xinwen : Watched it. I think many of these Westerners who come to China are middle class in their country. It turns out that they are very proud of their country, their system, and even the small town where they live. They have a sense of superiority; coupled with the propaganda of China in Western newspapers, they must think that they are much higher than us. Maybe they view China with a condescending attitude. But after coming here, they suddenly discovered that China was completely different from what they had imagined.
host : Yes, netizens on our domestic Internet platform have also observed this matter. Many overseas tourists take advantage of this visa-free policy to come to China. They may mainly go to some big ports and cities. I see that many Chinese friends have left messages below, saying, "Welcome to visit third- and fourth-tier cities. We will also see a very rich and dynamic China."
Zhang Weiwei : There is a saying among Chinese netizens called "Special Forces Tour". Now that he is visa-free for 6 days and 144 hours, he only needs to travel around the surrounding countries for a while, such as flying to South Korea once and coming back again for 6 days. How many days? In 6 days, you can travel to many places.
host : I have also seen that some foreign friends do use this 144-hour policy repeatedly. We have also discussed in previous programs that many overseas tourists come and they feel that it is not convenient enough to pay here. Now, for example, if Shanghai is building an international consumer center city, it has also prepared many POS machines, all in all, to provide everyone with various supporting facilities.
From "China fever" to "China model fever", especially the two speeches talked about Russia's observations of China at considerable length. So why is its "China fever" so important to care about the Chinese model?
Zhang Weiwei : I think the depth and breadth of Russia’s “Look East” this time is different from the past. I have been to Russia three times this year, and I have met a lot of people from all walks of life. It can be seen that everyone generally has several consensuses: first, they generally believe that China has really succeeded; second, they have experienced Gorbachev, The chaos during the Yeltsin period, when we observed it from the outside, we might have thought it was only two or three years, but now the general consensus is that it lasted a full ten years.
host : In other words, such a long period of chaos has actually brought great turmoil and damage to Russian society and the lives of ordinary people.
Zhang Weiwei : Yes, this can also be understood why Putin’s prestige is very high so far, because Russia’s current stability, development and prosperity were brought about by the Putin period. Our tour guide lives in Chita. She said that life has been too difficult for ten years. In many cases, the power supply only lasts for two hours a day because the power companies have all been privatized. These experiences have made Russians realize.
I also asked a very senior Russian scholar, and I said that you have always had people who "look westward" and people who are "local" in history - that is, they emphasize their own culture and civilization. Now it seems that "local" "Faction" prevailed.Is this a short-lived phenomenon, or will it be a long-term phenomenon?
He said, let’s not discuss theory first, let’s look at the facts, and the fact is that after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a large number of pro-Western Russian social elites left Russia for the West, but now they are returning in large numbers. Why return? First, after they arrived in Western countries, they suddenly realized that the West in their eyes was not very good either. Secondly, they are also discriminated against by the local people. Some Russians even support Ukraine. However, after arriving in the West, people still regard them as an alternative, thinking, "You are Russian, we will not accept you or your culture." "This feeling made them feel that it would be better to return to Russia.
Moderator : Facts taught them the best lesson.
Wu Xinwen : I think Russia’s “China craze” and “Chinese model craze” are not easy, and there has been a qualitative change. When we visited Russia, some of the people we met, including the reports we saw in the media, have changed a lot.
I think there are two reasons: one is that the West really slapped them hard; on the other hand, they did see China's development and China's success, which was a big touch to them, especially After many Russians came to China to see and experience it, they found that it was indeed different.
Zhang Weiwei : Let me tell you two cases to illustrate the changes in Russia’s “Look East” this time.
One is this time at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the host asked President Putin: "Back then, Europe was the center of the world economy, so we built St. Petersburg facing Europe; now that Asia has become the center of the world economy, do we want to be in the Far East? Build a 'Saint Petersburg' facing Asia? "This is a very interesting question. Putin said: “We need to develop our Far East region, and we need big cities, but now we must pay more attention to using market methods to form a city naturally, rather than me giving an order to build a city. ”
The relationship between Russia and NATO is now very tense, and Moscow and St. Petersburg are too close to the West and NATO. This is a topic that is being discussed by both the people and scholars.
The second one is the Russian philosopher Dukin. He came to our China Research Institute as a visiting scholar in 2018. We had many candid exchanges with him.
When he went to Beijing, he heard the taxi driver listening to Peking Opera while driving. He asked one of our researchers accompanying him "What was he listening to?" and the researcher replied "peking opera". He said that ordinary drivers in China all listen to opera. This detail also shows that ancient Chinese culture is ubiquitous and is a "living culture."
Du Jin stayed in Shanghai longer. He goes out for a walk every day and feels it for himself. The social security here, the actual wealth of the people, and the convenience of all aspects of life make him come to a very simple conclusion: the Chinese model is really successful. This conclusion is important.
Nanjing Road, Shanghai during the National Day
Host : You just talked about the Chinese model. We have always said in the program that the Chinese model has many dimensions. Different countries may be able to take a cup of it according to their actual situations, that is, they can learn from it. part of our China experience. Putin and Lukashenko just quoted some of their opinions on the Chinese model in their speeches. During your visit to Russia, did you observe that their understanding of the Chinese model is really accurate?
Zhang Weiwei : I believe that in so many high-level interactions between China and Russia, they have gained a lot of very real feelings and understand how the Chinese model works. At the same time, as a think tank, we have been communicating with Russia. We introduced the Chinese model to them, and it was all open-ended. We welcome any questions, there are no restricted areas, and their questions are also very sincere.They now understand the Chinese model, not only the macro-level politics and economy, including the relationship between state-owned enterprises and private enterprises, but also various specific matters, such as how China trains cadres, how innovation is done, how special economic zones are built, How plans are made, and their concerns become more and more specific.
Wu Xinwen : One of the characteristics of the current "Chinese model craze" I found is that many countries in the world have discovered that the operation of capitalism is becoming increasingly dysfunctional, so many countries are beginning to look elsewhere to solve their own problems. national problem. No matter what model it is, the problem must be solved in the end. The capitalism in the United States cannot solve many problems now, and the people of the world can see it.
Audience interaction
Moderator : Many friends at the scene are also very concerned about the Chinese model, especially in the minds of foreigners. How do they view the Chinese model and from what angles can they observe the advantages of the Chinese model? Let’s discuss it together. I noticed that there was a friend from the "Russia Today" TV station who was our colleague. Welcome to our program.
Vsevolod Puglia: Dear host, distinguished guests, thank you for inviting me to participate in the program today. I am very happy and deeply honored.
President Putin praised China's economic model at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. He emphasized that different countries need their own development models, and there is no universal template.
In recent years, Russia has been paying close attention to the Chinese model. Just in the past 2023, Russian analysts released a report stating that Russia is adopting an economic model that is very similar to China's "dual cycle", which analysts call "three cycles." Russia's "three cycles" are domestic demand, important exports and state-set priorities. This influence from China is reflected in all aspects of Russian social life. It can be said that China's image in Russia has improved significantly in the past few years due to the mutual assistance and friendship between our two countries.
As a media practitioner, I should say that breaking stereotypes is very difficult. Russians have many stereotypes about China, and Chinese people have many stereotypes about Russia. I am very happy that the "Russia Today" TV station I represent can cooperate with Chinese social media. There are also many Chinese media working in Russia to help eliminate these stereotypes.
This can also be seen in the tourism industry. Because the latest data shows that China will become one of the top five destinations for Russian tourists in 2024. There are more Russian tourists going to China than to Egypt, and Egypt is usually a very popular tourist destination for Russians.
I think it's obvious that the friendship and trust between our two countries is growing day by day. The Russian government is rapidly adopting China's economic policies and economic model . My question is, what specific strategies should Russian companies adopt to work more efficiently, bring about innovation and create new systems of cooperation? Thanks.
Zhang Weiwei : I first want to praise "Russia Today". We are also paying close attention to this media. I think "Russia Today" is a "media capable of fighting." Many Western countries, including the United States, Britain, France, etc., have banned it. They suddenly discovered that people turn to "Russia Today" to get information on many things, and the slogan of "Russia Today" is "alternative information", that is, "Information from other channels". I think this is something we can learn from each other.
As for how the Russian business community can learn from China's experience for innovation, etc., I personally feel that Russia's economy is generally undergoing transformation, its manufacturing industry is recovering and developing, and it is producing many products itself. There are also many Chinese companies investing in Russia, which are very positive. I think one of the highlights of the Chinese model is the relationship between the government and the market, as well as the relationship between state-owned enterprises and private enterprises.If you happen to be in China again, you might as well go to Shenzhen to do some research. Shenzhen has done a very good job in coordinating the government with enterprises and the market. You can also go to Hefei, Anhui to see how the Anhui model works. They are also very good. They have a "venture capital consciousness", that is, if they choose several industries, as long as one is successful, it can bring about huge changes and benefits.
Wu Xinwen: I would like to add that in fact, what kind of strategies can be adopted by enterprises and the business community to promote innovation? I think one thing is to keep the real economy at a certain scale and emphasize the importance of manufacturing.
Let’s think about the Soviet Union. Why did it have so many innovations? The first man-made earth satellite was launched into the sky, and the first man to be sent into space were all made by the Soviet Union at that time. Why can it be made? It was because industrialization in the Stalin era had laid a very solid foundation, and it was only on such a foundation that it exploded. In fact, China's current "three new innovations" are based on the huge scale and high-quality development of China's manufacturing real economy. Now we are very happy to see that Russia's real economy is slowly recovering. I think the strategy of giving priority to manufacturing and the real economy must be adhered to.
Zhang Weiwei : I would like to add that President Putin repeatedly emphasized the need to develop the Far East during this St. Petersburg Economic Forum; and then you see that President Putin specifically went to Harbin and Harbin Institute of Technology during his visit to China. Our Foreign Minister Wang Yi also went to the Russian Far East and held some related meetings. So I think there is huge potential for cooperation in this area. For Russia, this will make the spatial layout more reasonable, and the development of the Asia-oriented sector will be a very good thing for both countries.
Audience: Professor Zhang mentioned in his speech that there is a French friend who has lived in China for 7 years and particularly admires our Chinese model. This reminds me of the "China fever" that also started in France in the 18th century. . I just want to ask, what is the connection and difference between the "China fever" set off in France in the 18th century and the "China fever" and "Chinese model fever" set off in Russia now?
Zhang Wei is : there are some differences. In the 18th century, objectively speaking, our China was the pinnacle of agricultural civilization in the world at that time, so at this time thinkers like Voltaire set their sights on China and felt from the bottom of their hearts that Chinese culture was too excellent. Agricultural civilization brought overall prosperity and peace. In contrast, Europe is at war every day, and although China has various problems, it is generally peaceful. This shocked Europe and was our contribution to the European Enlightenment.
If it was the "China fever" in the era of agricultural civilization, today is the "China fever" in the era of information civilization. Behind the respect for China at this time is the understanding of the Chinese model. For example, if you go to Tibet and Xinjiang, the mobile phone signals there are much better than those in Paris and New York. This is brought about by our information revolution and our socialist system. The infrastructure is built by state-owned enterprises, and private enterprises have taken e-commerce to the extreme. This is China’s mixed economic model.
The impact of all this is very large, and this "heat" will last for a long time. Moreover, when ordinary people travel to China, they not only discover a different kind of life, but also develop many new understandings of the Chinese model.
Tourists from Italy took a group photo after experiencing Tai Chi in Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park. Xinhua News Agency
Wu Xinwen : A very big similarity between these two "hots" is that France in the 18th century was also thinking about where France was going, so it also had to look to other parts of the world to see if there was any What new possibilities. Now in Russia too, their elites have to think about the identity, self-positioning, and future development of the entire country. This is consistent.
But there is a difference.The wave of "China fever" in France at that time came from a lot of information about China brought back by missionaries in China, so we knew it indirectly. Of course, some Chinese goods had been exported to that place at that time, but it was limited after all. But I think this wave of "China fever" is different. This wave of "China fever" is the result of many exchanges, especially after many Russians came to China to experience it on the spot.
Audience: Russia has set off "China fever" and "China model fever". Does it mean that China's soft power has reached a new level? What impact do you think this trend of "China fever" and "China model fever" will have on the relations between China and Russia, as well as on the global political landscape?
Zhang Weiwei : The concepts of soft power and hard power are helpful for us to explain some phenomena, but we should not get too involved, because for China and Russia, both sides have their own soft power and hard power. , and are highly complementary.
You see, during our exchange in Russia this time, we discovered that the West has imposed more than 15,000 sanctions, but it is of no use to a big country like Russia. It can survive on its own because it has enough food and energy, and Russia is behind it. In terms of its own hard power and soft power, it has strong military strength and strong cultural strength, and it maintains a very good relationship with China.
So I think this is a strategic collaboration of hard power and soft power between the two countries. What is very important is that there are now a lot of people-to-people contacts, including various interactions online, all of which supplement soft power.
Wu Xinwen : I think civilized exchanges often start with utensils, contact other people's things first, and see how this thing is produced. Then we have to ask about the system, and behind the system are concepts and values. I think these are holistic, and it is difficult to say which one is hard power and which one is soft power. Now I pay special attention to systems, including ideas and even lifestyles - civilization is ultimately a way of life.
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