Current Affairs Micro-Observation丨Two Medals Witnessing Friendship

The majestic Tianshan Mountains and the magnificent Pamir Plateau bear witness to the long-lasting friendship between China and Central Asia. The people of Kazakhstan, the "great grassland country", and Tajikistan, the "mountain country", are looking forward to welcoming guests from China.

From July 2 to 6, President Xi Jinping attended the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Astana, and paid state visits to the two countries at the invitation of President Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan and President Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan.

This is President Xi Jinping's fifth visit to Kazakhstan and his second state visit to Tajikistan in five years. "China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, good friends and good partners connected by mountains and rivers and interdependent with each other," and "the concept of China and Tajikistan being good neighbors, good friends and good partners forever has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people," President Xi once commented.

"Micro-Observation of Current Affairs" takes you to appreciate the deep friendship between China and Kazakhstan and China and Tajikistan through two medals.

The "Golden Eagle" Medal is Kazakhstan's highest honor, which is intended to recognize those who have made significant contributions to Kazakhstan's national construction and foreign friendly relations. In September 2022, Kazakh President Tokayev awarded President Xi Jinping the "Golden Eagle" Medal.

△On September 14, 2022 local time, President Xi Jinping accepted the "Golden Eagle" Medal awarded by Kazakh President Tokayev.

This heavy medal is full of the Kazakh people's high respect for President Xi Jinping and their deep friendship for the Chinese people.

"You are a truly great leader who enjoys the wholehearted support of the Chinese people. You have endowed the whole of China with the spirit of innovation and are leading the country's progress with wise policies." President Tokayev highly praised President Xi Jinping's historic role and great contributions to consolidating the friendship between the two peoples and promoting the development of Kazakhstan-China relations.

In his reply speech, President Xi Jinping pointed out that he believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, China-Kazakhstan relations will soar high like a golden eagle, with a bright future and bring more benefits to the people of both countries.

China and Kazakhstan have a history of friendly exchanges dating back thousands of years. In September 2013, it was in Kazakhstan that President Xi Jinping first proposed the initiative of jointly building the "Silk Road Economic Belt", thus beginning the grand picture of the Silk Road in the new era.

The Belt and Road Initiative has opened a new door for Kazakhstan, a landlocked country, to integrate into the world. In 2017, in a signed article published by the Kazakh media titled "Giving Wings to the Dream of China-Kazakhstan Relations," President Xi Jinping mentioned a detail: "For the first time, Kazakh wheat has been exported to Southeast Asia via China." Five years later, in a signed article in 2022, President Xi Jinping wrote again: "The China-Kazakhstan Lianyungang Logistics Cooperation Base provides a seaport for Kazakhstan products to set sail from the Pacific Ocean."

Locals who are "setting sail" at their doorsteps sighed: "Although we are not near the sea, having a neighbor like China is worth an ocean."

The "ocean" of cooperation between China and Kazakhstan is infinitely broad. In 2023, China became Kazakhstan's largest trading partner, with the trade volume between the two countries reaching US$41 billion, a year-on-year increase of 32%.

In 2024, with the care and promotion of the two heads of state, there will be more good news in China-Kazakhstan cooperation and exchanges: the visa exemption measures encourage tourists from both countries to start "go on a whim" travel; the "Lu Ban Workshop", a golden signboard of Chinese vocational education that settled in Kazakhstan last year, has now started expansion; the first batch of master's students of the Kazakhstan branch of Northwestern Polytechnical University, signed by the two heads of state, will come to China soon to start graduation research projects...

Both countries are at a critical stage of development and revitalization, and are working together to create a new "golden thirty years" for China-Kazakhstan relations.

△In April 2024, professors from the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Northwestern Polytechnical University taught at the Kazakhstan branch of Northwestern Polytechnical University.

The eagles soaring over the Pamir Plateau and the sound of camel bells on the ancient Silk Road bear witness to the generations-long friendship between the Chinese and Tajik peoples.

△On June 15, 2019 local time, President Xi Jinping attended a ceremony in Dushanbe and accepted the "Crown Medal" awarded by Tajik President Rahmon.

In June 2019, during President Xi Jinping's visit to Tajikistan, President Rahmon awarded President Xi Jinping the "Crown Medal", the highest national medal of Tajikistan. When President Rahmon pinned the medal on President Xi, the guests in the audience applauded warmly and rhythmically.

President Rahmon highly appreciated President Xi Jinping's positive contributions to the development of Tajik-China relations, and expressed his willingness to work with President Xi Jinping to lead bilateral relations to greater development.

President Xi Jinping said that President Rahmon's awarding of the "Order of the Crown" to me is full of the deep friendship of all Tajik people towards the Chinese people, which I cherish very much. I am willing to work with President Rahmon to push the China-Tajikistan comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level and better benefit the people of the two countries.

In recent years, President Xi Jinping and President Rahmon have maintained high-frequency interactions, forged a deep friendship, and led China-Tajikistan relations to move forward.

In September 2014, President Xi Jinping paid his first state visit to Tajikistan. President Rahmon accompanied him for nearly 10 hours and hosted him at a family dinner. "Good brothers should go forward hand in hand!" The two heads of state walking hand in hand and side by side became a diplomatic legend.

In June 2019, President Xi Jinping once again visited Tajikistan. President Rahmon took time out from his busy schedule of organizing the CICA Summit to meet him at the airport. He happily recalled President Xi Jinping's visit five years ago and warmly welcomed his old friend on behalf of the Tajik government and people.

The schedule was tight. On the morning of June 16, President Rahmon went to the airport again to see President Xi off. President Xi said affectionately: "Every visit is like visiting relatives. It is very pleasant."

△On May 19, 2023, after the first China-Central Asia Summit, President Xi Jinping and the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries jointly planted six pomegranate trees, which not only witnessed the millennium-long friendly exchanges between China and Central Asia, but also symbolized the close unity and cooperation between China and Central Asia, and also placed their hopes on the bright future of China-Central Asia relations.

In early summer last year, President Xi Jinping and the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries gathered in Xi'an, Shaanxi, to attend the first China-Central Asia Summit.

"I am very pleased to meet with my old friend President Rahmon in Xi'an. I warmly welcome you to China to attend the China-Central Asia Summit and pay a state visit." On the morning of May 18, 2023, President Xi Jinping's opening remarks in his talks with President Rahmon were particularly cordial.

In 2013, China and Tajikistan established a strategic partnership; in 2017, the China-Tajikistan strategic partnership was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership; in 2023, the two heads of state jointly announced the promotion of the building of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future for generations of friendship, shared weal and woe, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation... The diplomacy of heads of state has led the way, and China-Tajikistan friendship has made great strides forward.

Today, the Chinese-aided Tajik Parliament Building and the government office building have become new landmarks in the center of Dushanbe. From "Chinese fever" to "China fever", from language teaching to translation of famous works, from archaeological excavation to cultural relics protection, the seeds of China-Tajikistan friendship have taken root in the hearts of young people in the two countries, and the two ancient civilizations are shining more brilliantly in dialogue and mutual learning.

△On April 12, 2023, in the Lu Ban Workshop in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, teachers from Tianjin Urban Construction Management Vocational and Technical College explained to students how to use surveying and mapping instruments.

The awarding of medals is an important diplomatic etiquette with rich meanings. The two medals not only symbolize the deep friendship between the two countries and China, but also are a recognition of China's outstanding contributions to international affairs.

During this SCO summit, President Xi Jinping will discuss development plans with leaders of regional countries, build consensus on cooperation, and inject more positive energy and new impetus into maintaining peace and prosperity in the Eurasian continent and the world.

Micro-observation of current affairs丨Adhere to the "Shanghai Spirit" and move forward!

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