Uncover the Story Behind the High Visit! Why do the Presidents of Brazil, Honduras, and Russia all come to Shanghai Platform | Shanghai | Honduras

When Honduras President Castro, who was visiting China for the first time, walked into the hotel lobby, several elderly Klers dressed in white suits played the local music "Honduras Songs and Life", which was the background music for her inauguration speech. The female president stopped, listened with a smile, and applauded to the senior jazz band after the end.

With the improvement of the global COVID-19 epidemic situation, China's diplomacy has pressed the "acceleration button", and the number of visiting groups in Shanghai has also increased significantly. According to incomplete statistics, Shanghai has received dozens of foreign dignitaries and well-known figures this year. The Municipal Foreign Affairs Office insists on transforming learning achievements into work motivation in thematic education, reflects the national will and urban temperature in foreign affairs reception, further tells the story of Chinese path to modernization, and serves the economic and social development of Shanghai.

"Shanghai is very dedicated and has touched the strings of my heart."

Back on April 12, President Lula of Brazil flew to Shanghai to start his visit to China, which became the first foreign head of state delegation received by Shanghai after China's COVID-19 infection was adjusted to "Category B and Regulation B". Shanghai's refined reception has made this old friend of the Chinese people feel at home.

For example, at the hotel welcome ceremony, the Brazilian folk song "On the Road" was played, and the next day Lula shared the performance video on social media; At the banquet at the Peace Hotel, two handmade dough sculptures were placed on the dining table - Chinese Cuju and Brazilian player Neymar - to express goodwill and bring them closer together; After learning that Lula hopes to allow residents in remote areas of Brazil to share the convenience of the internet, Shanghai arranged a delegation to visit Huawei Shanghai Research Institute in batches.

These small details surprised and moved the foreign guests. When the Governor of Bratislava Oblast in Slovakia, Yurai Droba, discovered the famous statue of the "Watchman" placed in the hotel, he was very happy. The accompanying personnel also sighed, "Shanghai is very dedicated and has touched the strings of my heart.".

Foreign affairs are not trivial matters. In the reception of foreign affairs, Shanghai adheres to the principle of "one game of chess for the whole city", ensuring smooth connection of various links and smooth and orderly activities at each stage. During the more than ten hours from arriving in Shanghai in the early morning of May 23 to flying to Beijing that evening, Russian Prime Minister Mishusky and his delegation of nearly 300 people successfully carried out activities in Shanghai, which was inseparable from the support provided by the cooperation of multiple departments in Shanghai.

As for the location of foreign affairs meetings, many are now arranged in the "World Reception Hall" by the Huangpu River. There, foreign guests can not only see the towering buildings in Pudong, but also experience the traditional architectural style of Puxi, and have a more vivid understanding of Shanghai's past, present, and future. On a 9-meter platform in Linjiang, Congolese President Zisekdi raised his phone to take photos of the night on both sides of the strait; Many guests attending the Blue Hall Forum took a group photo by the river, saying, "We need to record the vibrant Shanghai.".

"Let foreign guests see the real state of Shanghai"

At present, more and more foreign delegations come to Shanghai and hope to feel the achievements of Chinese path to modernization from the window of Shanghai in a relatively short time.

Therefore, the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Gubei Citizen Center, the first place to mention "full process people's democracy," have become a must visit place for many foreign guests. Through rich collections, multimedia equipment and bilingual introductions in English and Japanese, foreign guests learned about the struggle of the CPC; By communicating with residents of different professions, ages, and nationalities, foreign guests can feel the legislative process in China. In the words of Paul Ramondo, General Secretary of the Portuguese Communist Party, I know why the CPC has always been supported by the people.

The Municipal Foreign Affairs Office also assists foreign guests in gaining a deep understanding of Shanghai's development within a very limited time by formulating personalized plans and coordinating multiple parties. So Huang Xunchai, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister, who spent two days in Shanghai, visited Ant Group and Weilai Shanghai center Store successively; Congolese President Zisekdi, who stayed in Shanghai for less than 24 hours, not only took a night boat trip to Pujiang, but also had discussions with leaders of Ningde Times and Luoyang Molybdenum Industry; Honduras President Castro, who stayed in Shanghai for only 48 hours, not only visited the President of the New Development Bank, Rousseff, but also inspected Huawei's Shanghai Research Institute.

In addition, Shanghai also strives to make foreign friends empathize. In addition to walking into high-rise buildings and technology parks, Shanghai also organizes a group of Honduran journalists who are visiting China for the first time, and a group of foreign journalists who participate in the Blue Hall Forum to experience citizen life. In Xinfukangli Community in Jing'an District and Fushun Road Community Neighborhood Center in Yangpu District, foreign friends enter the elderly activity room, chat with the elderly through translation, and even sing and dance with the elderly.

An African journalist admitted that seeing the towering side of Shanghai is more of envy; Visiting grassroots communities in Shanghai is more about learning, hoping to transplant good practices from Shanghai back. "Foreign affairs receptions should be meticulous but not deliberate, especially when visiting communities, so that foreign guests can see the true state of Shanghai society," said the staff of the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office.

Some collaborative projects are brewing and advancing

Shortly after the visit of the Cuban Communist Party delegation to Shanghai, the "Charming Cuba" promotion week opened on May 5th at the Hongqiao Pinhui International Friendship City Port. Cuban entrepreneurs have traveled half the world to Shanghai to promote high-quality products with their own characteristics, engage in commercial exchanges with Shanghai enterprises, and achieve many project collaborations.

Foreign delegations visiting Shanghai have never been superficial. Through the warm reception and active work in Shanghai, some Sino foreign cooperation projects are being planned and promoted. During his stay in Shanghai, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Huang Xuncai said that the two sides will exchange practical experience on green and low-carbon, open cooperation, and sustainable urban development; The Governor of Bratislava Oblast in Slovakia, Drogba, told the leaders of Shanghai that he is willing to take the 20th anniversary of becoming a friendly city with Shanghai as an opportunity to further promote cooperation between the two cities in the fields of automobiles, logistics, information technology, and encourage local enterprises to invest in each other's cities.

This year, Shanghai will also celebrate its 50th anniversary with Yokohama, Japan, 35th anniversary with S ã o Paulo, Brazil, and St. Petersburg, 30th anniversary with Haifa, Israel, 20th anniversary with Central Denmark, and 10th anniversary with Budapest, Hungary. Shanghai will continue to strengthen the foundation of sister cities, promote cooperation, and benefit the people of both regions through exchanges such as "going out and welcoming in".

The Municipal Foreign Affairs Office introduced that in the future, it will also improve the Shanghai International Friendship City Cooperation Forum and invite representatives from some sister cities to Shanghai to exchange and share their experience in urban governance; At the same time, make good use of the centralized exhibition booths of the CIIE sister cities and the Shanghai International Sister City Port platform, so that more overseas cities can share the dividends of China's development. On this basis, Shanghai will strive to explore new models of urban communication, establish long-term, pragmatic, and stable cooperation mechanisms with overseas sister cities, promote more Shanghai enterprises and projects to go overseas, and serve the local community.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that we must adhere to the combination of the fine traditions of foreign work and the characteristics of the times as the direction to shape the unique style of China's diplomacy." Kong Fu'an, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, said that it is necessary to keep in mind the instructions of the General Secretary, deeply understand the political significance and mission of each foreign affairs task, and fully demonstrate the practice of Chinese-style modernization in Shanghai, so that guests from all over the world can feel the temperature of Shanghai. It also serves as a bridge for domestic enterprises to carry out international cooperation.