Written by ZhenZhen Zhang, Wenjun Ma, Jie Liu and Yibo Peng

Translated by Fang Ning

In August 2016, the first 8 technicians from South Africa came to the headquarters of YOFC in Wuhan to receive a one-month training.

Though we live in different lands, the same moon and sky make us one.

Two millennia ago, one generation of pioneers after another braved endless sands and treacherous waves, opening a prelude to dialogue between Eastern and Western civilizations.

Today, the sound of camel bells on the new Silk Road signifies not only new business opportunities but also a bridge for closer people-to-people ties, with seeds from China blossoming and bearing fruit worldwide.

More than 200 local residents are now employed by Humanwell Pharmaceutical Ethiopia PLC.

Under the guidance of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), enterprises in Wuhan, China are making great strides in going global. They have invested and built factories overseas, training a large number of personnel for local areas while boosting their economy.

Recently, a multimedia journalist from Hubei Daily listened via video link to the stories of foreign employees from Chinese enterprises going global. From technology novices to business backbones, from shy introverts to confident and sunny persons, these employees have forged ties with the city of Wuhan due to the BRI and wrote chapter after chapter of splendid life stories as they seize the opportunities presented by this initiative.

Their life trajectories have been changed by the BRI.

Demeke Lule only knew test tubes and beakers before joining the Humanwell Pharmaceutical Ethiopia PLC. Studying under qualified Chinese workers, this Ethiopian chemistry graduate quickly grew into a quality department executive manager, contributing to the production of a variety of medicines widely used in Ethiopia.

Velile Mngonyama, Production Manager of the Yangtze Optics Africa (YOA) Cable (Pty) Ltd., previously worked at a local cable factory with average pay. In August 2016, he traveled to Wuhan, where he learned the optical cable manufacturing process from scratch. The company’s generous salary and bonuses have allowed him to purchase a new house in recent years to live together with his mother and sister and to send his two sons to quality primary schools.

They have realized their self-worth through the BRI.

Ivo, from Bulgaria, is a graduate of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He has been diligently learning the rapidly evolving laser technology, representing the Huagong Technology Industry Co., Ltd. (HGTECH) to venture into the European market. In six years, the once shy boy next door has emerged as the business leader for Bulgaria and Greece and learned to view the world through the lens of other cultures.

Raised in a single-parent family, Rayan Nalua was very introverted and felt inferior during his student days. However, he is now the team leader of Fiberhome Philippines Inc. and can shoulder responsibilities alone. The small company he joined, which initially consisted of only three people, has made information services accessible to millions of households across the Philippines via optical fibers.

They have shared a common dream because of the BRI.

Kristian Kumpumäki from Sweden is a professional translator at Transn. He is fascinated by the extensive and profound Chinese culture, from mythological stories such as Journey to the West to local cuisines, Chinese music, as well as customs and traditions. He has aspired to showcase and explain to the world the Chinese insights that drive the development of human civilization through his translations.

The confident and open Wuhan, which is moving faster to build itself into a pacesetter in inland opening up in the new era, is continuously attracting global attention and demonstrating to the world the vigor and vitality of a heroic city.

In 1988, at the beginning of the Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC), more than 30 Chinese employees went to the Netherlands for training, bringing back advanced technology and concepts.

In 2023, 79 Wuhan enterprises carried out direct investments in 26 countries (regions) around the world. It is not uncommon to see foreign personnel in senior executive positions within these enterprises.

Hand in hand, we have witnessed the robust and fruitful Belt and Road cooperation in its first decade. Full of confidence, we will embark on a new journey toward another golden decade. Against the backdrop of the unfolding globalization landscape, more and more dream chasers have set out to explore the new Silk Road.