On July 30, 2025, the Award Ceremony of the "Me and China" Writing Campaign was held in Lanzhou, Gansu Province. Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC); Cui Shixin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of People's Daily; and He Wei, Vice Chairman of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended the occassion. Representatives of writing contributors from 11 countries, along with Chinese and international friends from various sectors, were present.
In his remarks, President Yang Wanming stressed that relations between nations ultimately rest on the bonds between their peoples. At a time when global challenges are becoming increasingly interconnected, it is more essential than ever to strengthen mutual understanding, build consensus, exchange ideas, and pursue shared development through dialogue and engagement. The goal of the "Me and China" writing campaign was to invite friends from around the world to jointly compose a new and inspiring chapter of mutual understanding and friendship between China and the rest of the world. Since its founding over 70 years ago, the CPAFFC has upheld its core principles of friendship, cooperation, peace, and development, fostering deep and lasting ties with peoples across the globe. Looking ahead, the CPAFFC will continue to walk hand-in-hand with international friends and cultivate mutual understanding; serve as a bridge for intercultural exchange and mutual learning; and help weave the fabric of a community with a shared future for mankind, so as to let the trickling streams of people-to-people friendship converge into a mighty river of national friendship.
Cui Shixin noted that the "Me and China" writing campaign was a valuable initiative aimed at strengthening China's international communication capacity. One of its key inspirations is that building friendship is a collective effort, and that the most compelling stories about China should be told by friends from around the world. Going forward, the People's Daily will continue to explore innovative storytelling methods, enhance targeted communication strategies, and broaden the geographic, demographic, and thematic reach of its reporting, striving to present a true, multidimensional, and comprehensive image of China to global audiences.
He Wei emphasized that the award ceremony offers an opportunity to fully implement President Xi Jinping's important statement: "people-to-people friendship is the foundation for stable and long-term state-to-state relations, an unremitting driving force for world peace and development, and a prerequisite for win-win cooperation." Gansu will leverage its unique strengths to expand people-to-people exchanges with countries around the world and contribute its part to helping international friends better understand and connect with China.
K.C. Ma, Vice President of the Flying Tigers Historical Organization, delivered a speech on behalf of the award recipients. He remarked that in today's rapidly changing world, maintaining peace and promoting development remain shared goals of all peace-loving people. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. During World War II, thousands of American Flying Tigers fought side by side with the Chinese people, writing a powerful chapter in the history of China-US friendship. Looking to the future, he expressed hope that the peoples of China and the United States, especially the younger generation, would honor this legacy and carry forward the enduring spirit of the Flying Tigers.
The "Me and China" writing campaign was co-hosted by the CPAFFC and People's Daily, with the award ceremony co-organized by the Gansu Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Since the call for submissions was launched in February 2024, the campaign received over 1,300 entries from more than 80 countries and regions. Thirty-five outstanding writings have been published in People's Daily since June 2024, receiving widespread acclaim from readers both in China and abroad.
Also held that day was the "Silk Road · People-to-People Friendship Dialogue" Story Sharing Session, a story-sharing session featuring representatives from friendship organizations, Chinese enterprises, universities, and research institutions. Alongside international writing contributors, they shared personal accounts of China’s people-to-people exchanges with the world and reaffirmed their dedication to fostering global friendship and mutual understanding.
