China News Service, January 18th Title: Where is the special "happiness road" mentioned by Xi Jinping?

"You have become a connection with China because of this 'happiness road' and are witnesses and beneficiaries of China-Korean and China-Africa friendly cooperation, and also builders and disseminators."

This is a sentence a year ago, on January 17, 2024, when Chinese President Xi Jinping re-confidged the representatives of Kenyan students and alumni at Beijing Jiaotong University.

The letter to President Xi Jinping was written by Kariu, a representative of Kenyan student at Beijing Jiaotong University. Kariu recently told China News Network reporters that during this year, he has more deeply realized the special features of this "happiness road".

This "happy road" allows Kenyan students to form a Chinese connection.

In May 2017, a modern railway undertaken by a Chinese company, the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, opened to traffic in Kenya, shortening the onshore transportation time between the country's capital and the largest seaport by half, becoming a flagship project and a successful example of China-Korean joint construction of the "Belt and Road".

Before the opening of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, Beijing Jiaotong University and China Road and Bridge Company, which undertakes the construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, jointly launched a project to transport management talents for the railway transportation industry in Kenya and even East Africa.

Kario is one of them. In 2017, he came to Beijing Jiaotong University to study railway management knowledge. After graduating from undergraduate studies in 2021, Kariu returned to China to work at the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway for two years, and then returned to his alma mater in China to further his studies.

Kario's experience can be said to be a microcosm of the framework of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative.

For more than ten years, China and the co-construction countries have carried out extensive cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, tourism, etc., signed agreements on mutual recognition of higher education degree with 45 co-construction countries and regions, and signed cooperation documents in the field of culture and tourism with 144 co-construction countries. People's livelihood cooperation brands such as "Guangming Tour", "Luban Workshop" and "Silk Road" are very popular, building bridges of people's hearts and minds.

This "happy road" allows more people to understand Chinese modernization.

In the past few years, Kariu has visited many Chinese cities and participated in many professional forums. Through learning and communication, he was able to have a deeper understanding of China - a China where science and technology are developing rapidly and innovation continues to emerge.

"Now, China is at the forefront of the development of new energy, especially energy storage and photovoltaics." In 2018, Ducho from Uzbekistan came to China to study through the "Silk Road" Chinese government scholarship program and studied electrical engineering at Beijing Jiaotong University. Now, Du Qiao is studying for a graduate student and studying energy storage-related directions.

In his opinion, studying in China is a very good opportunity. He hopes to learn more advanced technology and experience here and bring back his country in the future.

In the past, international cooperation and exchanges in jointly building the "Belt and Road" mainly focused on traditional areas. Now, the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has entered a new stage of high-quality development, and cooperation in emerging fields is also deepening.

In October 2023, at the 3rd Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum, China announced eight actions to support high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, covering many aspects such as green development and scientific and technological innovation.

At the fourth symposium on the construction of the "Belt and Road" held in December 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "coordinate and consolidate cooperation in traditional fields and steadily expand cooperation in emerging fields."

Now, the "road of happiness" that benefits the world is getting wider and wider.

This "road of happiness" makes the concept of sharing destiny more deeply rooted in people's hearts.

"Studying in China is not easy, but my Chinese classmates helped me a lot." Gai Shuya, a second-year undergraduate student in civil engineering at Beijing Jiaotong University from Kenya, said that the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway connects different African countries and also makes people with different cultural backgrounds closer relationships.

"China wants to do one thing and solve a problem. It will invite experts from different countries to discuss together, concentrate everyone's ideas and discuss things. I think this is a good way to do it," said Kariu.

In Kariu's view, exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are very important. Just as there is an ancient African proverb: "If you want to achieve fast, you should walk alone; if you think about it, you must work together with your wholeheartedness."

China has always practiced the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind with practical actions. Over the past decade, the initiative to jointly build the "Belt and Road" has not only improved the living standards of people in the joint construction country, but also demonstrated China's advanced technology and experience to the outside world, but also clearly expressed China's original intention and concept of seeking peaceful development and win-win cooperation.

More and more international students are learning advanced technology in China, which also indirectly reflects that the common values ​​advocated by China are becoming increasingly consensus among people of all countries in the world.

The journey of the great way is the public.

As President Xi Jinping said, the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" is on the right side of history, in line with the logic of the progress of the times, and is following the right path in the world.

｜Producer: Chen Lujun

｜Producer: Zhang Mingxin

｜General planning: Yu Lan

｜Planning: Wu Qingcai

｜Coordinator: Ma Xueling

｜Written by: Yuan Xiuyue

｜Proofreading: Kan Feng

｜Visual: Lei Yuzhu

｜Produced by "Xi Yandao" Studio in China News Network