Voices of foreign training participants: Power of first‑hand experience trumps myriad narratives

Editor's Note: A training program on new‑energy development for Spanish‑speaking countries was held from June 12 to 25. The training program, initiated by the China International Development Cooperation Agency and undertaken by Power Construction Corporation of China, brought together 29 officials and scholars from Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, Uruguay and Spain for studies in China.

Maria Nieves Campos Lopez, general manager of Gesnorte, a fund management company based in Spain, gained a deeper understanding of China through the training program.

"During my trip to China, I have learned the secret to China's development. What China has accomplished deserves to be learned by the whole world," Lopez said at the Windmill Coast in Wenchang, Hainan province.

Rows of wind turbines at Mulan Bay not only serve as power‑generating infrastructure but also form a unique landscape. The site has grown into a popular check‑in spot along the Mulan Bay section of the coastal highway that circles all of Hainan Island.

Lopez also threw herself into various folk and custom experiences. She learned to make mugwort hammers and traditional Chinese herbal sachets, and tried her hand at wrapping zongzi (sticky rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival). She views China as the home of a splendid, time-honored history that has produced countless great inventions and spiritual values, which continue to exert profound influence across the globe. Such outstanding culture deserves greater awareness and recognition among Western audiences.

Participants make zongzi at a Dragon Boat Festival‑themed garden party.

Compared with other participants, Lopez possesses a more direct and thought‑provoking perspective built on her observations of developmental realities in China and the West.

She pointed out that many Western people's perceptions of China are based on fragmented online information, which gives rise to numerous prejudices and misunderstandings. She views on‑the‑ground training and exchanges like this as the best way to bridge divisions and clear up misperceptions.

While picking up advanced new‑energy technologies is a fundamental gain of her China trip, her insights into China's clear policies, long‑term strategic layout and systematic planning mindset for green development are of far greater value.

"China upholds the principle of opening up, actively seeks common ground among peoples of all countries and firmly promotes multilateral development so that every nation can have its voice heard and pursue joint cooperation hand‑in‑hand," Lopez said. "I firmly believe China will keep deepening multilateral cooperation, and I have nothing but words of praise for it."

Her journey in China has strengthened her recognition of the country's openness, pragmatism and development wisdom, motivating her to act as a grassroots envoy for people‑to‑people exchanges between China and the West.