SOURCE / B&R INITIATIVE
Winners of 2nd Silk Road Friendship Award share heartwarming stories and benefits brought by BRI
Published: Jun 01, 2022 09:55 PM
Gulnar Shaimergenova, a research fellow from Kazakhstan

Gulnar Shaimergenova, a research fellow from Kazakhstan


The second Silk Road Friendship Award Ceremony, co-hosted by the China International Culture Exchange Centre and Global People magazine affiliated with the People's Daily, was successfully held on Tuesday. The ceremony gathered more than 500 participants from different countries to share their stories via a virtual meeting on how they have taken part in, contributed to, and benefited from the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI).

"Jointly building the BRI provides new and vast development opportunities and has become a new model for international cooperation. It symbolizes a more equitable globalization process," Gulnar Shaimergenova, a research fellow from Kazakhstan, said at the event. She founded the Kazakhstan Center for Chinese Studies and helped establish an eastward channel to export her country's grain. 

Chai Yang from Laos is a staff member in charge of maintaining the China-Laos Railway. "The railway has boosted economic development in Laos. After the pandemic, I will bring my family and friends from my hometown to step out of the mountains and come to visit China on the railway which I once participated in building!" 

Rehmat Ali

Rehmat Ali from Pakistan


In 2016, the liver transplantation team of Beijing Friendship Hospital went to Pakistan for the first time to perform liver transplant surgery. Many Pakistani doctors were surprised to find that Chinese doctors could perform a liver transplant in such a short time, with fast recovery and satisfactory medical results. Today, more and more Pakistani doctors are recognizing and learning from Chinese standards.

Deep in the mountains outside Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, a winding road leads to the "Bottle House," an orphanage that holds the love and hope of many Nepalese and Chinese friends. Kalyan Raj Sharma, a Nepalese, together with several Chinese friends, donated to and built this orphanage, which has hosted hundreds of homeless children.

As the Ambassador of Silk Road Friendship for the first year, Kalyan received the support of the Silk Road Dream Fund. Kalyan brought teaching facilities and tools to the children in the mountains.

Mohanad Ali moh'd shalabi

Mohanad Ali moh'd shalabi from Jordan


The group award winner at Tuesday's event was the Overseas Friends and Supporters of Traditional Chinese Medicines. In the process of fighting the pandemic, this group has extended the use of TCM to countries along the Belt and Road, which has greatly improved the efficiency of battling the virus. 

A member of the Overseas Friends and Supporters of the Traditional Chinese Medicines

A member of the Overseas Friends and Supporters of the Traditional Chinese Medicines


On December 21, 2020, at the first Silk Road Friendship Award Ceremony, the Silk Road Dream Fund was officially launched. Its main purpose is to encourage and assist the award recipients to realize more dreams in the BRI cooperation and let people of all countries along the Belt and Road join their hearts and minds, creating a better future of friendly cooperation.