Indian reporter lectures on country's achievements

Shamim Zakaria, an Indian reporter who has been working in China for five years, shared stories of his China adventure, during which he has gone from knowing nothing about the country to sincerely appreciating its people, culture and political wisdom.

When he first landed at Changsha airport in Hunan province on a drizzly afternoon in March 2017, Zakaria was understandably anxious about his new surroundings. It marked the beginning of his journey in a country he had been told little about in India, and read even less about in the media. "I believe that most expats would agree with me when I say that a bulk of what is reported about China isn't always objective," he said.

His courage didn't fail him. The tremendous warmth, generosity and hospitality of the people he met put him at ease.

"As someone who has extensively traveled, I'm qualified enough to vouch that the Chinese are among the nicest and kindest in the world."

Working as a reporter has allowed Zakaria to observe China from a perspective free of bias and misinformation. He has traveled across the country and talked to people from different lines of work, witnessing the development and progress of daily life. As his affection for Chinese culture grew, he developed an understanding of the wisdom of China's governance.

"I can see clearly that the development of people is at the core of governance. Chinese leaders attach great importance to the interests, happiness and well-being of the people, and remarkable results have been delivered," he said.

He used poverty alleviation as an example. Since 2012, nearly 100 million rural dwellers have been lifted out of poverty, an achievement Zakaria described as "perhaps the greatest victory over poverty ever in the history of humankind".

Coming from a country that is also densely populated and suffering from poverty, he sees in the remarkable efficiency China has shown during the process inspiration for other developing countries such as his own. "I think India could draw lessons from the success of poverty alleviation in China," he said.

While these achievements rarely make the cover of international newspapers, he believes there is also a visible tendency in Western media to portray China negatively and to disregard its achievements. "When it comes to international geopolitics, the West, which often tends to hold high the banner of 'inclusiveness', has failed to live up to its own ideals," he said.

Zakaria calls for positive engagement, for the West to see the facts and foster mutual respect and understanding.

In contrast, when it comes to "inclusiveness" in international relations, he praised China for its contribution to global unity and respect for diversity. He mentioned the work report presented at the recently-concluded 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in which China reiterated its commitment to its foreign policy goals of protecting world peace and advancing joint development.

The young man once standing bewildered in rainy Changsha has grown into a firm supporter of Chinese political wisdom. Now he is more determined than ever to deliver the real China story to the world, to more youth who are just like he was five years ago.