Among the distinguished guests invited on the site to watch the centenary ceremony of the Communist Party of China at Tian’anmen Square on Thursday, were a group of Chinese living overseas but caring about China’s development.

To participate in the ceremony, Xiang Jinguang, lifetime honorary president of the Italian Chinese Chamber of Commerce, arrived in Beijing on June 27. On the night before the ceremony day, he was too excited to fall asleep.“I am going to Tian’anmen Square at 5 o’clock tomorrow morning and I am so excited.”

(Xiang Jinguang at the ceremony)

Xiang went to Rome in 2002, and had been living there before last year when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

He said he was so honored to receive this invitation in addition to being invited to many previous major celebrations, such as the 65th National Day military parade, the September 3rd military parade, and the 70th National Day military parade. But this time is different, because “it is quite difficult for the CPC to exist for 100 years.”

Xiang has been a CPC member for 35 years which in his words is “not a big deal”, since his father-in-law and mother-in-law have been in the Party for more than 60 years and received the commemorative badge for being with the Party for more than 50 years just a few days ago.

Several days ago when he watched the art performance in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Party at the Beijing National Stadium, he felt the astounding atmosphere. A couple of foreign audience members couldn't help but exclaim,"This kind of scale is really unimaginable. I hadn’t imagined that China has developed so well!"

(Xiang at the Beijing National Stadium)

Xiang's daughter was born in Italy, but before she finished her kindergarten education, Xiang sent her back to China. He said,"We are Chinese. My child must learn Chinese well, understand China's five-thousand years of history and culture, and have a concept of China."

In Xiang’s words, the CPC’s 100-year history was forged by hard work, courage and wisdom."I wish the great Party a long life, and the great motherland to be prosperous!" Xiang said inspirationally.

Overseas Chinese Representative Wu Hao was also one of the guests. He is the president of the Federation of Overseas Chinese Youth in Russia and went to study in Russia around 2000.

(Wu Hao at the ceremony)

As an overseas Chinese in Russia who has been studying and working in Moscow for a long time, he is a direct witness to and beneficiary of the "China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”.

He recalled that 20 years ago, in Moscow, a metropolis with a population of 12 million, it was hard to find road signs in English, let alone signs in Chinese. At that time, it was hard to imagine that there would be schedule information in Chinese on the big screens of Moscow's airports and railway stations. Now, all of this has become a reality, and even the locals have become accustomed to it.

He mentioned that last year, Sasha, a 10-year-old boy from Tula Oblast, realized his New Year's wish with the help of Russian President Putin: to get close to the giant pandas from Sichuan in Moscow.

As early as 2017, a poll conducted by the Russian Social Public Opinion Foundation showed that among the countries that are the most friendly and close to Russia, China was ranked first by the Russian people.

“These lively stories of people-to-people exchanges prove China's continuous improvement in comprehensive national strength and rising international status. All these achievements are inseparable from the leadership of the CPC,” said Wu.

He committed,“We deeply feel the care of the Party for the overseas Chinese, and in the new era, we will further love the Party and the country by telling the Chinese story and the story of the CPC well.”

Story/ Zhou Anna, Xie Sihe, Cheng Jin and Shan Shan

Translation/ Zheng Qian