'Shenzhen Story' promoted at Silk Road Friendship Award Ceremony in Central Asian city

The Fifth Silk Road Friendship Award Ceremony was held in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, drawing more than 200 government officials and distinguished guests.

A poster for Shenzhen's promotion session at the "Silk Road Friendly Cities" promotion session during the Fifth Silk Road Friendship Award Ceremony held in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday. Photos from WeChat official account "直新闻"

Shenzhen was invited to showcase itself at the newly introduced "Silk Road Friendly Cities" promotion session during the award ceremony at the Abdylas Maldybaev National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The Shenzhen delegation elaborated on the "Shenzhen Story" Global City Civilization Exchange Program and extended a warm invitation to all participants for the upcoming APEC summit meetings in Shenzhen.

Kyrgyz government officials, the minister-counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, representatives from local economic, trade, and cultural sectors, as well as representatives of Chinese enterprises operating in Kyrgyzstan attended the promotion session.

Zeng Xianglai, executive deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC, delivers a speech at the event. 

A promotional video showcasing Shenzhen's dynamic urban landscape captivated both local and international guests at the venue. In his address, Zeng Xianglai, executive deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC, highlighted that Shenzhen has woven a dense network of Silk Road connectivity through its comprehensive transport channels, consolidated the foundation for mutual benefit through technological innovation, and built bridges for people-to-people exchanges.

Salkyn Sarnogoeva, deputy minister of culture, information, sports and youth policy of Kyrgyzstan, at an interview with journalists from Shenzhen. 

Salkyn Sarnogoeva, deputy minister of culture, information, sports and youth policy of Kyrgyzstan, noted in an interview that the promotional event provided Kyrgyzstan with an excellent opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Shenzhen's development potential. She expressed her belief that many of Shenzhen's successful development experiences could serve as valuable references for Kyrgyzstan.

Sharing a similar sentiment, Nazgul Omurzakova, director of the National Historical Museum of Kyrgyzstan, highlighted that Shenzhen and Bishkek are sister cities. She expressed hope that the two cities could strengthen cooperation in the field of museums, noting that the expertise of Chinese museum professionals is highly valuable and extremely instructive for them.

A dedicated Shenzhen technology and culture exhibition area was set up inside the classical theater. The exhibition featured more than 20 cutting-edge technological products from Shenzhen, alongside a miniature model displaying the city's green energy initiatives.

The exhibition also featured a photo album of the acclaimed Shenzhen dance drama "Wing Chun," which sparked immense interest among the theater's management and Kyrgyz performing arts professionals. Nurbek Abdyraimov, deputy technical director of the national theater, expressed his expectations and hopes for "Wing Chun" to be performed in Kyrgyzstan in the future.

A guest experiences a tech product on display in the dedicated Shenzhen technology and culture exhibition area. 

Meanwhile, high-tech products manufactured in Shenzhen, such as exoskeleton robots, bionic dexterous hands, and AI learning cameras, attracted many guests who were eager to try them out. Abdurakhman Matraimov, representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan in China, tried on smart glasses at the venue and praised Shenzhen's technological products as "world No. 1." Other attendees who tested the exoskeleton robots and bionic hands gave thumbs-up to praise Shenzhen's innovation capabilities.

Since its inception in 2020 jointly by China International Culture Exchange Center, People's Daily and Global People Magazine House, the Silk Road Friendship Award Ceremony has been held for four editions and has gradually grown into a flagship cultural exchange event under the Belt and Road Initiative.