World Cup in Qatar: “Chinese elements” are like a sky full of stars
On November 17, the two giant pandas “Jingjing” and “Sihai” from China officially met with the public at the Khor Panda House in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The picture shows the giant panda “Sihai”.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xiao Yijiu
Before the opening of the Qatar World Cup in 2022, the foreign trade orders of flags, footballs, jerseys and other products in Yiwu International Trade City have increased significantly. The picture shows that on October 31, merchants purchased footballs in Yiwu International Trade City. Photo by Gong Xianming (People’s Photo)
The quadrennial football carnival has begun! On November 20, the 2022 Qatar World Cup kicks off. On the same day, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister and spokesperson Hua Chunying posted 8 consecutive tweets on Twitter, introducing the “Chinese elements that can be seen everywhere” of the World Cup with pictures and texts. From venues, referees, peripheral products, sponsors to the “cutest messenger” giant panda, as Chinese Ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian said, “Chinese elements” are like stars in the sky, shining brilliantly in this World Cup.
The ubiquitous Chinese elements in this World Cup have also attracted widespread attention from netizens. “Passion”, “creativity”, “hard power”, “wisdom”, “friendship”… These have become hot words in the comments on social networking sites.
Chinese construction is trustworthy
On the Qatari riyal banknotes, there is a shape composed of two traditional Arabic art elements, the Fanal lantern and the date bowl. This is the largest stadium in Qatar, the Lusail Stadium. The stadium, which will host the 2022 Qatar World Cup final, was built by China Railway Construction International Group, with more than a thousand Chinese participating in the construction.
The WeChat public account “Xinhua News Agency” article “Finals, made in China!” “Introduction, looking at the Lussel Stadium from a distance, its overall shape is saddle-shaped, with a wavy membrane structure, the outer curtain wall is made of copper-colored round glass, and with internal lights, it makes it extraordinarily bright at night, like a desert in the desert. Only “big golden bowl”.
Considering the local hot weather, this stadium has air-conditioning vents under every seat. The Chinese chief engineer Li Bai said proudly: “The Lusail Stadium is the first time that a Chinese company has participated in the construction of a professional football field with the highest standards of FIFA as a general contractor for design and construction; it is also the first time that a Chinese company has carried out the design and construction task of the World Cup main stadium. ; it is currently the largest professional venue with the largest number of people built overseas by Chinese companies.”
Netizens also noticed that for football matches, lawn maintenance is very important, and the irrigation and maintenance of the lawn of this World Cup football field is provided by China’s Ningxia University.
According to Ningxia News, the R&D team of the School of Resources and Environment of Ningxia University has spent 11 years developing underground infiltration irrigation technology. Through the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, Ningxia University reached a cooperation agreement with Qatar Nass Group and Huaxin Guolian (Beijing) Enterprise Management Co., Ltd. This energy-saving irrigation technology was used in the Qatar World Cup greening project. Different from the above-ground operations of drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation, this technology uses wind energy and solar power to generate water, and carries out intelligent control throughout the whole process through the Internet of Things technology. It is in line with Qatar’s vision of achieving sustainable development.
Whether it is construction equipment or manufacturing technology; whether it is a Chinese design unit or a professional construction company, every detail of the Lusail Stadium demonstrates Chinese wisdom. In terms of hardware construction, Chinese companies also participated in the construction of several other World Cup stadiums, and the container houses used in the “Fans Village” also came from China. Chinese companies have provided more than 10,000 container houses for the World Cup in Qatar, mainly from Guangdong and Zhejiang. Qatar is very satisfied with the quality of the container houses produced in China.
The 800MW photovoltaic power station in Alcazar, undertaken by China, is the first solar power station in Qatar. According to the WeChat public account “Power China Guizhou Engineering Co., Ltd.”, the Alcazar 800 MW photovoltaic power station was constructed by the general contractor of Power China Guizhou Engineering Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Power China. The power station is Qatar’s first non-fossil fuel power station and one of the largest photovoltaic power stations in the Middle East. It is expected to provide Qatar with regarding 1.8 billion kWh of clean electricity every year, meeting the annual electricity consumption of regarding 300,000 households and reducing emissions every year About 900,000 tons of carbon dioxide.
The completion and commissioning of this photovoltaic power station is a milestone for the development of Qatar’s new energy industry. Li Jun, the on-site construction manager of PowerChina Guizhou Engineering Company, said: “The 800 MW photovoltaic area of this project all uses Chinese equipment, which accounts for more than 60% of the total investment, which further enhances the market share of domestic brands in the Middle East. It has given full play to the advantages of the integration of the entire industrial chain and created a good overseas image of Chinese enterprises.”
Netizens left a message: “‘Chinese design’ propped up the ‘reinforced iron frame’ of the Qatar World Cup main stadium, like it!” “I am very proud to think that the champion team will win the Hercules Cup in a stadium built in China!”
“Made in China” wins respect
Watching the World Cup, creating a lively atmosphere and feeling full of passion, of course, a wide variety of peripheral products are indispensable. Many netizens who went to Qatar to watch the World Cup game posted videos on social networks. Whether it was the bed sheets and quilt covers in the hotel they stayed in, or the pillows they bought, hand-waving flags…all of them were “Made in China”, which made people feel very cordial. Netizens said, “Made in China” is great!
Xinhuanet’s article “Seventy percent of Qatar World Cup peripheral products are made in Yiwu” describes this way: In Doha, when you walk into one of the largest official licensed product retail stores for this World Cup, you will be greeted with a strong football atmosphere. The huge game ball model and mascot showed sweet smiles, and customers took pictures one following another. Next to the shelves, fans, tourists, and local people are carefully selecting, and there are a variety of products: clothes, hats, footballs, bags, scarves, bracelets, water cups, badges, hanging ornaments, mascots, stationery… If you look closely at the product labels, you will not be surprised. Most of them are “Made in China”.
“Seeing that these products from China are loved by fans all over the world, I feel very proud.” said Yu Yilian, a Chinese who works as a volunteer in a licensed merchandise retail store.
According to the estimation of Yiwu Sporting Goods Association, from World Cup balls to fan horns; from team jerseys to Hercules Cup decorations and top 32 flags…”Made in Yiwu” has accounted for 70% of the market share of the entire World Cup peripheral products .
People’s Daily Online article “”Made in China” shines brilliantly in Qatar World Cup” inventory: In terms of communication guarantee, the stadium communication facilities and the network equipment of the joint command and control center are all “Made in China”; in terms of water supply guarantee, Qatar has 5 The site will build 15 super-large reservoirs, which are still supported by “Made in China”; in the field of transportation, Chinese companies have successfully won the bid for the Qatar World Cup service vehicle project, and Qatar imported regarding 1,500 buses from China, including 888 pure electric buses , The pure electric bus made in China will be used as a shuttle bus to transport officials, media staff and fans to and from the stadium; as for the official World Cup merchandise store, most of the jerseys, hats, backpacks, etc. of various countries are also produced in China… The article points out: a A series of high-tech and systematic solutions have demonstrated the advanced position of “Made in China” in the global industrial chain and won the attention and respect of the world.
Netizens left a message saying: “This World Cup in Qatar, ‘Made in China’ is full of participation!” “China’s new development will provide new opportunities for the world!” “‘Made in China’, which contains Chinese wisdom, will make inexhaustible contributions to the development of the world kinetic energy.”
Overseas fans of Chinese pandas
During the World Cup, a pair of surprises from China also attracted the attention of the world. According to People’s Daily Online, on October 19 local time, Chinese giant pandas “Sihai” and “Jingjing” arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, from Sichuan, China by special plane. According to the giant panda conservation and research cooperation agreement reached between China and Qatar, these two pandas will live in Qatar for the next 15 years. This is the first pair of giant pandas welcomed in the Middle East.
Out of love for Chinese giant pandas, Qatar named “Jingjing” and “Sihai” respectively “Suhaier” and “Soraya” in Arabic. In Arabic traditional culture, “Sohair” and “Soraya” are two stars in the sky, representing auspiciousness, nobility and infinite value.
In order to welcome the two “VIPs”, Qatar invested in building a Giant Panda Pavilion with complete functions. “Jingjing” and “Sihai” respectively have an air-conditioned sports field, an indoor exhibition hall, and an independent “bedroom”. In order to ensure the breeding, food supply, and medical safety of giant pandas, there are also nursery rooms, treatment rooms, food preparation rooms, bamboo fresh-keeping rooms, and safety monitoring rooms. In addition, the museum employs a number of breeders and veterinarians who have experience in taking care of pandas. Two breeders and a veterinarian from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda also came to Qatar to accompany them through the transition period.
Over the past month, giant pandas have adapted well in Qatar, and they can eat bamboo from Sichuan, as well as supplementary food such as cornmeal cakes. “Jingjing” gained regarding 3 kilograms, and “Sihai” also gained more than 3 kilograms. In order for the national treasure to understand, the panda breeders in Qatar had to learn Sichuan dialect first.
On November 17, “Jingjing” and “Sihai” met with the public for the first time. When a Xinhua reporter from Sichuan tried to summon the panda in his native dialect, Four Seas also responded in the dialect. This video was shared on social networks, and netizens commented and liked it one following another: “The national treasure is also going to watch the World Cup”, “My heart is so cute”, “People all over the world love our giant pandas, and giant pandas also bear the weight of the Chinese people.” Best wishes for the Qatar World Cup”.
CCTV news client article comment: Small commodities have a big market, big projects take the lead, and “Made in China” has the temperature and kinetic energy of innovation. Get “likes” in overseas markets, and realize the “dual output” of China’s material and spiritual culture in the convergence of global vision. Every design that adheres to green and low carbon, and every project that embodies ingenuity is telling a story of people-to-people bond. . (Our reporter Ye Zi)
“People’s Daily Overseas Edition” (Version 05, November 25, 2022)
