On the morning of October 8, 2018, Prof. Tao Yitao, director of the China Center for Special Economic Zone Research (CCSEZR), Shenzhen University (SZU) - a key research base of humanities and social science under the Ministry of Education, and also director of the Belt and Road Research Institute (Shenzhen) for International Cooperation and Development (BRRIICD), visited the Europe-China One Belt One Road (OBOR) Culture & Tourism Development Committee in EU headquarters in Brussels after receiving the invitation of Ujhelyi Istvan, member of European Parliament, vice-chair of the European Parliament's Transport and Tourism Committee, chairman of the Europe-China OBOR Culture & Tourism Development Committee and vice chairman of the Hungarian Socialist Party.
Europe-China OBOR Culture & Tourism Development Committee is a semi-official organization established under the EU framework in Brussels on April 27, 2016. It aims to further promote the broad recognition, understanding, support and response of the "Belt and Road Initiative" in Europe and build a shared communication platform for politicians, business people and professionals who are committed to promoting China-EU relations.
Mr. Ujhelyi has long been committed to China-Europe friendship and has visited China for dozens of times. He has met with China's party and government leaders in China and Hungary and has participated in many important decisions on China-EU cooperation. After the Ya'an earthquake in 2013, he invited 50 children from disaster-affected areas to Hungary for recuperation and study in his own name. Mr. Ujhelyi has also visited many major universities in China to promote the exchanges and cooperation at all levels of education between China and Europe.
Chairman Ujhelyi Istvan extended a warm welcome to Prof. Tao Yitao's visit and the two sides held talks amid a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Prof. Tao Yitao first introduced the situation of the CCSEZR, Shenzhen University - a key research base of humanities and social science under the Ministry of Education and the BRRIICD. Prof. Tao said that the CCSEZR is the only academic institute focusing on special economic zone (SEZ) issues among key research institutes of humanities and social science of the Ministry of Education in China. The CCSEZR have been devoted to the SEZ study for more than 20 years and has published the Annual Report on the Development of China's Special Economic Zones (Blue Book) for 12 consecutive years. It also founds Studies on China's Special Economic Zones, the only bilingual academic journal in China focusing on SEZ issues. The English versions of the blue book and the academic journal are published by Springer. The CCSEZR has established the "World Special Economic Zone Development Forum", an academic brand with domestic and international clout. Currently, the forum has been successfully held for 19 times in China's typical "5+2" SEZs, Vietnam and Russian Far East. The CCSEZR has produced a number of academic achievements that exert certain influence in and outside of China in summarizing and introducing the successful experience of China's SEZs, exploring the path of China's social system changes and disseminating what China's path is about.
Prof. Tao then describes the situation about BRRIICD to Chairman Ujhelyi. The BRRIICD is an independent non-profit organization that aims to serve the "Belt and Road Initiative" and promote the realization of facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade and financial integration as well as common prosperity. By adhering to the principle of "serving the country, independent views, international vision, academic openness, thought tolerance and cultural respect", the BRRIICD has been advancing in an innovative manner since its inception. The BRRIICD has established relationships with many foreign universities, think tanks and international cooperation organizations and created the "Belt and Road Think Tank Alliance", the "Belt and Road University President Alliance" and the "Belt and Road Artist Alliance". It has also established a training mechanism for officials and CEOs of the countries along the Belt and Road Initiative to share successful experience, planning and management regarding China's SEZs and set up the "Belt and Road Scholarship and Grants" and the "Belt and Road Postdoctoral Visiting Fellowship". The projects carried out by the BRRIICD have attracted the attention of International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, exerting certain influence in the countries along the Belt and Road route.
Chairman Ujhelyi said that the "Belt and Road Initiative" will strengthen China's links with Hungary and Europe and create valuable opportunities for common development and cultural sharing. As an increasing number of Hungarians are learning Chinese, cultural exchanges between Europe and China and their tourism development are also booming.
At the symposium, Prof. Tao Yitao sent the new book Special Economic Zones and China’s Path to Chairman Ujhelyi. Chairman Ujhelyi highly praised and showed strong interest in the successful experience of China's SEZs and the achievements of China's 40-year reform and opening-up. Finally, the two sides reached a preliminary intention for further cooperation.
