Top Ten Achievements Unveiled for the 40th Anniversary of Opening up of Changchun City to the Outside World Unveiled

Updated : 2019-01-23Source : CCFAO
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To commemorate the 40th anniversary of opening up, Changchun Foreign Affairs Office (CCFAO), CNS Jilin, CNJIWANG.COM and IFENG.COM JILIN jointly organized the selection of top ten achievements in opening up of Changchun City to the outside world, and the result of the selection was unveiled Tuesday afternoon on January 22, 2019.


“Top Ten” Selected out of 50 plus Achievements
The effort is meant to publicize the tremendous changes that have taken place in various fields and to fully demonstrate the achievements Changchun has made over the past 40 years of opening up to the outside world.
The selection was divided into four stages, that is, solicitation, preliminary selection, expert review and media publicity. Through the media and the website of CCFAO, more than 50 achievements were solicited, and ten of them reached the final round, including 1 theoretical achievement, 2 industrial achievements, 2 cultural achievements, 2 sports achievement, 2 international exchange achievements and 1 international exhibition achievement, which comprehensively reflected the outstanding achievements Changchun had made over the past 40 years.


The “Top Ten Achievements”
1. FAW-Volkswagen, Pioneer of China’s Industrial Opening up

The FAW-Volkswagen Co., Ltd. was jointly established by FAW Group, Volkswagen, Audi Automobile and Volkswagen (China) Investment Co., Ltd. on February 6, 1991,  which broke the economic blockade imposed by the West at that time, set a precedent for joint ventures of large state-owned enterprises of China, became a role model in the opening up of Chinese industry to the outside world, fully improved the development level of China’s automobile industry, and promoted the realization of Chinese families’ ownership.


2. Quality Products Serving the Whole World—High-speed Trains of Changchun Railway Vehicles
The CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd. is an internationally renowned enterprise independently cultivated and created by China. On the basis of introducing, digesting and absorbing foreign countries’ advanced technologies, Changchun Railway Vehicles has independently innovated and developed the world’s fastest high-speed trains, the best urban rails and the most optimized subways, with 8,900 vehicles of different kinds sold to more than 20 countries and regions including the United States, Australia, Brazil, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Ethiopia and Hong Kong. It has three R&D bases and regional centers covering more than 30 market regions around the world, thereby becoming an important contributor to the realization of high-speed trains and urban subways of China, and also a “bright business card” for the Made in China to reach out to the world.


3.Role Model in Local China-Japan Friendly Exchanges—Cooperation of Changchun City
The establishment of nongovernmental friendship and local friendly relations promoted the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations. The friendly exchanges between Changchun and Japan played an important role in the development of friendly relationship between China and Japan. Promoted by the Japanese friends and the friendly associations, the China-Japan Friendship Water Purification Plant, a modern project assisted by the Japanese government, was established in Changchun on February 6, 1991. It was China’s first public welfare project aided by a foreign country and thus became a symbol of China-Japan friendship. In addition, such establishments in Changchun City also cover the China-Japan Friendship Hospital of Jilin University, the China-Japan Friendship Clubhouse, and the joint venture between FAW and its Japanese counterparts.
Since opening to the outside world, Changchun has received 10 ODA projects and 10 small-scale free aid projects totaling RMB640 million from Japan.


4. Reunion of Asian Sports Families—The 6th Asian Winter Games in Changchun City
The 6th Asian Winter Games was held in Changchun City from January 28 to February 4, 2007. The Olympic committees of 45 countries and regions signed up for the event with a total registered number of 3,071 people, the largest of its kind in the history of winter sport of Asia and the first reunion for all the members of the Asian Olympic Council. In the speed skating and short track speed skating competitions, 49 athletes from five teams of three countries set a record of breaking 12 Asian records for 66 times in the history of Asian Winter Games. The team of China consisting of 261 participants (160 athletes), the largest delegation of its kind, participated in all five major sports, 10 disciplines and 47 events. Among them, 7 speed skaters broke 6 Asian records for 11 times, and 6 short track speed skaters broke 5 Asian records for 20 times. For the cross-country skiing and snowboarding, the best ever results were made. Of the total 19 gold medals, 11 were on ice games and 8 on snow ones. Compared with the previous five Asian Winter Games, Team China won 11 gold medals of the total 26 on ice games, accounting for 42%, and 8 gold medals of the total 21 on snow games, accounting for 38%, the largest number of its kind compared with that in previous editions. The number of audiences attracted to the Asian Winter Games exceeded 200,000 people.


5. Strategic Thinking of Urban Development—Building a Regional Central City in Northeast Asia
The proposal of building a regional central city in Northeast Asia is from the perspective of “reaching out to the world”, which is a development strategy focusing on internationalization and future development of the city. It has planned the international regional orientation, and defined the specific functions of Changchun City in serving the international region. The concept, basic theory and index system of building a regional central city in Northeast Asia have become the theoretical achievement of Changchun City in opening up. These achievements will lead the city’s international development direction for economy, society and culture, and drive the formation of the industrial plates to serve the region, thereby becoming the guide for the future development of Changchun City.


6. International Skiing Event—China Changchun Jingyue Lake Vasaloppet International Skiing Festival
The Vasaloppet race, the largest of its kind around the world, is a famous cross-country skiing event originated from northern Europe. It has nurtured two Olympic champions and many other world title winners, and thus promoted the development of winter tourism in northern Europe. Changchun Municipal People’s Government and Nordic Ways jointly introduced the event into Changchun City on March 15, 2003. It has become one of the most successful cases introduced as an international traditional event into China, and meanwhile one of the most popular events among ice and snow sport fans around the world. It has served as a platform for Chinese skiers to learn and improve their kills, promoted the development of ice and snow sport and winter tourism of Changchun City, and thus made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and popularization of skiing due to which Changchun has become the most popular tourist destination for winter sport in China. The event has now officially joined the Worldloppet and entered the stage of cross-country skiing of the world. Over the past 17 years, more than 600,000 skiers and fans from 35 countries have participated in the activity series of Vasaloppet.


7. Gathering for International Sculpture Art—Changchun World Sculpture Park
The 1st China Changchun International Sculpture Symposium was held successfully in 1997 after which Changchun embarked on the road of a famous international sculpture city. Up to now, 19 international sculpture symposiums have been held successfully. In 2003, the Changchun World Sculpture Park, covering nearly 100 hectares, the largest of its kind in the world, was completed as a home to 840 groups (pieces) of sculptures made by 550 sculptors from 216 countries and regions.
The park won the New China’s Urban Sculpture Construction Achievement Award. It is one of the first key parks and 5A tourist attractions at national level, and also an important platform for sculptors’ exchanges and cooperation around the world. Changchun, as the permanent host city of the World Sculpture Congress, has become an internationally renowned city of sculptures.


8. Contributor to the Internationalization of Film Industry of China—Films of Changchun City
The Changchun Film Festival, founded in 1992, is China’s first International film festival at national level named after a city. Some 500 foreign films participated and competed in the previous 14 film festivals of which five films were awarded. More than 110 internationally renowned celebrities have participated in the award evaluation and festival activities. Changchun became a capital city of films known at home and abroad.
The Changchun Film Studio is the pioneer for international film exchanges of New China and also an important promoter for the opening up of Chinese films to the outside world. In 1987, the Dubbed Film Branch of Changchun Film Studio was established under which more than 1,000 foreign films, 200 plus volumes of TV programs, more than 5,000 TV serials and a large number of domestic feature films from more than 40 countries and regions including the United States and Brazil were processed, thereby having made an important contribution to the introduction of international films into China and the reaching out of Chinese film industry to the world.


9. Northeast Asian Exchange and Cooperation Platform—Northeast Asia Expo
The Northeast Asia Expo is a comprehensive national-level international exposition organized for revitalizing the old industrial base and promoting the regional cooperation in Northeast Asia. It is meant to build a long-term competitive, open platform of cooperation and exchanges for mutual benefits and win-win results for China and other countries in the region of Northeast Asia. So far, more than 7,000 enterprises and 700,000 entrepreneurs from more than 130 countries and regions have participated in the previous 11 editions, which has in turn promoted the level Changchun’s opening to the outside world, made the city a contributor to the economic development, cooperation and exchanges in Northeast Asia, expanded the city’s popularity around the world, promoted the development of local economy and thus laid a foundation for the construction of a central city in the region of Northeast Asia.
Hosting such event has promoted the vigorous development of international convention and exhibition industry of Changchun City. The Changchun Automobile Expo, which occupies an important position in international exhibitions, has been held successfully for 15 editions. As one of the most influential automobile expositions in China, it has become an outstanding contributor to the development of automobile industry of China.
Such famous exhibitions as Northeast Asia Expo, Auto Expo, Agriculture Expo, Ice and Snow Expo, Culture Expo, Folk Customs Expo, Building Materials Fair, Creative Industry Expo have jointly constituted a new pattern of international exposition industry of Changchun City. With the titles of “Top Ten National Exhibition Cities”, “Most Influential Exhibition Cities” and “Most Competitive Exhibition Cities”, Changchun has become a truly famous city for international conventions and exhibitions.


10. International Friendship—International Friendship Cities
Changchun has now established friendship city relationships with 20 cities from 19 countries in 4 continents, and friendly and cooperative relations with 50 cities from 27 countries. These cities and other international friendly relations have jointly formed a new pattern for friendship with foreign countries, thereby having the circle of friends of Changchun City expanded all over the world.
Over the past 40 years, 754 exchange groups totaling more than 4,800 people have been sent between Changchun and other friendly cities. Since 2006, Changchun has taken the lead in organizing local citizens to visit friendship cities under which 15 delegations were sent to 19 international friendship cities, which helped consolidate and enhance the friendly relations with Changchun’s friendship cities. With the help of such friendship cities, FAW has promoted the economic and trade relations with Volkswagen, Toyota and other Global 500. A number of international cooperation projects in sport including Vasaloppet and International Sculpture Symposium have been ushered in Changchun, and inter-school cooperation and exchanges among universities, middle schools and primary schools have been made possible. Five international friendship cities including Sendai of Japan, Masterton of New Zealand, Little Rock of the US, Wolfsburg of Germany, Warrnambool of Australia were awarded “Cooperation and Exchanges for Friendship Cities of China” jointly by China International Friendly Cities Federation and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The cooperation and exchanges with these friendship cities have made Changchun reach out to the world and meanwhile made the world know more about the city.