Iranian Delegation’s Tour of Beijing: Exploring Green Technology and Climbing the Great Wall

At the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), which celebrates its 70^th anniversary this year, a delegation of the Iran-China Friendship Association took a tour of Beijing from October 10 to 11. The delegation visited two environmentally friendly companies, had an exchange of views with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), and climbed the Juyongguan Great Wall. Members of the delegation described the trip as activity-packed and rewarding.

The first leg of the tour included Haidian UZON Incineration Plant and Haidian Daoxiang Sewage Treatment Plant under Beijing Enterprises Group, an institutional director of the BPAFFC. At the incineration plant, the delegation was amazed at the scene of a crane grabbing 10 tons of waste at a time from a mountain of garbage. After learning that the waste can be recycled, they curiously inquired as to how much electricity can be generated per ton of waste. The delegation also visited the control rooms of the two plants, where they learned about system operations and equipment workflows. Noting that Iran has an enormous demand for environmental protection solutions, especially waste disposal solutions, the members looked forward to promoting cooperation with relevant Beijing-based enterprises after returning to their country.

The delegation visited CCG, also an institutional director of the BPAFFC, on the second leg of their tour. Mr. Liu Hong, Deputy Director and senior researcher of CCG, introduced the think tank’s key research outcomes. The members of the delegation said that Iran is working to train outstanding college students, and hoped that these students could get internships at global think tanks like CCG to prepare for the future.

On the final leg of the tour, the Iranian friends went to the Juyongguan Great Wall. Bathed in the warm glow of the autumn sun, they climbed up the steps of the Great Wall, achieving the “ambition” of being a “hero” – it has been widely known among them that “You are not a hero until you climb the Great Wall” (attributed to Chairman Mao Zedong). Saeed Madani, a member of the delegation, recalled his visit to Juyongguan when he was ten years old. He said that although tremendous changes have taken place in China over the years, the core values of Chinese culture have remained unchanged. “The Chinese people, as always, are so diligent, kind, and hardworking,” he remarked.

During their short stay in Beijing, the members of the visiting delegation were all impressed by the hospitality of the Chinese people and the bustling yet orderly cityscape of the capital. They were reluctant to say goodbye to Beijing, looking forward to seeing Chinese friends in Iran soon.