Positive Outcome in Exchanges between Chinese and Belgian Students

From April 8 to 17, students of the Blankenberge, Belgium visited China for the eighth round of exchange with Beijing Space Middle School.

During the nine-day visit, the Belgian students visited the Forbidden City, traditional lanes and alleys known as hutong, had a Chinese language lesson and learned some calligraphy. Furthermore, they enjoyed kite making, painting, and making dumplings. Brecht Willem, who was enthralled with by the activities, said he enjoyed Chinese culture and was impressed with Beijing’s development and the warm enthusiasm of its residents.  Charlotte Petitjean said she would share what she learned and would encourage her relatives and classmates to visit China and Beijing, given its unique charisma, modernity and long cultural history. One Chinese student said, “We hope that in the future we can become the messengers of future China-Belgium exchanges.

The China-Belgian students exchange program was launched in 2012 and has received great support from the Fengtai District Government, the Blankenberge City Government, the member units of the Beijing NGO Network for International Exchanges (Beijing NGO) like the Beijing Sports Federation, and Beijing Space Middle School. To date, there have been more than 250 teachers and students participating in the program. The China-Belgian students exchange program has become a top-notch example of a successful non-governmental engagement work by Beijing NGO.

During their stay in Beijing, Gao Shuangjin , vice president of Beijing NGO, met with the Belgian students delegation.