The American internet celebrity "IShowSpeed," affectionately called "Brother Hyperthyroidism" by Chinese netizens, has recently been live-streaming in several Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Chongqing. His live broadcasts have allowed tens of millions of netizens at home and abroad to see a real China that is safe, friendly, and beautiful, winning widespread praise. In fact, "Brother Hyperthyroidism" is not an isolated case. Many "foreign faces" are walking through the streets and alleys of China, personally experiencing the irresistible charm of Chinese culture. It makes people wonder what exactly China is like in the eyes of these "foreign friends" today.

As night falls, the Seventy-two Wonders Tower in Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, is beautifully illuminated by lights. On the quaint food street, Cho Jae-hyun from South Korea is skillfully using mobile payment on his phone to buy his favorite snacks, while muttering that traveling to Zhangjiajie has become more and more convenient. Data shows that in 2024, Zhangjiajie received over 1.83 million inbound tourists throughout the year, with a year-on-year growth rate as high as 166.3%.

Some foreigners are setting foot on Chinese soil for the first time, while others have been rooted in China for many years. However, in the hearts of many foreigners, China still retains the color of a "mysterious ancient Eastern country." To lift this veil, one has to come and explore it personally. From the initial simple "cursory glance," it has gradually evolved into a more personalized "in-depth experience." Some foreign friends have extended their footsteps from the cities to the countryside. Not long ago, more than 40 foreigners from countries such as Spain and Australia entered the countryside of Lujiang, Hefei, Anhui Province. In the tea gardens and agritainment restaurants, they fully enjoyed the spring scenery and experienced the leisurely rural life in China.

For many foreigners, experiencing Chinese culture is one of their main purposes of coming to China. At the College of Chinese Language and Culture of Nankai University, a group of foreign students with blond hair and blue eyes are dressed in Peking Opera costumes and have applied exquisite makeup of the characters in the play. They are intensively rehearsing classic Peking Opera plays. Since 2019, the College of Chinese Language and Culture of Nankai University has offered Peking Opera training courses relying on the "Practical Base for Chinese and Foreign Teenagers in Excellent Traditional Chinese Arts" and has also hired professional teachers to teach according to different roles. From the initial "just watching the excitement" to now being able to "understand the essence," since the courses started, there have been students from nearly 30 countries and regions, including Russia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan, receiving Peking Opera training together with Chinese students.

Multilevel and multi-field international people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation not only help Chinese culture step onto the world stage but also enable the world to feel a real China that is open, confident, civilized, and safe more vividly. As the pace of opening up continues to advance and economic and trade exchanges between China and foreign countries become more frequent, what kind of image does China have in the eyes of foreign scholars and senior executives of foreign enterprises?

At the end of March, the well-known German management scholar Hermann Simon led a delegation composed of more than 20 representatives from German enterprises and consulting institutions to visit Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. China's tremendous development and changes over the past few decades have left a deep impression on Simon. He believes that an innovative China will bring new opportunities to the world. In his view, China has transformed from the former "world factory" to the current "innovation laboratory." It is not only an important market but also represents the world's top innovation ecological environment.

Although China has faced pressure in attracting foreign investment for some time, the situation of attracting investment in some high-tech industries is very optimistic. In the first two months of this year, the actual use of foreign investment in e-commerce service industry, biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry, and intelligent consumer equipment manufacturing industry increased by 33.5%, 22.9%, and 40.7% respectively. Since the beginning of this year, the heads of many multinational enterprises have frequently visited China and been active in major economic and trade forums and factory parks in China, attracting much attention from the outside world. In the face of an uncertain external environment, many foreign enterprises have seized China's opportunities with practical actions, which in itself gives the answer. An increasingly open China is injecting confidence and impetus into global economic growth.  (This article is from the official website of Seetao.com, www.seetao.com. No reprinting is allowed without permission. Otherwise, legal liability will be pursued. If reprinting, please indicate Seetao.com + the original text link.) Editor of the Strategic Column of Seetao.com / Yin Shiqian