Katriena Wong (R) talks with her Chinese colleague at the construction site of Nausori Plaza in Nausori, Fiji, Dec. 20, 2023. TO GO WITH Feature: "I really had wonderful memories of my visits" -- China in eyes of Fijian girl (Photo by Sang Qinlong/Xinhua)
By Guo Xinhui
SUVA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- "The real China that I saw with my own eyes was so different from what the Western media had been portraying for years," Katriena Wong, a Fijian girl who once studied in China for five years, told Xinhua in an interview.
Awarded a Chinese government scholarship in 2013, Wong studied Mandarin at Central China Normal University in Wuhan for a year, and then went to northern Shijiazhuang City and got her bachelor's degree in law at Hebei University of Economics and Business in 2018.
"China was so vibrant and full of energy," Wong recalled. "What really struck me was the sheer scale of its infrastructure: glitzy skyscrapers, airports, malls, super efficient transportation services and convenient mobile payments."
Before coming to China, most of the information about the country Wong received was mainly through the English language mainstream media, which "used to show China as something rural," the Fijian girl said, adding she was even told that people can't practice their religion in China.
"I was pleasantly surprised," The girl said. "I saw so many mosques, temples and churches in China. I saw many other nationalities who were practicing their religion. It's very free and very open. So I think those thoughts should be put aside now."
The Fijian girl has visited a lot of places during her stay in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, where she was impressed by the culture, friendly people, landscapes, safety, and the feeling of being welcomed and respected.
"I really had wonderful memories of my visits, and I always feel nostalgic about them sometimes," Wong said.
The outstanding thing that she really loves about China, Wong emphasized, is that the country is extremely safe even at 2 a.m. in less populated areas. The streets are nice and clean. Every city has so many big and beautiful parks for its people. "Though the cities are full of modern buildings, nature is always there," she said.
And the hospital procedure is quite simple, even for a foreigner. There are a lot of instructions in English, which are very helpful, she added.
"We can learn a lot more from China, and we also hope to bring the good things we have learned back to Fiji and implement them in our society and to modernize our own country," the girl said.
Now employed as a manager at the Chinese-owned Dingjin Real Estate Development Company, Wong is in charge of Nausori Plaza, one of the largest projects that Dingjin has invested in Fiji. It is also the largest mall in Nausori region, which will cater to the three bordering provinces.
Chinese education is hard, but the quality is high, Wong said. "It really prepares you well when you enter the job market."
The girl told Xinhua that she felt very grateful to the Chinese government for providing her scholarship to get a better education in China.
According to Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Zhou Jian, around 300 Fijian students have studied in China under the Chinese government scholarship scheme since 1996.
Zhou said the Fijian people are getting more interested in learning about China. So far this year, many Fijian cabinet ministers, members of the parliament, government officials, entrepreneurs, youth and students have traveled to China for visits, training, business or study.
They told the ambassador that the trip had changed their previous perception of China.
"If you have never been to China, you should come to visit. It is the only way you will know what China truly is," Wong said. ■
