Zhang Qian

zhqcindy@163.com

IN Ugne Urnieziute’s eyes, Chinese cities are changing so fast that she hardly recognizes them each time she comes back to the country. For her sixth trip to China, she is here to join a training project to learn more about Chinese cultures and expand relations with Chinese companies.

The program Urnieziute is participating in is called “C Blue” and was developed by China Merchants Port Holdings Co. Ltd., in response to the Belt & Road Initiative.

This year’s four-week training camp, which kicked off in October, is the second since its initial launch in September 2016.

The China Merchants Charitable Foundation, under China Merchants Port or CMPort, sponsored 29 current employees at various port-related companies and government institutions from 13 Belt & Road countries including Russia, Italy, South Africa and Kenya, to join the training camp.

During their monthlong stay, the 29 selected executives and employees from various sectors will look to gain insight into the nation’s port industry and general economic landscape through lectures, field trips and company tours.

The first two weeks of the training camp was held at Shenzhen Polytechnic, a specialized college located in Nanshan District and a co-organizer of the training program, to equip the trainees with industry-specific expertise as well as an experience of Chinese culture.

After spending the first two weeks at Shenzhen Polytechnic, the trainees will set off for Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Beijing for field studies this Sunday and return to Shekou, Shenzhen, for their last week of on-site training with China Merchants Port.

Urnieziute and her classmates were about to attend their last afternoon lectures on Chinese cultures and economy Thursday when she talked with the Shenzhen Daily.

The Lithuanian national is currently working as a general manager of the China market at a free economic zone near the Nordic Sea. Urnieziute said she has gained profound knowledge about China and the country’s business environment through the program. She will bring the ideas learned in China back to her country and company to push for more cooperation deals with China.

C Blue, which owes its title to the Chinese phrase, “shaping our blue dream,” is expected to “offer foreign countries the environment, resources and platform they need to nurture top leadership talents,” according to the program’s promotional material.

Compared to its 2016 debut, C Blue’s sophomore edition has a more diverse audience as well as more interactive sessions with added cultural experiences. Participants are presented with a training-based curriculum “that covers multiple areas such as port operations, shipping, logistics, accounting, and free-trade zone development, along with special sessions that explore, among other themes, traditional Chinese culture and China’s development history,” said Xiang from Shenzhen Polytechnic.

Speaking at its original opening ceremony last year, Bai Jingtao, managing director of China Merchants Port, foresaw the program’s profound implications when he described it as “the window to the Chinese port industry.”

“C Blue is CMPort’s response to the Belt & Road Initiative introduced by our government,” said Bai. “It highlights a sustainable development strategy focused on the nurturing of international talent.”