Guizhou leaves Honduran media delegation in awe

A Honduran media delegation visits Guizhou during the May Day holiday. [Photo by Wang Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A delegation of 14 Honduran media representatives paid a four-day visit to Guizhou recently to witness the province's achievements in high-tech development and infrastructure construction and to study the successful experiences and practices in regional development.

It was the first official Honduran delegation to visit China since the establishment of diplomatic relations in March, marking a good start for the promotion of joint development and strengthening friendship between the two countries.

A Honduran media delegation visits Guizhou during the May Day holiday. [Photo by Wang Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"As we arrived in Guizhou, prosperity can be seen everywhere. That's quite different from the image portrayed by Western media with ideological prejudices," said Carlos Javier Estrada, head of the delegation. Estrada is also deputy minister of the Information Department of the Honduran Presidency and director of the country's National Television station.

Accompanied by workers from the Guiyang Foreign Affairs Office during the May Day holiday, the journalists marveled at the Pingtang Bridge, a 2,135-meter span that won the Gustav Lindenthal Medal. They also visited the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) and the Zunyi Conference site.

Honduran journalists record a tranquil street scene in Huamao village of Zunyi. [Photo by Wang Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

They were struck by the significant changes that have taken place in Guizhou over the past few decades, especially progress in infrastructure construction and cultural and environmental preservation.

"It's really nice to see that Guizhou has balanced the development of infrastructure with the economy and respect for ethnic culture in deep mountainous areas, where fragmented villages are connected with roads, bridges and tunnels," Estrada said.

A Honduran media delegation visits Guizhou during the May Day holiday. [Photo by Wang Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

He added that it's important for many developing countries to provide their villages with electricity, water and roads to eliminate poverty and prosper, without damage to the natural environment.

Guizhou is the only province in China without plains, as 92.5 percent of the land is mountainous, making transportation the biggest obstacle for economic development.

A Honduran media delegation visits Guizhou during the May Day holiday. [Photo by Wang Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Over the past 10 years, Guizhou's expressways have exceeded 8,000 kilometers. All villages have been connected and have started mutual exchanges of needed products.

Guizhou has promoted the application of information technology in the production, processing, sale and source tracing of agricultural products. So far, it has launched more than 100 agricultural modernization projects to promote rural revitalization.

A Honduran media delegation visits Guizhou during the May Day holiday. [Photo by Wang Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Huamao village in Zunyi has integrated democracy and rule of law into rural governance and built itself into a demonstration base for rural tourism in China.

As the Honduran delegation explored the village, journalists recorded the scenery of Huamao, saying it was different from what they thought.

A Honduran media delegation visits Guizhou during the May Day holiday. [Photo by Wang Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Guizhou is a completely different world. Mountains, trees and greenery coexist harmoniously with buildings, bridges and tunnels," said Carlos Mendez, a new media content director in Honduras.

He was amazed at China's rise as he learned about its development experience and said he was honored to be involved in enhancing friendly exchanges between the two countries.

Group photo of Honduran media delegation at the Zunyi Conference site.[Photo by Wang Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Chen Ping, counselor of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Guizhou along with the media delegation.

"Guizhou is no longer the place hidden in the mountains and blocked by poor transportation infrastructure," Chen said. "Through decades of effort, it has continuously made new achievements."

Members of a Honduran media delegation take photos at the Pingtang Bridge observation area. [Photo by Wang Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Chen added that the province has created the "Guizhou model" of experience in regional development, which is of reference value for others globally and has been highly praised by Honduran media.

"Guizhou and Honduras have many similarities. We hope to enhance mutual understanding and friendship through the media and create conditions for further cooperation," Chen said.

Wang Jin and Wang Songsong contributed to this story.