"I see a very prosperous future between Nepal and China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," said Bharat Khanal, Consul General of Nepal in Guangzhou.
"Success forever, two nations," noted Bekar Mikaberidze, founder of Georgian One Belt One Road Business House.
Such auspicious wishes came from a book-sharing session for We Are Walking on the Silk Road held in Guangzhou on August 27, the opening day of the 2026 Southern China Book Fair.
Copies of We Are Walking on the Silk Road are displayed at a booth in Guangzhou on August 27, 2026 (South Photo)
The event was jointly organized by China International Book Trading Corporation and Guangdong Radio and Television, and hosted by the program team of Silk Road Story on Guangdong Satellite TV.
Xie Yifei, author of We Are Walking on the Silk Road and producer of the program, detailed the origin of the book. It was crafted by her team, which traveled to more than 70 cities and regions over eight years and turned materials from visits and interviews with more than 200 groups of people into a literary narrative of 42 stories from BRI-participating countries.
"Whether young or old, regardless of the skin color or where they come from, people who encounter the stories in the book will find something that resonates with them," Xie added.
Xie Yifei (L2) introduces the other three authors of the book in Guangzhou on August 27, 2026.
As one of the protagonists in the book, Mikaberidze from Georgia recalled his ties with the Silk Road. His father had a special connection with China and encouraged him from a young age to study Chinese culture and history.
When he was 16 or 17, Mikaberidze's father sent him to China to study Chinese medicine, especially acupuncture. In the end, however, the young Georgian did not study acupuncture, but earned a master's degree in business management from Tianjin University.
Mikaberidze has since developed his business platform in China. Georgian One Belt One Road Business House has a representative office in Guangzhou where people can experience Georgian culture.
"We introduce the Chinese people and consumers to our cultural tourism sites, products, distinctive cuisine and unique wines. After these exchanges, Chinese people may visit Georgia and experience the country firsthand," he told a South reporter.
After listening to many stories such as Mikaberidze's, as one of the invited foreign guests of the event, Emilio de Miguel Calabia, Consul General of Spain in Guangzhou, summed up this relationship in a single word: "discovery".
Emilio de Miguel Calabia speaks to reporters in Guangzhou on August 27, 2026.
Because of his post, Calabia has access to many companies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He has seen many fields in which Spain could help boost countries along the BRI.
For instance, he highlighted the possibilities for cultural cooperation. There is the Maritime Silk Road Museum of Guangdong, which commemorates a ship that sank during the Song Dynasty. In Spain, there is also the Naval Museum in Madrid.
"I think of it, for instance, as an aspect of cultural events where we could cooperate," added Calabia.
Correspondingly, Bharat Khanal, Consul General of Nepal in Guangzhou, called for tangible cooperation and meaningful outcomes between China and Nepal, and for sustained efforts by both countries to advance Belt and Road cooperation across the region.
"Many of our stories are told by framing a broad context through a small incision," said Li Yili, co-author of the book and executive director of the TV program. "For our creative team, the process of creating the book is a journey of discovering ourselves, the world and all living beings," she commented.
Reporter | Zhang Ruijun
Script | Zhang Ruijun
Photos | Guangdong Satellite TV
