Brazilian journalists tell China's story after visits

Journalists often have a strong sense of curiosity. Such is the case with Helio Rocha, a political analyst at online news portal Brasil 247 and social rights and environment reporter at the magazine Plurale.

"As China began to make deals with Brazil and help this country's economy become profitable, I became interested in China and its international projects like the Belt and Road Initiative," Rocha said.

This year he had the opportunity from April to August to spend four and a half months in China to learn about its culture, economy, politics, history and philosophy at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

"I also traveled to many places like Shanghai, Guangdong, Hebei, Gansu and Shaanxi. Now I have more knowledge about China than any other country in the world (except for Brazil)," he said.

Traveling through China and seeing for himself, he found the trip changed many of his preconceptions and enabled him to see the nation through its rich history and philosophy.

"I learned about China's major philosophies, including Taoism, Confucianism and (the teachings of) Mencius. They provide a basis to study how Western democracy works differently than Chinese democracy. It's a difference in systems of democracy, not a difference of democracy and no democracy. It helps to explain China in many ways," he said.

Rocha said he learned the most about China through visits beyond Beijing－at Wudang Mountain, a sacred site for Taoism, and in meetings with Tibetans in a Tibetan autonomous municipality in Gansu province. Of all the places, he said he appreciated his visit to Yan'an the most. Yan'an is an important former revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China.

"My purpose was to learn the history and culture of China," he said.

"The paper I work for is a left-wing paper. It's good to know how China began its revolution and socialism in the 20th century. All knowledge about that and Taoism and Tibet－everything helps to explain what China is as a country," he said.

Since returning to Brasilia in August, Rocha has published more than a dozen stories to explain many aspects of China, such as land rights and education, at Brasil 247 and Plurale. He is also considering a book project to explain China to younger Brazilians.

"China is a very important country (that) helps solve the economic problems of many countries. China is willing to work with many countries, not imperialistically, but through social cooperation between the people," Rocha said.

Rocha is not the only journalist who is sharing an understanding of China with the Brazilian public.

Fabiana Ceyhan, editor-in-chief of Brasilia in Focus, a monthly publication about diplomacy and foreign affairs, has been interested in China because "we all know that China has been developing fast and ending poverty in a unique economic system that is different from the rest of the world. This made me very curious to understand how things worked in China," she said.

Hu Min, press officer at the Chinese embassy in Brasilia, noticed her interest in China.

"Hu provided me books and materials at one event that we participated in at the beginning of Chinese Spring Festival. After that, I started to learn more and more about China," she said.

In August, Ceyhan visited Beijing and cities in Liaoning province through a foreign journalist program in China.

"I was really surprised with the infrastructure of the country and how China has developed in recent decades. My impression is that people work hard, and Chinese society is a part of their success," Ceyhan said.

She also said she found China's government is trying to do the best for its people. "Western society may criticize the way China governs, but they could not create the same development for their people."