Daniel Alvarez

I have lived in China for just over five years now and when I look back at the reasons that brought me here, I remember mostly that I was looking forward to being a part of the vibrant and relentless development that was (and still is) taking place in this fast-paced and yet traditional country.

“Why China?!”,was what people kept asking me when I first told them I was planning to come here to study and work. The question was asked with as much surprise as skepticism since in the West, China is still regarded by most as a strange, different, and exotic place where you go for adventure, not for study and even less in search for a job.

Strangely, people don’t seem to notice that although it is not yet an innovation or technological powerhouse, China has already has a very advanced economy: it has invested greatly in education and new technologies, it has developed the ability to quickly adapt to market conditions, it has modernized its industries, and perhaps more importantly, it has begun to spread its cultural and economic influence all over the world, welcoming the world and becoming a trailblazer for pathways to cooperation.

From where I stood, these were great reasons to drop the skepticism and embrace the fact that China has its significant share of things to teach, and that’s why after more than 5 years I’m still in love with my life here and I’m glad to be making a contribution -no matter how small- to the integration of China with other cultures, worldviews and economies. The Belt & Road initiative has interested me precisely for these reasons: because it has allowed me to feel that everyone can play a role in the development of a more integrated world economy and I’m deeply thankful to have been given the chance to be a first-hand witness of the astonishing changes that are taking place here and which hopefully will bring new opportunities for everybody no matter where they are, as long as they are willing to integrate into other cultures, as I like to believe I have.