Insights | Building exchange platform helps deepen the West's understanding of China: Danish sinologist

By Wang Fengping

(ECNS) -- The visa-free policy, a tangible move of China in advancing high-level opening-up, has injected new impetus into the exchanges between China and the world. In an exclusive interview with China News Network, Carsten B. Thøgersen, Danish sinologist and former Consul-General of Denmark in Shanghai, said that China's door is always wide open to welcome everyone to visit and have a dialogue.

To promote cultural exchanges, it is key to building an effective platform for dialogues, Thøgersen said.

As China's visa-free "circle of friends" continues to expand this year, more and more foreign tourists are drawn to the country by its cultural charm. As a sinologist, Thøgersen is also very keen on Chinese culture. He now also serves as the foreign dean of Copenhagen Business Confucius Institute.

From his perspective, when tourists visit a country, cultural exchange starts. “I will not suggest specific topics for communication. They could talk about everything, because is the platform of exchange, I think, which is important,” he said.

During the past 50 years, Thøgersen has witnessed tremendous socioeconomic changes in China.

When foreign people come to China for the first time, they are shocked, as they had imaged it to be much like it was 50 years ago, he said.

To improve foreigners’ understanding of China, he pointed out that they need to come to China to see for themselves, to meet Chinese people and to speak with them.

In 2021, he published an article about why the West must understand the real China, in which he stressed that the West should deepen its understanding of China and maintain close communication with China.

“I hope more tourists will come to China and meet Chinese people. When they meet each other, they will have their dialogues and understand China much better,” he concluded.