STORY: Western media's reports about China are false: Jordanian writer
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 9, 2023
DATELINE: Jan. 8, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:03
LOCATION: Amman
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of China
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): SAMER KHAIR AHMED, Jordanian writer and expert on Arab-China relations

STORYLINE:

Samer Khair Ahmed is a Jordanian writer and an expert on Arab-China relations, who has visited China 20 times since 2007.

He holds a perspective about China that is vastly different from what the Western media has distortedly portrayed over the years.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic): SAMER KHAIR AHMED, Jordanian writer and expert on Arab-China relations
"Western media's reports about China are false.
I visited China for the first time in 2007. What I remember in the year 2007 is that I experienced a civilizational shock due to the tremendous development in China. It was clear that China is a country that is moving forward and looking forward to further construction and development.
Before going to China, I had no impression of the Chinese people. I only knew that it was difficult to find food to eat there. This may be the common impression about China, but when I was there, I found the food was delicious and life was peaceful.
The Chinese people live in economic and social prosperity. I believe that economic, social and cultural rights in China are widely available. This can be seen not only in the rich cities in east China but also everywhere. There is now an effort in China to increasingly bridge the wealth gap after China has succeeded in recent years in eliminating extreme poverty. So for me, one of the sweetest moments of my life is when I walk in the street among the Chinese feeling safe and comfortable, I believe that the Chinese people appreciate this economic prosperity that they are experiencing. And the development is reflected in the lives of every individual in Chinese society.
The environment is under excellent care in China. Even the goal of achieving Chinese modernization that was announced has placed the issue of making a good balance between development and environment as a key item."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Amman.
(XHTV)