STORY: From Bruce Lee fan to Chinese company employee: Malian man's connection with China
SHOOTING TIME: file
DATELINE: Jan. 31, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:33
LOCATION: Abidjan
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Idriss Sanogo
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): IDRISS SANOGO, Employee of CHEC
3. various of Idriss Sanogo
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): IDRISS SANOGO, Employee of CHEC
5. various of Idriss Sanogo
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (French): IDRISS SANOGO, Employee of CHEC

STORYLINE:

Idriss Sanogo from Mali was a big fan of Bruce Lee and dreamed that one day he could go to China. This is where his connection with the Asian country began. 

SOUNDBITE 1 (French): IDRISS SANOGO, Employee of CHEC
"When I was a kid, there were no cellphones, and the internet was not widely used.
In our village, TV was a very rare item. All the children would gather at one of the houses after school to watch TV. The most often shown on TV were Chinese movies, especially those starring Bruce Lee.
It was then that I found that I had a special interest in China.
My friend asked me why and I said it was hard to explain, but I felt from the bottom of my heart that I just wanted to go to China, and that China had what I wanted."

In 2002, Sanogo was admitted to China's Tongji University as one of the outstanding high school graduates in his country.

SOUNDBITE 2 (French): IDRISS SANOGO, Employee of CHEC
"After graduation, I got my wish and went to a Chinese university with excellent academic results.
While I was studying in China, I met a Chinese friend who treated me like his brother.
During the holidays, he would invite me to his home. Whether it was the summer vacation or the winter vacation, I stayed with his family. I felt like I was part of his family.
This experience deeply impressed me. We didn't know each other before I came to China, and I'm not Chinese, but they were willing to treat me like family."

Sanogo later joined China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC), responsible for translation, local employee management and external coordination for projects.

SOUNDBITE 3 (French): IDRISS SANOGO, Employee of CHEC
"I'm mainly responsible for the company's local employee management. Because local employees do not speak Chinese, they often have difficulties communicating with the company.
Additionally, I am also responsible for external liaison and public relations between company projects and local governments.
I am very proud to be able to work for CHEC because I can learn a lot from working in such a big company."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Abidjan.
(XHTV)