Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
SANYA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) — "For 5,000 years, the Chinese have been known for their modesty, tolerance and resilience. These qualities are still present in the Chinese people today." Melissa Baydak, a Russian student studying in China, shared her understanding of China at a recent debate competition, and the audience applauded her words.
After graduating from Novosibirsk State University, Melissa entered Beijing Foreign Studies University in 2021, where she received a master's degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. She is currently working on her PhD in linguistics while continuing her studies at the same Chinese university.
On the evening of September 13, the 2025 Chinese-language World University Debate Cup Finals were held in Sanya, Hainan Province, South China, where Melissa was invited to participate in the “Star Demonstration Match” and share her “China story.”
“To understand ‘change’ and ‘newness’ in China, you need to experience the present,” she noted in her speech. The ancient Chinese gave the world the compass, and today their descendants deftly navigate with the help of navigation apps on smartphones. “Firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea” – a simple list of necessities for life, known as the “seven essentials” – are now instantly “materialized” thanks to “QR code payment,” “live sales” and express delivery in “thirty minutes.” It is thanks to these and other mind-blowing changes that astonish the world that one can truly understand modern China.
Melissa recalled that when she first arrived in China, the patient explanations of good-natured strangers about how to get there and how to drive showed her what friendliness was like among the Chinese. And the vendors at the market, with whom she eagerly haggled and then gave her a free bunch of green onions, revealed to her the “brightness of folk life” and the “warmth of human relations” in China. These warm moments and friendly details were more vivid and eloquent than any historical treatise, revealing to her the essence of the Chinese character, reflected in the sincere smiles of the Chinese.
On the other hand, Melissa believes that to understand China’s “fusion and innovation,” we also need to look to the present for answers, because the Chinese, using their remarkable imagination, “play” with the threads of history, weaving them into completely new, unprecedented forms. By delving into the past, you will learn about Beijing’s hutongs /a type of traditional medieval urban development/. But only by feeling the pulse of the present will you be able to go to City Walk and suddenly discover ultra-fashionable coffee shops in the labyrinths of old hutongs, serving a cheeky “Americano with soy milk” and a quirky “latte with candied fruit on a stick”. By turning to history, you will get acquainted with the incredible legacy of “hanfu” – the traditional clothing of the Chinese people. But only when you find yourself in modern China will you see how young people casually parade through shopping malls in “new Chinese style” outfits, feeling completely natural in them.
“This is the most fascinating and exciting part! And it allows me to understand China better,” Melissa concluded her speech.
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