Diplomatic World_nummer 57

CHINA’S MESSAGE TO THE WORLD:
THE SILK ROAD – BUILDING BRIDGES
BETWEEN THE STATES AND PEOPLE
OF THIS WORLD
Roads and railway tracks across thousands of
kilometres between Asia and Europe, ports and
airports, power plants, pipelines and logistics
centres in Pakistan and Poland – China is investing
900 billion dollars in the “New Silk Road”.
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The network of trading routes on land, water and in the air
is to link up the Asian, African and European states situated
between China and the Old World. It is also being called
“One Belt, One Road”. The mammoth project that has been
pushed by head of state Xi Jinping since 2013 is probably the
largest development programme ever in the world.
The Chinese “World Public Diplomacy Organization”
(WPDO) has now been founded with its head office in
Geneva as part of implementing the Silk Road objectives.
WPDO has set itself the target of stabilising the political
and economic links between the East and West. Diplomatic
World spoke to lawyer Helmut Naujoks, President of WPDO
in Germany. “We want to build bridges to strengthen the
harmony between nations,” says Naujoks, summarising the
WPDO’s visions as follows: “We want to help shape the
economic future between the East and West. We are building
bridges out of music, art and language and bringing the
world’s states and people together.” The WORLD PUBLIC
DIPLOMACY ORGANIZATION uses art as the means of
communication for this dialogue between cultures. “Art is
a suitable medium to sustainably support harmony between
nations,” accentuates Naujoks to Diplomatic World.
WPDO proudly presented itself for the first time during “The
Silk Road Concert” gala by the United Nations Alliance of
Civilizations (UNAOC) and Fundación Onuart at Palais
des Nations, United Nations, in Geneva in October 2017.
“The Silk Road Concert” brought together the Symphonic
Orchestra of the Balearic Islands directed by Maestro Pablo
Mielgo, with eight distinguished artists from Silk Road
countries, namely the violinist Yasmine Azaiez and the
singers Bing Bing Wang (Soprano, China), Burak Bilgili
(Bass, Turkey), Fatma Said (Soprano, Egypt), Huiling
Zhu (Mezzo, China), Vladimir Galouzine (Tenor, Russia),
Warren Mok (Tenor, China), and Yuan Gao (Soprano,
China). The musical performance was preceded by remarks
by Michael Moller, Director-General of the UN Office in
Geneva, Joaquín Alexander Maza Martelli, President of the
UN Human Rights Council, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser,
UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations
(UNAOC), and Miguel Ángel Moratinos, President of
Fundación Onuart. The setting of the Human Rights and
Alliance of Civilizations Room in the Palais des Nations in
Geneva provided the ideal backdrop to promote dialogue
and peace around the world through music. A special dinner
attended by prominent figures from political, diplomatic,
social, and media circles followed the concert.
Sylvia Gallus, member of the WPDO Board in Germany,
explains that The Silk Road is going to create thousands
of jobs worldwide. “A close network of trading routes is
evolving that links Central Asia with the Old World and the
roughly 60 countries situated between them,” emphasises
Sylvia Gallus. WPDO wants to contribute to this: several
infrastructure projects are being developed along the routes,
such as new railway and road links, airports and ports,
logistics centres, commercial and industrial parks, pipelines
and power plants.
SMEs with huge expertise and international experience are
predestined for the planned infrastructure projects in the
Eurasian region. Machinery and plant manufacturers as