Speaking of Panama, what first knocks into our minds is the Panama Canal. As one of the greatest human projects, the Panama Canal greatly reduced the vessel travelling-time between the Atlantic and the Pacific. It’s one of Panama's landmark attractions and a major source of tax revenue as well. Gao Hao has brought many friends travelling in Panama to visit the lock gates. “I was excited and fluttered each time when I watched the giant ships slowly pass through the gates, connecting the two oceans of the world”, said Gao Hao.
Panama City lies at the Canal’s estuary into the Pacific Ocean, in which Gao Hao has stayed for almost 29 years. Gao Hao moved to Panama City from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. He operates multiple industries here, including Panama Capital Frozen Company. In addition, he serves as the President of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Association of Fellow Provincials in Panama, Vice President of the Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of the Overseas Chinese in Panama, Vice President of Industrial and Commercial Association of Overseas Chinese in Panama, establishing a bridge of friendship between the two countries in the field of commercial, economic and cultural exchanges.
It is in May 2018 that Gao Hao returned Nanjing for the first time after living in Panama. He accompanied the governor of Panama Province to visit Jiangsu Province then, discussing with the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government about establishing sister-provinces ties. During that period, he felt the charm of Nanjing by its fast-changing urban scenes, bright and clean streets, safe and smooth traffic, civilized citizens and the friendly and efficient working style of government officials.
To mention something of necessity is the Zhongshan School, Center of China-Panama Culture, which is the longest in history and largest in scale among all the Chinese schools. “The school was founded in 1986 and has grown from only 10 staff and 115 students at the beginning to numbers of teaching-buildings, a stadium and a concert-hall with a capacity of 4,000 people, and with the total of 2,000 students and staff at present.” Gao Hao said, Zhongshan School has become the first choice of education institution for local Chinese children and has made irreplaceable contributions to the inheritance and development of Chinese culture in Panama. In October 2019, during the Jiangsu provincial leaders’ visit to Panama, a cultural and tourism exchange meeting was held at the China-Panama Cultural Center. In the same month, the Nanjing Delegation visited Panama, organized cultural and educational exchange activities, and donated over 1,500 Chinese textbooks such as Learning Chinese Easily to Zhongshan School, which was highly praised by all local teachers and students.
Jiangsu Study is built in China-Panama Cultural Center and Gao Hao has almost participated in the whole procedure. In October 2018, Jiangsu Province selected a large number of books, including the Four Great Classics and books about Chinese history, and donated them to the Library of the China-Panama Cultural Center. These books offered the children of Zhongshan School a chance to understand the broad and profound Chinese culture as well as Chinese history, which is of far-reaching significance.
“If we compare cites to human beings, the two cities establishing sister city relations of cooperation is the same as two strangers becoming friends during their first engagement. Friends should help each other and learn from each other.” Gao wishes that the two cities could deepen friendship by strengthening mutual visits, jointly promote friendly exchanges between people of the two cities, enhance exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, economy and trade, and further benefit the two cities and their people.
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Panama City is located at the east of the Panama Canal’s mouth into the Pacific Ocean. As the capital of Panama, Panama City is the political, economic and cultural center of Panama as well as the financial center of Central America, which is also a picturesque port city, leaning against the hills, stretching into the seas.
In June 2017, Panama established formal diplomatic relations with China, starting a new phase of development of friendly relations. Since then, bilateral cooperation in politics, economy, commerce, culture and education has achieved abundant and substantial results. In July 2021, during the Latin American and Caribbean Day, Nanjing signed a framework agreement on friendship and cooperation with its capital Panama City.
