The Seminar on Capacity Building of Work Safety Supervision and Enforcement for Belt and Road Countries, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China and organized by International Cooperation and Exchange Center (IECC) of the Ministry of Emergency Management of China, was held in Beijing successfully from May 15 to 28, 2025.
The seminar has gathered 26 participants from 8 countries in Beijing, including Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Solomon Islands, South Sudan and Uganda, to conduct in-depth exchanges on the theme of work safety supervision and enforcement. The event has helped everyone involved learn knowledge and build friendship, writing a vivid chapter for international cooperation on emergency management.
Joining hands for the Belt and Road Initiative
At the opening ceremony, Zhang Xiaoning, Director General of IECC, warmly welcomed all participants by quoting the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius as ‘it is such a delight to have friends coming from afar’. He noted that the common pursuit of knowledge and progress has brought all participants together with different cultural backgrounds.
As an important training program under the Belt and Road International Cooperation Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management, this seminar is a microcosm of deepening cooperation on emergency management between China and the Belt and Road countries. As of August 2024, China has established cooperative relationships with more than 30 international and regional organizations and emergency management departments of more than 90 countries and regions. China has so far signed more than 30 cooperation documents, and initially formed a comprehensive, wide-ranging and multi-level external cooperation network for emergency management.
Multidisciplinary courses of theory and practice
The seminar has carefully designed a four-dimensional curriculum system consisted of "classroom teaching, exchange and discussion, on-site investigation and cultural experience", capable to present China's emergency management experience in an all-round manner.
Theoretical study: Systematic introduction of China's emergency management system and mechanism, laws and regulations, as well as application of emerging technologies, including technical equipment for supervision and enforcement and safety detection technologies for hazardous chemical leaks, etc.
Field Trip: Participants were organized to Changsha, Hunan in central China, inspecting practice of work safety supervision and enforcement at the grassroots. With a visit to the Ministry’s Central China Base for Work Safety Supervision and Enforcement Capacity Building and the Tianxin District Emergency Command Center, participants experienced China's firsthand technological innovations and grassroots safety management capabilities in law enforcement practices.
Cultural Experience: Participants were organized to visit the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the Museum of the Communist Party of China to experience the long history of Chinese civilization and improve their understanding about China.
Learning from each other with fruitful results
During the 14-day activities, participants had in-depth discussions on the pain points of work safety supervision and enforcement, shared practical experience of different countries relating to work safety regulatory systems, accident prevention, and emergency response.
"China's experience in smart emergency management and the construction of grassroots work safety supervision and enforcement system is highly worthy of reference. Hopefully, these technologies and concepts can be brought back to my country," a participant from Kenya said.
“The seminar, rich in content, has provided an excellent platform for each country to further improve its professional knowledge and strengthen cooperation. We look forward to further exchanges and cooperation with China, and jointly promoting the continuous development of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative,” said a participant from South Sudan.
This seminar has been not only a process of knowledge "transmission and guidance", but also a bridge of friendship. All participants from different countries have established close ties and expressed their intentions for cooperation through exchanges, laying a foundation for follow-up bilateral and multilateral cooperation on emergency management. It is something like a participant from South Sudan said that "We saw the opportunity for common development from the Belt and Road Initiative. Cooperation on emergency management has enabled us to no longer fight alone in the face of risks and challenges."
From Chang'an Avenue in Beijing to Changsha in Hunan, from classrooms to cultural sites, the 14-day seminar has been short but fulfilling. Participants from different countries have returned home safe and sound with China’s experience and friendship. We look forward to contributing to a safer and more resilient world in the future.
