Wang Guanghui: "Chinese Uncle" Who Paved the Way for China-Africa Friendship

Source: Zhonggong Network

There is a Henan person, rooted in Africa for 17 years, building buildings and building roads in a foreign country far from his homeland, widely participating in the public welfare undertakings of his country, participating in international rescue for the first time, and building a bridge of China-Africa friendship. His name is Wang Guanghui, he is a senior engineer of the Overseas Company of China Railway Seventh Bureau, the general secretary of the Party Branch of the Ethiopian Region, and the project manager of the 56-kilometer highway.

Photo by Chen Weiguo, a reporter from Henan Workers Daily

"Drifting across the ocean, leaving home, a life and death rescue, you show China's strength with responsibility; build railways, build iron bridges, take root overseas for 17 years, and you use perseverance to lift up the backbone of The sons and daughters of China." A drop of water should also shine out of the brilliance of the sun, and in the construction process of the Belt and Road, ordinary you, sparkling! This is the award speech given to Wang Guanghui by the 2021 Henan Province "Most Beautiful Workers" Selection Organizing Committee, and it is a compliment to his 17 years of dedication and glory for the country.

On December 15, 2021, the highlight of the award, Wang Guanghui continued to pave the way for China-Africa friendship in Ethiopia, thousands of miles away, and it was his wife who stood on the stage of supreme glory on his behalf.

Wang Guanghui came to Ethiopia in 2005 and has participated in and presided over hundreds of bids so far, winning more than US$1 billion. For two consecutive years, he has also organized and sent African employees to Chinese professional colleges and universities for training, training hundreds of high-skilled talents for the local area.

As the first overseas direct project (command) department of the Seventh Bureau of China Railway, the Ethiopian 56-kilometer highway project has no precedent for the management model. Combined with the actual local situation, Wang Guanghui boldly implemented the localization management of personnel in the project department, and established a system of English exchange meetings between Chinese and local engineers, which quickly integrated the project management requirements of Chinese-funded enterprises with the excellent local management culture, greatly improved the quality of project management, and achieved significant economic benefits. This localization management model of project personnel also won the second prize of China Railway Enterprise Management Modernization Innovation Achievements.

In 2020, with the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in Africa, Wang Guanghui, who was on vacation in China, gave up the annual reunion with his family and resolutely returned to the project department to protect the safety of employees with his original intention and lead everyone to build an "iron wall" for epidemic prevention and control. At the same time, overcoming various difficulties, under the severe epidemic situation, we ensured the construction of the existing Yaji railway bridge at the high speed of the card control point of the whole line, completed the high-speed asphalt paving for 30 kilometers, reached the main line of the whole standard section, and completed the output value of more than 50 million US dollars, which not only made the production and operation grow against the trend, but also achieved zero infection of project employees, and commanded and won the battle of epidemic prevention and control and the battle of resuming work and production.

Because of his outstanding work achievements, Wang Guanghui was awarded the title of "Excellent Communist Party Member" by the Party Committee of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the Provincial Government and the Party Committee of China Railway Engineering Group Corporation in 2020, and also won the "Locomotive Medal".

"We have done so many projects in Africa, not only the roads have been built, but the hearts and minds have also been cleared. All we do is what our African friends really need. Wang Guanghui said.

In addition to paving roads and bridges, Wang Guanghui also sowed the seeds of love in the local area, providing many tangible help to the people and educational institutions. Up to now, he has organized Chinese employees to donate more than 20 times to repair school buildings, buy books, change tables and chairs for local primary and secondary schools, and the children remember this amiable Chinese and affectionately call him "Uncle China".

Rooted in Africa for more than a decade, Wang Guanghui regards Ethiopia as his second hometown, not only helping the local people in peacetime, but also rushing ahead in emergency rescue and disaster relief.

On March 10, 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane crashed, killing all the people on board. After the incident, Wang Guanghui, who was presiding over the construction of the highway nearby, received a notice from the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia and immediately dispatched more than 20 people and more than 10 rescue equipment to form a rescue team and quickly rushed to the scene of the air disaster to carry out rescue.

"As the first rescue force to arrive at the scene, under the coordination of the country's airlines, we participated in the formulation of a scientific rescue plan, carried out more than 20 hours of search overnight, and finally found the black box of the crashed plane from the wreckage pit of more than ten meters." Wang Guanghui said their efforts have won valuable time to investigate the cause of the crash and show China's strength and responsibility.

"In embarking on a new journey of high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, we must keep in mind our original mission, tell the Story of China with practical actions, and continue to pave the way for China-Africa friendship." Wang Guanghui said.

(According to Henan Workers Daily news, Henan Workers Daily reporter Chen Weiguo)

Editor-in-charge: Zhu Yidan