Source: Informational message
Reference News Network reported on November 19 (text / Wang Qiang) The 2022 Qatar World Cup will be held from November 20 to December 18. As the countdown to the World Cup begins, in addition to the expected matches, the Chinese elements in the World Cup are becoming more and more eye-catching. From venue construction to green energy supply, to public transportation and World Cup peripheral goods, a strong "Chinese team" composed of Chinese-built and Chinese-made enterprises is active inside and outside the Qatar World Cup, which not only epitomizes the pragmatic cooperation between China and Qatar, but also vividly demonstrates the contribution of "Chinese power" to the world.
"Made in China" sells well in the World Cup
"Made in China" sells well all over the world, and Qatar, where this World Cup is held, is no exception. From small commodities and toys to digital products, the daily lives of ordinary Qataris have long been inseparable from Chinese products. The hot sales of World Cup peripheral goods further highlight the charm of "Made in China".
In Doha, the capital of Qatar, whether it is a convenience store in a subway station or a large shopping mall store, you can see hot products "Made in China" in any store that sells World Cup licensed goods.
The reporter recently visited the World Cup licensed commodity store in Doha Mall, carefully inspected the origin of those dazzling goods, and occasionally saw several goods marked "Made in Bangladesh" and "Made in Vietnam", and the others were almost all "Made in China", including jerseys, World Cup mascot headscarves, key chains, mugs, stickers, etc.
The clerk saw that the reporter "picked" very carefully and enthusiastically asked what he wanted to buy. The clerk named Abad said with a smile: "Eighty or ninety percent of the goods in our store are imported from China, and the quality is very good." In particular, the World Cup mascot headscarf has been selling very well recently, and customers are very satisfied, we have been open for a few months, and no one has come to return or exchange goods because of quality problems. ”
The reporter then came to the Carrefour hypermarket on the side, and as soon as he entered the digital area, he saw a large poster of Vivo mobile phone and Hisense TV, and the words "Qatar World Cup Sponsor" and the huge World Cup logo were particularly eye-catching.
Local fan Mahmoud told reporters: "I specially came to pick a TV today, the World Cup is about to start, I want to change the big screen TV to watch the game." Hisense is a World Cup sponsor brand, it must be reliable, I plan to buy this 4K ultra-clear 75-inch, the effect looks really good. ”
When the reporter left the mall, he saw a giant panda plush toy in a prominent position at the entrance of a home furnishing store, so he walked over to take a look, and as expected, it was also made in China. The enthusiastic clerk quickly came over and greeted: "Are you Chinese?" Welcome your giant pandas to Qatar, recently many children have come to buy giant pandas plush toys. The giant panda toys in our store are also from China. ”
The clerk said that the giant pandas arrived in Doha on October 19 were "Beijing" and "Four Seas". In love with China's giant pandas, Qatar named "Jingjing" and "Four Seas" in Arabic as "Suhair" and "Solaya", respectively, and they will be officially opened to the public before the World Cup. The arrival of China's giant pandas has set off a "panda fever" in Qatar. It is understood that this is the first time that giant pandas have lived in the Middle East, and it is also China's good wishes for the Qatar World Cup.
"Built in China" set a number of records
In Doha in November, the atmosphere of the World Cup has become increasingly strong, and many citizens and tourists have taken photos in front of the Lusail Stadium, the main stadium of the World Cup in Qatar. Located about 15 kilometers north of Doha, the stadium has a capacity of 80,000 spectators and is the largest stadium in Qatar. At that time, major events such as the final and closing ceremony of this World Cup will be held here, witnessing the historic moment of holding the Hercules Cup.
In November 2016, CRCC International Group Co., Ltd. (CRCC) won the bid for the Lussell Stadium construction project, which is the first World Cup stadium project undertaken by a Chinese company as a general contractor for design and construction, breaking the monopoly position of European and American countries.
Wang Lei, head of CRCC Middle East Regional Company, said in an interview with reporters that at that time, a total of 6 well-known construction enterprises from Germany, Italy, France, Spain and other countries participated in the project bidding, and after 5 rounds of business negotiations and 9 rounds of technical negotiations, CRCC International finally successfully won the bid in the fierce competition.
As the largest and most technologically advanced professional football stadium built overseas by Chinese enterprises, Lusail Stadium fully demonstrates the level and strength of "Made in China", and has also set a number of industry records during the construction process: it is the world's largest span double-cable net roof single building, and it is also the world's first World Cup venue project that deeply applies BIM technology throughout its life cycle.
The Lusel Stadium has been highly praised by Qatar on several occasions, and even as early as December 2020, when the stadium was not completed, its design appeared on the newly issued 10 riyal banknote issued by the Central Bank of Qatar.
Hassan Al Savadi, secretary general of the Qatar World Cup Organizing Committee, said at a press conference: "The Lusail Stadium has the most complex façade and roof cable membrane structure, which proves the capabilities of Chinese companies. All those who will come to the Lussell Stadium to watch the game should thank the engineers and builders from China. ”
It is worth mentioning that under the leadership of CRCC International, leading Chinese enterprises in many industry segments have also actively participated in the construction of Qatar World Cup venues, such as the roof cable structure used in Lusell Stadium from Juli rigging, the curtain wall from Zhaoqing Asia Aluminum Factory, and the main steel structure from Seiko International. This typical virtuous cycle of "taking the big with the small" and extensively participating in all value chains of the World Cup is an excellent example of further enhancing the overall overseas influence and competitiveness of Chinese enterprises.
Chinese Ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian said in an interview with reporters: "Lusell Stadium is a landmark project of Chinese enterprises 'going out', which has achieved the perfect integration of high-level design and high-quality construction, polishing the golden signboard of 'Built in China'." ”
Help create a green World Cup
In the preparation stage of this World Cup, Qatar has applied a large number of environmental protection technologies and energy-saving equipment in an effort to create a green and low-carbon World Cup. In this regard, Chinese enterprises have also made great contributions.
On October 18, the commissioning ceremony of the 800 MW photovoltaic power plant in Qatar's Alcazar, contracted by PowerChina, was held, and Qatar's Emir (head of state) Tamim personally led a number of senior officials to attend the ceremony.
The Alcázar PV power plant is Qatar's first non-fossil fuel power station and is expected to meet 10% of Qatar's peak electricity demand, significantly increasing the share of renewable energy in the country's energy consumption and reducing carbon emissions. The photovoltaic power station was connected to the grid at full capacity on the eve of the World Cup, which strongly supported Qatar's commitment to host the "carbon neutral" World Cup.
At the commissioning ceremony, Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Saad al-Kaabi highly affirmed the project's contribution to reducing Qatar's carbon emissions, thanked Chinese companies for their efforts, and praised the "geological, environmental and social impacts" in the construction of the power station.
Chinese enterprises will not only contribute to the green energy supply of the Qatar World Cup, but also provide convenient and comfortable green transportation for fans from all over the world during the World Cup.
In October 2020, Yutong Bus Co., Ltd. signed an electric bus supply contract with Qatar National Bus Transport Company, and will invest in the construction of a new energy bus assembly plant in Qatar to provide strong support for Qatar's public transport electrification strategy.
It is understood that about 1,500 Yutong buses have entered Qatar, including 888 electric buses, all of which will become World Cup service vehicles.
Qatar's climate is hot, windy and sandy, and requires high vehicle performance. Wang Zhengbin, manager of Yutong Bus Qatar National Company, said: "In view of the local environmental working conditions and user habits, the vehicles we delivered have made targeted technical transformations in terms of air conditioning systems, vehicle heat insulation, sediment protection and other aspects. After the World Cup, these buses will serve the local road network for a long time. ”
Yutong Bus also established Yutong Service Branch in Qatar to promote Yutong's overseas service work into a new stage. Gan Shaoying, Qatar Country Service Manager of Yutong Middle East, said: "For this World Cup, Yutong not only formulated a detailed trial operation and event preview plan for the operation of electric buses, but also simulated the actual operation scenarios during the event and cooperated with customers to rehearse once a week, so that vehicles and personnel can enter the event service state in advance. ”
Fatima Naimi, spokesperson for the Qatar World Cup Organizing Committee, said: "The electric buses provided by Chinese enterprises to help Qatar accelerate the pace of emission reduction will not only become a highlight of the Qatar World Cup, but also contribute to Qatar's strengthening environmental protection and promoting economic development." ”
Chinese enterprises have extensively and deeply participated in the preparations for the Qatar World Cup, highlighting dazzling Chinese elements and making important Chinese contributions. Zhou Jian believes that this not only highlights the competitiveness and influence of Chinese enterprises in international operations, but also deepens the friendship between the two peoples and provides a strong impetus for deepening China-Qatar pragmatic cooperation.