This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Five years ago, 45 representatives of overseas students from 32 countries, who were studying at Peking University (PKU), wrote a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, sending their best wishes ahead of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, which fell on July 1, 2021. President Xi, also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, wrote back to them on June 21, 2021. He encouraged overseas students to gain a deeper understanding of China as it really is, share their thoughts and experiences with more people and promote friendship between the peoples of all countries.
Anzelika Smirnova, a Latvian known by her Chinese name, Anze, was one of the 45 students. After she completed her studies, in 2024, she joined the Cultural Communication Center of China International Communications Group (CICG). During the past five years, Anze has witnessed China's rapid technological development, and the progress in women's cause in China. More importantly, she has found her calling: becoming a bridge that brings people from different cultures and countries closer together.
More Than a Letter
Anze first came to China in 2007, and she has since formed a deep bond with China. In 2020, she began her doctoral studies, at the School of Journalism and Communication, at PKU. While pursuing her PhD, she realized that PKU was not only one of China's most renowned institutions of higher learning, but also a place deeply intertwined with modern Chinese history, particularly the founding of the CPC.
In 2021, one of Anze's friends made a suggestion: "As international students at PKU, we have received an education, acquired knowledge and improved our understanding of China. Shouldn't we express our blessings ahead of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC?" Anze supported the idea. "Having lived in China for over a decade, my heart is full of gratitude. So, when my friend suggested writing a letter, I truly felt it was the best opportunity to express our thanks," Anze recalls.
On June 21, 2021, Anze received a message from her teacher, informing her that Xi had written a reply. Overjoyed, Anze immediately returned to the school. She still remembers that moment — especially her feeling of excitement — vividly to this day.
The key takeaways — including "seeing is believing," and "to understand today's China, one must understand the CPC" — from Xi's reply made a lasting impression on Anze. They caused her to realize genuine, face-to-face communication between people is the warmest and most effective way to bridge divides. The reply letter inspired Anze to engage in in-depth reporting on China. The letter not only represented a precious memory, it also infused Anze with the strength and focus to tell China's stories to the world, and to help foster mutual understanding among people.
From Understanding China to Sharing It
Anze always intended to put her academic knowledge to practical use. Two years ago, Anze became a foreign expert at the Cultural Communication Center of CICG. The job was a deliberate decision she made to align her academic interests with her personal goals, and it enabled her to put knowledge into practice.
Since joining the center, Anze has helped produce the international version of the Flying Over Guangdong short-video series, introducing the development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to overseas audiences. She also launched the Anze Reports on Two Sessions short-video series, which has provided a foreigner's perspective on China's political life.
Through her work, Anze has witnessed firsthand the remarkable technological transformations taking place in China. Her reports have also touched on one of the hottest topics currently in China — new quality productive forces. What has impressed her most in recent years is witnessing humanoid robots go from a futuristic concept to an increasingly visible reality in China.
In September 2024, Anze visited GBA, and she saw a complete humanoid robot industrial chain had been formed in Shenzhen, a city in south China's Guangdong Province. In April 2025, the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon was held, in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (Yizhuang). Anze filed a news report on the event. "People were running the marathon while also filming the robots running alongside. This kind of scene was unimaginable in the past," Anze recalls. "The marathon itself promoted technological progress: To help the robots finish the race smoothly, robotic teams needed to make extensive upgrades, to achieve iteration through competition."
In July 2025, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference was held, in Shanghai, and the humanoid robot exhibition area was among the most popular sections. Anze noticed many of the robots she had seen at the marathon three months earlier displayed noticeable improvements.
Earlier this year, Anze visited Shenzhen, again, and she was even more impressed. The speed at which the humanoid robot companies were developing was astonishing to Anze. "The iteration of Chinese technology happens almost on a daily basis. The humanoid robots I saw before can now leap into the air, perform a full spin and land steadily," she says.
"These vivid scenes constantly amaze me. What seems like a sudden explosion of achievements is actually the result of long-term technological accumulation. This also reflects that, under the CPC's leadership, China's national plans have always been forward looking. China excels at making long-term, strategic plans, based on the present, while charting a development path for the next five or 10 years. This advantage enables China to accomplish many goals that seem impossible," adds Anze.
From her experience working across cultures, three lessons stand out. First, she bridges theory and practice, using both academic training and cross-cultural communication experience to share Chinese culture and contemporary China in ways that resonate with international audiences. Second, she is committed to presenting an objective and multidimensional picture of China, using cross-cultural dialogue to bridge differences and dispel misunderstandings. Third, she sees collaboration as key to building bridges across cultures and creating opportunities for deeper mutual understanding.
'Women Hold Up Half the Sky'
Anze learned about the saying, "women hold up half the sky," while reading a textbook. At first, she thought it was just a slogan. But after years of field visits and personal observations, Anze has come to have a much deeper understanding of the meaning behind the saying.
The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing in October 2025. Anze believes the event reflected China's strong commitment to the cause of women's development. "Women's advancement has never been just about women themselves; it concerns the entire social structure, and the long-term development direction of the country," Anze says.
In recent years, Anze has noticed Chinese women's participation has been growing in various fields, including engineering and Internet technology. Women have also been increasingly visible in various industries that have historically been associated with men. Anze has also witnessed many positive changes in rural China.
"In 2024, I went to Guizhou Province (in southwest China) to experience the Miao New Year. What surprised me most was the Auntie Basketball game. Unlike the basketball games we typically imagine, Auntie Basketball in Leishan, a county in Guizhou, is full of ethnic characteristics: Ethnic Miao women don't wear professional sportswear; instead, they dress in everyday Miao embroidered outfits and floral headpieces. On the court, they are agile, decisive and full of energy," Anze says. "Auntie Basketball has given me a clear view of the transformation in women's roles. In the past, many rural women centered their lives around the family, and they rarely participated in public activities; now, they step onto the court, and into public spaces, and they confidently express themselves through sports. The era of short videos has made them visible to more people, and has inspired women in other regions to join in as well. China's traditional culture has found new life through sports."
Looking Ahead
This year marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). Anze is particularly interested in China's efforts to open its door wider to the world. Her home country, Latvia, has become part of China's visa-free "network" — Latvians may enter China visa-free for business, tourism, visits to relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transit, for stays of up to 30 days. That policy will remain in effect until the end of 2026. Anze hopes China's visa-free "network" will continue to expand during the next five years, allowing more people, from more countries, to easily visit and understand China.
During the past few years, Anze has witnessed how China has become more convenient for foreigners. She recalls meeting a young foreigner, who was visiting Beijing a few years ago, and that woman didn't know how to use local ride-hailing apps. Anze and a friend helped the young woman. Nowadays, the ride-hailing apps have English versions, and most of the online platforms for government services, payments and cultural tourism provide multilingual services. Living and working in China has become more convenient for foreigners. "I hope, in the next five years, China will continue to upgrade these detailed services, allowing more foreign friends experience China's warmth through everyday conveniences such as travel and shopping," says Anze.
She also has high expectations for the GBA, especially as it develops its low-altitude economy. In 2024, at Shenzhen Talent Park, Anze experienced the drone-delivery service. "At that time, my home country, Latvia, was hosting a China-tourism-promotion event. I did a live video link from Shenzhen to Latvia, sharing with my fellow countrymen and women the rapid development of Shenzhen, as well as the novel tech experience of drone delivery," Anze recalls. She looks forward to seeing GBA make greater progress, during the next five years, by capitalizing on its airspace resources and technological advantages to advance low-altitude logistics, low-altitude tourism and urban-air mobility, ultimately establishing itself as a national model for the low-altitude economy.
More than a decade in China has convinced Anze that understanding cannot be built through headlines alone — it grows through encounters, conversations, and shared experiences. That belief continues to guide her work as she helps connect people across cultures, one story and one conversation at a time.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly July 2026)
Editor: Wang Shasha
