Chinese skipper in Egypt to promote "Belt and Road" initiative

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"Unlike my previous sailing trips, this time we carry the mission to promote the "the Belt and Road" initiative along the port cities we harbor at," said Chinese skipper Guo Chuan, whose ship stopped at Alexandria's seaport in Egypt Friday.

Riding a maxi trimaran "Qingdao China," Guo Chuan, the world solo circumnavigation record holder of Class 40, arrived on Friday at the Mediterranean port of Alexandria in Egypt, a stop in its journey along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The trip was launched in response to China's "the Belt and Road" initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, which aims to revive the ancient Silk Road to reconnect China with Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe.

The voyage is not only grabbing world's attention to the "Belt and Road" initiative, but also meant to promote world peace.

"I know that a terrible explosion happened in Egypt just a few days before we arrived here, so we also sail in honor of peace, and against all forms of violence and terrorism," Guo told Xinhua.

Setting off from Qingdao, a northeastern port city of China where Guo was born and brought up, the ship has visited Singapore, Sri Lanka, and India.

Lying in the tranquil Alexandria bay, the bright-red body of the ship and carefully-designed decoration with Chinese elements were really compelling to visitors.

"I have visited the continent of Africa twice, both through sailing," Guo said during a ceremony hosted at the Yacht Club of Egypt, explaining that he eyes sailing as a unique way for international exchanges.

An important part of this journey is the exchange activities along the route, so as to let the world know more about Chinese sea culture, the 50-year-old skipper said.

"China Qingdao" is one of only five existing trimarans in the world, and a widely recognized plain, highly-efficient and strong super sailing ship in the field of international sailing.

Qingdao, the sail setting point for the north line, used to be an important port along ancient Maritime Silk Road. The Chinese coastal resort now stands as a major node city in the new Eurasian Continental Bridge economic corridor and hastens to become a bridgehead as China is gearing up to boost the "Belt and Road" initiative.

"Egypt and China are both countries with splendid ancient civilizations," Guo said, noting that the relationship between the two countries upgraded to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" last year when Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-sisi visited Beijing.

Zhang Zhenan, director of Qingdao promotion team, said during the ceremony that China and Egypt were already linked by the maritime silk road 2000 years ago, adding that the main purpose of this journey is to promote bilateral cooperation in sports, tourism and culture, thus contributing to the "Road and Belt" initiative.

Guo is the first and the only professional offshore sailor in China, the first Chinese to have participated in the Clipper Round the World Challenge and the first to have completed the Volvo Ocean Race. He is also the world solo circumnavigation record holder of Class 40.

In September, Guo and his team made another ground-breaking journey through the northeast passage of the Arctic Ocean, from Murmansk in Russia to the Bering Strait, the very first time a racing trimaran has successfully sailed non-stop through that passage. Endit

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