When my family came to Xiamen for the first time in 1988, I quickly fell in love with China and became a foreign teacher at Xiamen University. At that time, the living conditions were harsh.

My name is Rennat Morel, and I am Belgian. I have lived in China for 31 years. At first I had only planned on staying a couple of months, but then I met this lovely lady.

The streets of the megacity of Beijing are bustling with activities. Today, not only traditional petrol-engined cars but also electric vehicles of all kinds ply the roads here. In the endless traffic stream you can spot Hartmut Lüning.

My personal relationship with China is practically a lifelong link. I was born in 1958, back then, as a child, I used to go to my father's bookstore, when I was growing up, and I was already entertaining myself by reading Chinese children's stories, such as The Old Man Who Moved the Mountain or Pilgrimage to the West.

My name is Gilbert Van Kerckhove. It's a complicated name for our Chinese friends, so I'm normally called Lao Fan. I am Belgian from the Flemish region.

The Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation kicks off in Beijing today. Before this event, we interviewed five students from five BRI partner countries. They told us about their life in China.