Reform and opening up broadens China’s civilian diplomacy

As Caroline described, the campers have experienced the daily matters of Chinese people such as Alipay, shared bicycles and online shopping in the paired Chinese families. Through the contact with Chinese families and the experience of the convenience of Chinese technology, some of the original doubts of foreign campers have disappeared. Some campers would also like to tell their friends what they have seen and heard in China to reshape China's international image.

In fact, the earliest origin of arranging accommodation for foreign residents in the local residents' homes was in the late 1980s after the reform and opening up. Yantai China International Travel Service Co., Ltd. designed a family visit that was innovative in the world at the time for foreign tourists. The host families needed to be carefully selected. Even the tables, chairs, teacups and confectionery of the residents' homes were carefully prepared. The resident houses for the reception were numbered and the guests were divided into two groups, with each group being more than ten people. With an interpreter, visitors walked into the houses to talk to the local people.

Therefore, it can be seen that the proposal of reform and opening-up has provided a broader stage for China's civilian diplomacy.