Chongqing - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz began his three-day tour of China on April 14, selecting Chongqing as the inaugural stop. There, he participated in an array of sightseeing and official engagements, culminating in a significant discussion on urban development and planning with four students from Chongqing University at the Testbed 2 Arts Center.

The participants in the discussion represented diverse academic backgrounds: Hu Zhiru, a PhD student from the School of Civil Engineering; Niu Hongyuan, a master's student in urban planning; Feng Panpan, also a PhD student in urban planning, both from the School of Architecture and Urban Planning; and Du Xiaoqi, a graduate student in Environmental Science and Engineering from the College of Environment and Ecology. iChongqing conducted a follow-up interview with these students, who conveyed their excitement and privilege at the direct dialogue with the Chancellor.

Hu Zhiru recounted that he initially perceived it to be a routine discussion until a call from a faculty member informed him of the unique opportunity to meet the Chancellor face-to-face.

The conversation deeply explored the transformation of industrial cities in Chongqing and Germany. Feng Panpan highlighted her studies on the redevelopment of industrial sites like the Ruhr area in Germany, keen to explore urban development topics with the Chancellor thoroughly. Niu Hongyuan observed the Chancellor's particular interest in transforming major industrial cities such as Chongqing, believing the interaction expanded their global outlook.

The students described the Chancellor as approachable and amiable. Both Du Xiaoqi and Feng Panpan emphasized that the engagement was a memorable academic event and a chance to broaden their international perspectives. They expressed a collective desire for further cross-cultural exchanges, especially with academic and cultural institutions in Europe and the United States.

(Li Tao and Han Xi, as interns, also contributed to this report.)