Ningbo Embraces the Asian Games| Italian Expat Belleri Welcomes the Asian Games!

Video by Chen Ye

“I love China. Many places in China have beautiful scenery. Of course, my favorite place is Ningbo!" said Giovanni Battista Belleri, welcoming the correspondent into his office at China-Melan Co., Ltd, in Dagang Industry Community Service Center, Xinqi Sub-District, Beilun District. In the office, there is an entire wall covered by a map of China, with 45 pins marking the cities Belleri has visited in the past 26 years. The furthest north he has been is Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia, while the furthest south is Sanya in Hainan.

45 pins mark the cities Belleri has visited in the past 26 years. (Photo by Chen Ye)

Belleri (Chinese name贝莱瑞) comes from Brescia, Italy. His colleagues call him "老贝". Since graduating from Politecnico di Milano, Italy’s top engineering university, Belleri has worked as an advanced manufacturing expert for over 40 years. In the first 20 years of his career, he worked for several multinationals in the United States, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, and beyond. Then he moved to Ningbo, where he settled down and spent the subsequent two decades exporting locally-produced machinery, electronic components, and other products, helping many Ningbo SMEs to go global. As a result, he has twice won the "Camellia Award" (the highest honor awarded by the Ningbo municipal government to foreign experts who have made significant contributions to the opening up and economic growth of Ningbo).

During the past three years of the pandemic, Belleri's role as a bridge between Ningbo and Italy brought the two closers together. In March 2020, Belleri's hometown experienced a surge in COVID-19 infections that led to a high mortality rate due to a shortage of PPE and medical equipment. At that time, China, with Zhejiang Province at the forefront, sent many medical teams and delivered substantial amounts of medical supplies, including ECG machines and ventilators, to Brescia. Belleri shipped Ningbo-made face masks, gloves, and hazmat suits to his Italian clients, helping them stay safe from the virus. "These Italian companies became stable clients of Ningbo's manufacturers and exporters, as a gesture of thanks."

Belleri introduces locally-produced products to the reporter. (Photo by Chen Ye)

"Ningbo is a dynamic port city with a rich culture and a welcoming, respectful local community. Beilun District in particular is an industrial powerhouse with a friendly business environment and a rapidly growing advanced manufacturing sector," said Belleri, as he always does to anyone who is getting to know Ningbo for the first time.

There are many reasons behind Belleri’s deep fondness of Ningbo, one of which is his appetite for Chinese food, especially the city’s local cuisine and fresh seafood. Belleri is a fan of spicy foods such as spicy bullfrog, fish head with chopped chili, and fish fillet with pickled cabbage and chili. He has even developed a taste for marinated crab and mud snails, coupled with a few shots of "alalaojiu" (a local wine). Sadly, he has not been able to indulge in these culinary delights in the last couple of years because of gout.

Belleri’s deep fondness of Chinese food. (Photo by Jiang Jueyi)

"Why do I always have trouble losing weight? Because Chinese food is too delicious!" joked Belleri. He is also in love with China’s street food, especially scallion pancakes: their aroma is simply irresistible!

Having resided in Ningbo for twenty years, Belleri has witnessed the city's rapid growth. 2023 is the year of the Asian Games, which he is very much looking forward to and believes is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the city to the rest of the world. As a sports enthusiast, Belleri maintains a year-round fitness routine that consists of swimming and hiking. On weekends, he would ascend Jiufeng Mountain, cycle around Dongqian Lake, or surf. He has also competed in several marathons.

Belleri is a sports enthusiast. (Photo by Jiang Jueyi)

“Wo zai ning bo ying ya yun (Ningbo embraces the Asian Games!)," enunciates Belleri with gusto in his best Mandarin, in front of the camera. He expressed his willingness to participate in Ningbo's relay race for the Asian Games if time permits, with the aim of attracting more visitors to the city for the much-anticipated sporting event.

Reporter: Chen Ye

Correspondents: Chen Hong, Jiang Jueyi

Translated by Mei Jie

Proofreader: Zhao Qingchuan