Intl creators praise China's openness at Beijing video awards

International award winners praised China's continued efforts to expand openness at the award ceremony of the seventh "My China Story" International Short Video Competition held Saturday in Beijing.

Participants said genuine cultural exchange and people-to-people connections are essential to promoting mutual understanding and cooperation.

Evan Kail, an American pawn shop manager and content creator, highlighted China's visa-free entry policies and its recent launch of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP).

"I've seen a lot of changes over the last year since I've been here," he said, adding that such initiatives give foreigners "a wonderful opportunity" to see the country "for themselves and get an accurate takeaway of what this country is instead of simply consuming media, informing an opinion about it."

Kail, who donated to China a photo album documenting Japanese atrocities in the country during WWII, also voiced deep concern over Japan's right-wing groups continuing to deny its wartime aggression and crimes. He called for confronting historical truth during the award ceremony.

Evan Kail (center), an American pawn shop manager and content creator who donated a photo album documenting Japanese atrocities in China during WWII, takes a selfie with friends during the seventh "My China Story" International Short Video Competition Award Ceremony in Beijing, Dec. 20, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the "My China Story" International Short Video Competition]

Kail, who received an Outstanding Award for a video recounting his story with China on the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi "shows a complete lack of understanding of history" through her erroneous remarks about Taiwan.

"I am horrified at what I'm seeing out of the Japanese right‑wing forces," he said. "Prime Minister Takaichi is saber-rattling in a way that is making the entire globe less safe."

Kail said such rhetoric yields no positive outcomes and stressed that facing history honestly is the only path to reconciliation and the best way to prevent a revival of Japanese militarism. "One thing to do is acknowledge it, in order for humanity to move forward," he said.

Referring to newly released Unit 731 archives transferred from Russia, Kail said "new evidence is coming to light" that proves more documentation exists. He urged individuals and governments to come forward with any remaining historical materials.

"Rescuing that from a private collection and showing it to the people preserves history and educates us all," he said.

Russian vlogger Andreev Aleksei, another award winner, underscored the benefits of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, which he explored during a journey along the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park tourist highway.

Russian vlogger Andreev Aleksei stands in front of a display board featuring his award-winning video during the seventh "My China Story" International Short Video Competition Award Ceremony in Beijing, Dec. 20, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the "My China Story" International Short Video Competition]

"I'd say the changes will be huge. It's great — more goods will flow to the island because of the tax benefits," he said. "Hainan is opening up more and more. A lot of people can come visa-free. I'm looking forward to the movement of people, because people bring ideas, cooperation and business opportunities. It's probably even more important than moving goods, because people move goods."

"We're looking forward to the future because we're at a turning point and witnessing something that has never been done before. I'm really excited about what we will see in the coming months and years," he added.

The "My China Story" International Short Video Competition, launched in 2018, is an annual event sponsored by China International Communications Group and organized by Xufang International Media.

Dedicated to building an influential platform for international creators to produce short videos about China and share their perceptions, the competition has grown into a global exchange space that encourages authentic storytelling about modern China.

Participants pose for a group photo after the seventh "My China Story" International Short Video Competition Award Ceremony in Beijing, Dec. 20, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the "My China Story" International Short Video Competition]