"Their touching stories, life experience, and noble spirit have transcended time and space. We will review the CPC's long journey, its great changes, and brilliant achievements over a century from a new perspective through their stories," he adds.
According to Shan, all sources were collected from authoritative documents, including relevant biographies, memoirs, and commemorative articles.
Although the book was finished within half a year, the writing process was tense. Shan explains that being as vivid as possible and conveying emotion to the reader, while telling the stories of great deeds of the Party's international friends was the biggest challenge for him.
Being invited to write for the book, Adriano Madaro, journalist and writer, as well as one of the world's foremost experts on China, says his favorite part of the book was the section dedicated to Snow.
"He went to Yan'an and Bao'an in the 1930s, where he met Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping, among others, for the first time-all the leaders of the Chinese revolution. And it was the first time that the whole world got to know the important person that was Mao Zedong," Madaro says.
"This book is very important, not only for those friends of China, but to let the world, especially the younger generations, learn some of the important parts of China's revolutionary history," he adds.
Warren Bethune, the representative of Norman Bethune's family, addressed a seminar held to launch the book via video.
He encouraged people to follow in Norman Bethune's footsteps and strengthen friendly and cooperative relations between Canada and China to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC.
"Throughout his 674 days and nights in China, from his journey to Yan'an and his time there, to Tangxian county in Hebei province and along the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border region with Mao, military soldiers, medical staff, generals, missionaries, students and the Chinese people, as Mao highlighted with three words, there was 'great warm heartedness'," Warren Bethune notes.
"His (Norman Bethune's) 'think globally, act locally' approach to life in Canada, Great Britain, the United States, Spain and China promoted the need for international communication and cooperation," he adds.
The book is expected to be published in several countries, including Romania, Laos, Turkey, Sri Lanka and India, in their local languages.
"Since its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China has received the support and help of many overseas people with lofty ideals. They come from various countries, regions, and industries, they are either young or old, and many of them have never left. They all regard China as an ideal place and spiritual home in their minds," says Lu Cairong, deputy director of China International Publishing Group.
"There are many international friends who, due to limited space, did not get a mention in the book, but they have already become important participants in China's revolution, construction, and reform," Lu adds.
"Let's celebrate the centennial of the Party with the publication of this book. We look forward to working with more international friends to make new and greater contributions to promoting foreign exchanges and cooperation between China and the world, safeguarding world peace, and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind," he concludes.
