Chinese Ambassador Cao Zhongming met with Lu Junjie, a Chinese cyclist who started off from Shanghai and rode all the way across the Eurasian continent to Belgium. Counsellor Sun Wei was also present at the meeting. 

 

      Lu travelled over 10 thousand kilometers on his bicycle for the last 10 months, a journey that was ground to a halt after having his bicycle stolen at the Brussels-South railway station.

      Ambassador Cao expressed concern and sympathy about the theft of Lu's bike, nothing that the Chinese Embassy has immediately made contact with and urged the Belgian police to crack the case and recover the lost bicycle. There have been quite a number of Chinese tourists reporting theft or robbery in Belgium recently, drawing attention to the safety conditions of the country. The Chinese Embassy will continue to advocate for improved safety environment for tourists, and will soon release a safety guideline to help Chinese tourists have a safe stay in Belgium. Ambassador Cao also asked about Lu's physical conditions after such a long haul, what he had seen and felt along the way, and wished the cyclist success with the rest of his journey.

      Lu expressed his appreciation for the support of the Ambassador and for what the embassy had done. Lu said that he was surprised that the bicycle should be snitched in Belgium after taking him across so many countries, and hoped that with the help of so many people, the bike could still be found, and be transported back to China with the assistance of the Chinese Embassy. Lu mentioned that he is preparing to resume his planned trip with a newly purchased bicycle in a few days' time. Ambassador Cao reassured Lu that the Embassy will continue to follow the case and provide assistance where possible.