BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The foreign winners competing in a Chinese speech contest on the stories of the Belt and Road Initiative were awarded Friday here at the headquarters of Xinhua News Agency.

In the award ceremony, contestants from such countries sitting along the Belt and Road as Belarus, Russia, Serbia and India shared with the audience in fluent Chinese how their lives have been changed by the grand project.

The initiative, namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

The contest was co-hosted by Xinhua, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and the Confucius Institute Headquarters.

The final round of the contest was held on May 3, when 12 competitors, all contributors of a book "Belt and Road: People with Stories," told their stories of personal growth, experiences as exchange students, and their pursuit of dreams, as well as their thoughts on the Belt and Road Initiative and the Chinese dream.

Three of them won the top prize, four won the second prize and five won third place.

Bialkovich Liudmila, named Liu Mei in Chinese, is a Chinese language teacher from Minsk State Linguistic University in Belarus.

"I have become increasingly aware that my personal dream is getting closer and closer with China, and with the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative," she said at the ceremony.

Her homeland Belarus "is also actively participating in and promoting the Silk Road Economic Belt as a nation along the route," Lyudmila noted.

Mellat Dilnar from Kazakhstan sees her country increasingly intertwined with China.

"China has become my second homeland since long ago. I wish, as Kazakhstan gradually develops, my second homeland can also have a brighter future," she said.

The book "Belt and Road: People with Stories" includes real life stories of people living along the Belt and Road. It has been published in seven different languages in time for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing on May 14-15.

Foreigners compete in Belt and Road Chinese speech contest