The 1st Paris-Beijing rally-raid
Since 1931, no one had succeeded in convincing the Chinese to allow a rally-raid to cross their country for 6000 km. Paris-Dakar alumnus Alain Lafeuillade had the idea of creating a unique car rally between Paris and Beijing, a distance of 18,000 km to be covered in 52 days. On July 12, 1988, 50 young people in 25 cars left the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, direction China.
A Belgian crew (Christophe and David De Scheemaecker), decided to participate with a clear global peace message (with on their car duplicated winning peace related drawings made by young EU schoolchildren who participated at a contest). They asked Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission at that time, and the mayor of Antwerp Bob Cools, to sign an official letter for the Chinese government, highlighting the revival of part of the Silk Road and promoting Antwerp, as the European cultural capital in 1993, a city to be rediscovered by Chinese citizens.
After crossing France, Northern Italy, the Adriatic coastline in Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Pakistan, and finally via the Kunjerab Pass, the young drivers drove into China. From west to east, the proud EU globetrotters from France, Belgium, and Germany arrived on September 2, 1988, in Beijing on Tiananmen Square, reserved for them alone. A world first! The Belgian team was invited by the ambassador himself the next day at the Belgian embassy in Beijing, to deliver the official letter to an official representative from the Chinese government. Christophe and David De Scheemaecker received both a bronze medal of honor/merit from the Chinese government with exchange of the Chinese and European flags. A fantastic and very emotional moment. At their return in Belgium, they were invited at the Royal Palace in Brussels. Another great honor.
In 2020, Christophe and Jean-Claude decided to re-unite the organization and some of the participants found via social networks. From the gathering, a common project arised: a book commemorating the first Paris-Beijing rally-raid, in three languages (including Mandarin Chinese). The book will be released in September 2022 and the first copy will be officially handed over to Jacques Delors.
