China on the march
Heavyweights from the world of politics, business and culture all joined Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming for his first National Day celebration in London. Addressing the audience, the Ambassador reflected on how far China had come since Mao Zedong proclaimed to the world 61 years ago that the Chinese people had “stood up”.
Having lifted 250 million people out of poverty and still flush from a successful Olympic Games and Shanghai Expo, China is clearly on the march, but Ambassador Xiaoming also reminded guests that many challenges lay ahead: 150 million people still live in poverty, China is working on its human rights there is still a long way to climb up the value chain. “It takes 800 million shirts to buy one airbus plane!” he told the guests.
Speaking ahead of Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to China, the Ambassador said there was more that united the UK and China than divided them, adding that Britain’s ‘Dandelion’ seed exhibition at the Expo – a scientific collaboration between British Royal Botanic Gardens and the Kunming Institute of Botanical Sciences – not only won the competition, but also the hearts of millions of Chinese visitors and school children across China who will be receiving rods of seeds, to “sow the seeds of China-UK friendship”.

PHOTOS: PIERRE DE VILLIERS

Ambassador Xiaoming welcomes the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps Charles Gray

Ambassador Xiaoming toasts China’s National Day.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt addresses the audience

The High Commissioner for Pakistan Mr Wajid Shamsul Hasan congratulates Ambassador Xiaoming