Diplomats wish China a happy 70th birthday

Men dressed in lounge suits and women dressed in their traditional best attended the reception hosted at the Embassy of China to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. Sun Weidong, Ambassador of China, and his wife Bao Jiqing, played the perfect hosts as they warmly greeted diplomats, politicians and academicians, among others.Addressing a gathering of over 1,000 guests, the Ambassador said, “As the only two developing countries with more than one billion population, China-India relations go beyond the bilateral scope and has global significance. We need to deepen practical cooperation in all fields, expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges and enhance mutual understanding and trust.” China’s 70th National Day will fall on October 1 this year.
Performers played traditional Chinese musical instruments
Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, who was the guest of honour, took special interest in Chinese calligraphy and the folk dance performances. CPI General Secretary D Raja and his wife Annie Raja were seen enjoying the Kung Fu martial arts performance by the children of Chinese diplomats. The catchy tunes of the traditional Chinese musical instruments, including pipa, dizi flutes, drums and gongs, added a special flavour to the evening.
Bao Jiqing
Apart from enjoying the cultural performances, guests were seen thronging the stalls exhibiting the traditional Chinese art of paper cutting, calligraphy and Chinese opera performer’s makeup. The art of making Lamian noodles, which includes twisting, stretching and folding of the dough into strands, also caught the fancy of food lovers present among the guests.
Andre Aranha Correa do Lago, Ambassador of Brazil
Francois Delhaye, Ambassador of Belgium
MS Sahni, founder, Indo-Algeria Economic Cooperation Council
RS Jaura
Vladimir Maric, Ambassador of Serbia, with his wife Jovana Maric