(Ambassador Liu Xiaoming Meeting with Lord Mayor of Manchester Mark Hackett)

On June 25th, the Opening of the Photo Exhibition of the Shanghai World Expo in Manchester was held at the Manchester Metropolitan University. Attending the Opening were Ambassador Liu Xiaoming and his wife Madame Hu Pinghua, Mr. Ni Jian, the Chinese Consul-General in Manchester, Mr. Mark Hackett, Lord Mayor of Manchester, Sir Warren Smith, Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Professor John Brooks, Vice Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University and other over 100 representatives from various local communities.

(Ambassador Liu Xiaoming Delivering a Speech)

Ambassador Liu said in his speech that there were mainly three reasons why the Shanghai Expo has drawn attention from the world: First, it focuse on its theme "Better City, Better Life", the Shanghai World Expo offers new ideas, success stories and new development models for a more sustainable way of life, and provides an occasion to reflect on the future of mankind. Second, the Shanghai World Expo is a collective stage for 246 countries and international organizations to showcase their best work in a major celebration of cultural diversity, innovation and the power of thought in our world. Third, the Shanghai World Expo helps the rest of the world to know more about China. It allows people to see the hospitable Chinese people and a both ancient and modern China embracing reform and openness.

Ambassador Liu said that the UK as the birthplace of the modern Expo actively participated in the Shanghai Expo and the UK pavilion, nicknamed as Dandelion, symbolized the modern creative vigor of Britain. The UK also made full use of the Expo to promote the bilateral cooperation in business, science, technology and culture.

(Consul-General Ni Jian Delivering a Speech)

Ambassador Liu said that Manchester, the second stop of the photo exhibition, has had close cooperation with China. China is ready to work with Manchester to seize the opportunity of the Shanghai Expo to facilitate the development of the mutually beneficial links.

Consul-General Ni Jian, Lord Mayor Mark Hackett and Vice Chancellor John Brooks also made speeches. The participants from the British side said that the Shanghai World Expo embodied China’s active integration into the international community and the its continuously rising influence. Shanghai World Expo is an important opportunity for Shanghai to achieve a leap-frog development, for China to deepen its cooperation with the international community, and for the rest of the world including the UK to learn from each other and achieve common development with China. The photo exhibition will help the public of Manchester to know more about the World Expo, about Shanghai and about China and to better understand the importance and broad prospects of the China-UK relations, and it will be of great significance for enhancing the cooperation between the region and China.

(Lord Mayor Mark Hackett Delivering a Speech)

(Vice Chancellor Professor John Brooks Delivering a Speech)