(16th June 2010)

Mr Norman Hoare,

Teachers and students,

It is my great pleasure to join the "China Day" event hosted by the St. George's School. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in London and my husband Ambassador Liu Xiaoming, I would like to congratulate you on this event. The commitment by Mr Hoare and his colleagues to promote Chinese culture in the UK and the friendship between our peoples is truly commendable.

I am glad to say that St. George's School is the first secondary school I visited since I came to London. 7 years ago when my husband worked as Assistant Governor of Gansu Province, we visited the school founded by Mr. George Hogg and got to know his touching story.

73 years ago, the 23-year-old Oxford graduate came to China, which was struggling to fight the Japanese invasion. He founded the Peili School in Shandan County to help the local people. He gave his all to the school and to the local children until his untimely death at the age of 30. He left words to leave all he had to Peili School. The people of Gansu built a cemetery to remember him, and on his gravestone was the words of Chinese leader Mr Deng Xiaoping, which reads, "Long live a great fighter of internationalism". I am glad to learn that Mr.Hoare, together with his colleagues and some students, visited Peili School in 2008, and I 'm also glad to learn that there is a movie based on the story of George Hogg. Today it is indeed an honour for me to visit the school, where Mr Hogg studied, and join you for the 2010 China Day event as wife of the Chinese Ambassador to the UK.

From my limited time visiting classrooms and talking to teachers and students, I was very much impressed by the keen interest in the Chinese language and culture. Mr Hogg's legacy was not lost at St George's School. The bond of friendship he developed with China has been passed on to a new generation.

Both China and the UK have a colourful and unique culture in which we take enormous pride. Closer cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, particularly among the young people are very important to the future of our relations. I do hope you have read about the ongoing Shanghai World Expo, the largest one in the history of the world expo, which offers a rare opportunity for the world to know China better.

I am glad to know that many of you are going on a summer camp in China this July, which will take you to Shanghai. I hope you will take this opportunity to see China for yourself and learn more about my country and the Shanghai World Expo. And I would like to invite those who are not going to China to a photo exhibition about the Shanghai World Expo the Embassy will be hosting until the 23rd this month at Asia House. I'm sure you will get to go to China at a later date.

I do hope the story of Mr Hogg in China will continue to inspire you to contribute more to the friendship between our two peoples. And I must let you know that the Embassy will always be a good friend and partner to you in your efforts to better understand China.

Thank you.