Chinese Embassy hosts reform photo exhibit in London
The Chinese Embassy in the UK hosted a photo exhibit to mark the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up on Tuesday at Central Hall Westminster in London.
Through 40 images, the exhibit, entitled “Glorious Journey,” showcased the changes in China during the 40 years of reform and opening up. More than 150 guests from the Chinese and British government, industry and academy attended the event.
Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said that the 40 years have been “a glorious chapter” in the history of China. It includes the pioneering, relentless and united efforts and unswerving dedication of the Chinese people, he said.
Liu pointed out that the reform and opening up is an on-going process. “Going forward, China plans to deepen reform and open its markets wider to the world. This matches well with the UK’s goal of building a ‘global Britain.’ Such synergy will open up a broader space and create more opportunities for cooperation between our two countries in various areas.”
Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain’s 48 Group Club, said that China is not trying to transform the world; China is transforming itself and will continue to transform China. Perry believes that China is not seeking hegemony as it grows stronger. “It’s not just a moral principle for China. China has studied the history of empires and China is practicing a scientific method.”
Sir Colin Humphreys, professor of Materials Science at Cambridge University and Professor of Experimental Physics at the Royal Institution in London, told the Global Times, “The exhibit tells the remarkable story of the development of China in the last 40 years which has been just really fantastic.”
Humphreys pointed out that there is a picture of people watching the first black and white television set in China, “so you get this tremendous idea of progress which has been so rapid. Many other countries have had progress over hundreds of years, whilst China’s progress has been compressed into 40 years, which is remarkable.”
Humphreys particularly liked the photo that shows China’s first independently developed large passenger aircraft C919 rolling off the assembly line in Shanghai. He shared his experience of visiting the Beijing Institute for Aeronautical Materials: There was so much advanced technology in the engines and also in the bodywork.
“For China to develop this is very impressive,” he added.