On 15 January, a photo exhibition on Chinese navigator Zheng He was opened at the European Parliament headquarters in Strasbourg. Ambassador Zhang Ming was invited to attend and address the opening ceremony.
Ambassador Zhang said that over 600 years ago, Zheng He led the most advanced fleet of his time on seven voyages to the western seas, bringing Chinese silk, tea and porcelain and forging friendship with the local people. The spirit of peace, cooperation and openness, embodied in Zheng He's story, is as relevant as ever to both China and the world at large.
Ambassador Zhang said that in the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China especially in the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has achieved a lot. That has been made possible by the overall global stability and a generally open environment for international cooperation, in addition to China's own hard work. China will stay committed to the policy of opening-up, and continue to contribute to global peace, openness and win-win cooperation.
Ambassador Zhang stressed the shared commitment of China and the EU to peace and openness. Given the rising trend of instability, uncertainty and protectionism, China stands ready to work with the EU to uphold the rules-based global order and stand firmly for global peace and common development.
Mr. Nirj Deva, Chair of the EU-China Friendship Group, said that history about Zheng He showed that even at the time when China was a leading power, it colonized no one and conquered none. Soon China will be at the vanguard of global industrial and scientific revolutions. China has not and will not be an aggressive power. Its culture is simply different from the West. Mr. Deva expressed the hope that China and the EU step up cooperation to create a peaceful development paradigm for the whole world.
The photo exhibition, jointly organized by the EU-China Friendship Group of the European Parliament, China Maritime Museum and China Artistic Photography Society, lasts for a week.
