Long Yuxiang and Ambassador John McCallum Talked about China-Canada Cooperation

8 July, member of Foreign Affairs Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Executive Chairman of China International Cultural Communication Center Long Yuxiang exchanged in-depth views with Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum on further strengthening exchanges and cooperation between CICCC and Canada, and later attended the graduation ceremony of the Concord College of Sino-Canada in 2017 in the Great Hall of the People.

Long Yuxiang said that education promotes a country, if education is strong and thriving, so would be the country. In 2016, when visiting Beijing Bayi High School, President Xi Jinping stressed that education determines the current and also determines the future of humankind. In order to realize the “two one-hundred-year goals” and achieve the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation, we must pay more attention to education, and cultivate more and better people to meet the needs of the Party, the country, the people and the times. The achievements of Concord College of Sino-Canada are obvious to people with batch after batch of excellent graduates. Bless the 2017 graduates and wish you a bright future. CICCC looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with Canada to promote the common development of Chinese and Canadian education and to strengthen the traditional friendship between China and Canada. In addition, Canada is known as a kingdom of ice and snow. Beijing Kunlun Red Star Hockey Club, which is under the management of CICCC, has made great progress. We look forward to working with Canada to promote the popularity and development of ice hockey in China.

Canada’s Ambassador to China, John McCallum said that Canada expects to have more cooperation with China on trade, investment and education. Education cooperation between Canada and China is very successful, of which the Concord College of Sino-Canada is a typical example. He also said that the 2022 Winter Olympics in China is coming soon. Considering that Canada has a unique environmental advantage in winter sports and has formed a mature development mechanism, he believes that Canada and China have a lot of room for cooperation on ice and snow sports, and looks forward to working with CICCC to put into effect and also to strengthen cultural exchanges and other cooperation, thus deepening the understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Beijing Concord College of Sino-Canada is jointly run by the Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, and the Ministry of Education in New Brunswick Canada, and Canadian education group AKD International. Adhering to the educational concept of “people-oriented, Chinese and foreign integration; respect differences and teach students in accordance with their aptitude; all-around development and unity of knowledge and action”, the school is dedicated to creating an educational platform suitable for teachers and students, and to cultivating international talents with “Chinese affection, international vision, ecological civilization, innovation, leadership and social service”.

Leaders of education systems in Beijing and other provinces and municipalities, Canadian Ambassador to China, head of the Ministry of Education in New Brunswick Canada, representatives of Canadian universities, other Chinese and foreign guests, graduates, parents and people from all walks of life attended the ceremony, totally more than 1800. President of the Beijing Concord College of Sino-Canada Peng Jianhua, Canadian Ambassador John McCallum, Vice-Minister of Education of New Brunswick Canada John McLaughlin, and member of the National Advisory Committee on education and the honorary president of the World Federation of UNESCO Tao Xiping delivered speeches at the ceremony, and representatives of graduates and parents also gave speeches. School leaders and guests award medals, certificates and scholarships to students who obtain the Canadian Governor General’s Academic Award and other special scholarships, and also awarded high school diplomas and scholarships to all graduates.