On May. 9th, H.E. Lan lijun, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Canada, attended the "Tibet: Past and Present" Photo Exhibition held at Nepean City Hall in Ottawa. Also present at the opening ceremony were John Baird (Minister of Transport), Pierre Poilievre (MP), Paul Dewar (MP), Jim Watson(Housing Minister of Ontario) and about 100 representatives from the local community and Media.
Ambassador Lan delivered opening remarks. He said the photo exhibition in retrospect of Tibet in the past and in progress launched today is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Democratic Reform in Tibet and the successful quelling of the rebellion in Tibet in 1959. Photos, historical data and statistics are the true witnesses of history. Tibet has been an integral part of China since ancient times. Prior to 1959, Tibetan serfs and slaves suffered ruthless political oppression and economic exploitation by serf-owners. After the democratic reform, the social system of Tibet has developed by leaps and bounds; its modernization has advanced rapidly; Tibetan society has undergone gigantic historic changes; and remarkable progress has been made in the cause of human rights, which has attracted worldwide attention.
The participating guests highly appreciated the opportunity to attend the exhibition. They called for more Canadians coming to visit the exhibition, and to gain a better understanding about Tibet and the Chinese culture. Canada and China have recently seen more frequent exchange of high-level visits. With the recent successful visits of Mr. Stockwell Day, the Minister of Canadian International Trade and Mr. Lawrence Cannon, the Canadian Foreign Minister, it is certain that the bilateral relationship will be further improved and developed in the near future.