On the morning of 13 January 2022, the opening ceremony of the "Cultural Memories through the Lens - Sino-UAE Friendship Photography Exhibition",i.e. the Spring Foreign Affairs Salon of China Tianying 2022, was jointly organized by the UAE Embassy in Beijing and China Tianying Beijing Office.

Mr. and Mrs. Ali Zahiri, UAE Ambassador to China, Mr. and Mrs. Wu Sike, former Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador to Egypt and representative of the African Union and former Special Envoy to the Middle East, Ms.Yang Baozhen, wife of the former diplomat of the Chinese Embassy in France and former Ambassador to Gabon, as well as wives of ambassadors or representatives of more than 20 countries and international organizations in China, attended the event.

The exhibition showcased over thirty photographs by three photographers from China, the UAE and the United States, all provided by the UAE Embassy. Ali Essa Juma, a royal photographer who showcases the magnificent urban and desert landscapes of the UAE through his magnificent lens; Zhang Shumin, a Chinese photographer living in the UAE who documents the contemporary scene of life in the UAE. The special guest artist was American photographer Michael Cherney, who has lived in China for over thirty years and creates photos in a composition similar to Chinese landscape painting.

In his welcome speech, Mr. Xu Chengzhi, Vice President of CNTY, said that 2022 marks the 38th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE, with the two countries enjoying unprecedentedly close relations and more active exchanges in the fields of culture, education and aviation. Through the lenses of three distinguished artists, people gained a deeper understanding of the beautiful country of the UAE. As an international environmental protection enterprise, CNTY is committed to promoting global cultural exchange and sustainable development. In the New Year, the company wishes to use this photography exhibition as a start to foster more friendly exchanges and cooperation with the UAE Embassy.

Ambassador Zahiri thanked all the guests for coming and said that the UAE Embassy in Beijing and the CNTY Beijing Office are very close neighbours and thanked CNTY for co-organising this event. Ambassador Zahiri said, "A picture conveys a message that is worth a thousand words, and I hope that through this photo exhibition, people will get to know the UAE and better understand the cultures of both countries".

Ambassador Wu Sike said that China and the UAE have a long history of friendly relations, and the "Belt and Road" initiative since 2013 has brought the two sides even closer, and this event is a successful example of Sino-UAE cultural exchange. He praised CNTY for its efforts in promoting environmental protection and international cultural exchange.

At the event, Mr. Liu Chunyang, Director of Foreign Affairs of CNTY, presented Ambassador and Mrs Zahiri with a specially created brush painting of the UAE "Ode to Friendship" by Chinese artist Sun Chen. The opening ceremony was followed by a photography workshop, where Michael Cherney explained photography techniques to the guests and conveyed the artistic appeal of photography.

The exhibition will last until the Chinese New Year, and CNTY Beijing office will continue to invite Chinese and foreign friends to visit the exhibition, enhancing the company's popularity and reputation in the UAE and the Middle East.

Guests at the event

Xu Chengzhi,Ambassador Zahiri, Michael Cherney and Liu Chunyang at the event