"China's ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming* delivers New Year´s wishes" 刘晓明/劉曉明 * Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations held in London...... February 2nd was the first Sunday of the Year of the Horse - and as usual, London put on a big celebration to mark the Chinese New Year. The activity attracted 500,000 residents and tourists, drumming up a festive atmosphere across the British capital. Red lanterns and other festive decorations decked out London's Trafalgar Square for the celebrations of Chinese new year. This is the 14th year that the square played host to activities marking the Spring Festival. Thousands of revellers braved the cold to be a part of the festival, soaking up a little taste of China in the capital. "On average there are 500 thousand people joining the fun. It testifies to the fact that Chinese culture is more and more recognized by foreign people." Said Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to UK. The Year of the Horse celebrations also spread to The London Eye and Madame Tussauds. And other UK cities including Liverpool, Manchester and Oxford also saw some horsey, Chinese-themed celebrations. The festivities will continue until the lantern festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. * *Liu Xiaoming 刘晓明: Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Born: 1956 Birthplace: Guangdong Province, Jieyang City Biography Liu Xiaoming, male, Han nationality, is a native of Guangdong Province, Jieyang City. He was born in 1956 and graduated from Dalian University of Foreign Languages in 1974. Liu earned a master's degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Foreign Affairs of Tufts University in 1983. A career diplomat, Liu spent his first few years after college graduation as a staff member of the Chinese Embassy in Zambia and at the North American and Oceania Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He became deputy section chief of the North American and Oceania Affairs department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1983, serving in that post for five years. Liu then traveled to the United States to assume the second secretary post of the Chinese Embassy. In 1990, he was promoted to the first secretary position at the embassy. After returning to China in 1993, he became a counselor and later deputy director-general of the North American and Oceania Affairs department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His five years in China at the department were followed by a minister's assignment to the Chinese Embassy in the United States. Liu became ambassador to Egypt in 2001. In February 2004, he was appointed as Deputy Secretary-General of Gansu Provincial People's Government and then Assistant Governor of Gansu Province. From 2006 to 2009, he was appointed Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK. Since 2009, he is Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Career Data 2009— Ambassador, Chinese Embassy United Kingdom, England 2006—2009 Ambassador, Chinese Embassy Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Pyongyang 2005—2006 Deputy Director, CPC, Central Committee, Central Foreign Affairs Office 2004—2004 Deputy Secretary-General, People's Government Gansu Province 2004—2005 Assistant Governor, People's Government Gansu Province 2003—2004 Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2001—2003 Ambassador, Chinese Embassy Egypt, Cairo 1998—2001 Minister, Chinese Embassy USA, Washington D.C. 1995—1998 Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North American and Oceania Affairs Department 1994—1995 Counselor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North American and Oceania Affairs Department 1993—1994 Section Chief, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North American and Oceania Affairs Department, United States Affairs Section 1990—1993 First Secretary, Chinese Embassy USA, Washington D.C. 1989—1990 Second Secretary, Chinese Embassy USA, Washington D.C. 1983—1989 Deputy Section Chief, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North American and Oceania Affairs Department 1982—1983 Student, Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Foreign Affairs USA, Massachusetts, Boston 1982—1983 Third Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North American and Oceania Affairs Department 1978—1982 Staff Member, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North American and Oceania Affairs Department 1975—1978 Staff Member, Chinese Embassy Zambia, Lusaka 1974—1975 Staff Member, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1970—1974 Student, Dalian University of Foreign Languages Liaoning Province, Dalian City

• published: 04 Feb 2014
• views: 16