China launches Wushu Carnival for diplomats

BEIJING - Wushu has opened its arms to the foreign diplomats as the Wushu Carnival with the Diplomatic Corp in China kicked off at the China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU) on Wednesday.

Ambassadors, officials and staffs at the foreign embassies in Beijing may join the Wushu class every Sunday afternoon at CFAU, learning Tai-chi, Bagua, Shaolin...etc.

The three-month Wushu Carnival will end on late September.

"Wushu is precious cultural heritages of the Chinese nation. It's a valuable bridge for other countries in the world to understand Chinese culture and strengthen cultural exchanges," said President Zhao Jinjun of CFAU during the Launching Ceremony of Wushu Carnival with the Diplomats.

"Wushu stresses self-cultivation, building up strong and healthy body, making friends during practicing, and learning from others' ?strong points; Wushu respects peace, justice, and harmony, stands for self-improvement and social commitment, and pursues world harmony, humanity and love. We are elated to see that nowadays international exchanges of Wushu are becoming increasingly prosperous," Zhao said.

According to Shao Shiwei, vice president of China Wushu Association, it is important to have more foreign friends understand inner essence of Wushu by learning and practicing.

"The Interactional Wushu Federation now has 145 members all over the worlds. I am impressed by there are many foreign ambassadors are interested in Wushu and attend the launching ceremony. Wushu is not just for watching, but practicing. I hope Wushu will make them stronger and better understanding of the sport and Chinese culture," Shao Shiwei said.