During the May Day holiday, many foreign visitors and merchants attending the Canton Fair in Guangdong Province have been enjoying dragon boat races and other cultural and tourism activities held in Foshan City.
During the five-day holiday, which began on Thursday, Foshan will hold dragon boat racing alongside more than 400 other cultural and tourism activities such as food festivals, intangible cultural heritage performances, and music festivals.
The activities are expected to increase tourist arrivals by more than 10 percent.
Sibani, a trader from the Middle East, attended the second phase of the ongoing 137th China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair. During the May Day holiday, Sibani and his friends came to Jiujiang Town in Foshan to experience dragon boat racing and taste local delicacies.
"It just so happened that I was visiting the Canton Fair, and then I came to Jiujiang to look for some companies. Some of the business owners are my friends, and they brought me here. I also want to experience the dragon boat myself," he said.
"I just had a good experience, like experiencing the local food here. And at the same time, here is the river where is the dragon race. So it's like a connected experience,” said Sibani’s friend Philip.
Many foreign visitors like Sibani have come for the dragon boat races, with some saying watching the race and tasting the food were their main reason to be here, along with searching for special dragon boat souvenirs.
"I've been traveling for the last two weeks in China. Today I'm here invited to see the dragon race, and it's the first time and it's so amazing,” said Omar, a Moroccan tourist.
"Our restaurant is located along the river. It was fully booked long ago. Our business revenue has increased by at least 50 to 60 percent due to the dragon boat race," said Lu Huiling, owner of a restaurant in Jiujiang.
Foreign visitors enjoy dragon boat races, cultural activities in Foshan
China calls for an immediate stop to military operations in the Middle East to prevent further escalation and avoid the spillover of the conflict, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.
Wang reiterated China's stance on Iran situation during a press conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing where he answered questions of journalists from home and abroad on China's foreign policy and external relations.
"China's attitude is objective and impartial. We have stated our principled position on multiple occasions, which can be summarized into one key message, that is to achieve ceasefire and end hostilities. Ancient Chinese wisdom warns that weapons are ominous tools and should not be used without discretion. Seeing the Middle East engulfed in flames, I want to say this is a war that should never have happened, and one that benefits no one. The history of the Middle East tells the world once again that force is not the way to resolve problems, and resorting to arms will only breed new hatred and new crises. Once again, China calls for an immediate stop to military operations to avoid the spiraling escalation of the situation and avoid the spillover of the conflict," Wang said.
The foreign minister put forward five fundamental principles for handling the situation in Iran and expressed China's commitment to contributing to peaceful development of the Middle East region.
"China believes that to properly and appropriately handle issues related to Iran and the Middle East, several fundamental principles should be adhered to. First, respecting national sovereignty. Sovereignty is the cornerstone of the current international order. We maintain that the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Iran and all countries in the Gulf region should be respected and not violated. Second, refraining from the abuse of force. A strong fist does not mean a strong argument. The world cannot revert to the law of the jungle. Willful use of force does not prove one's strengths. People should not be innocent victims of war," he said.
"Third, adhering to non-interference in internal affairs. The people of the Middle East are the true owners of this region, and the affairs of the Middle East should be independently decided by the countries in the region. Plotting color revolution or seeking regime change are not welcomed. Fourth, promoting political settlement of hotspot issues. China always believes that peace is the most precious. All sides should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible, resolve differences through equal dialogue and make efforts to realize common security," Wang said.
"Fifth, major countries should play a constructive role and use their strength in a benevolent way. Another old saying in China reads when benevolence and justice are not practiced, the position of strength shifts. Major countries should act in the spirit of justice and righteousness and contribute more positive energy to peace and development of the Middle East. As a sincere friend and strategic partner of Middle East countries, China is willing to work with them to implement the Global Security Initiative, restore order to the Middle East, bring peace to the people and contribute to world peace," Wang said.
China calls for immediate ceasefire in Middle East: FM
