Celebration of Int'l Taijiquan Day held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris

A celebration event was held on Wednesday at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris for the first International Taijiquan Day, to promote the traditional Chinese martial art while delivering its essence of health and harmony.

The event, themed "Fit for Life, Go for Taiji," was attended by more than 400 people, including permanent mission representatives from over 10 countries such as Russia, Colombia, and Vietnam, UNESCO officials, and lovers of Taijiquan.

Lidia Brito, acting assistant director-general for social sciences and humanities at UNESCO, and Yang Xinyu, permanent delegate of China to UNESCO, attended the event and delivered speeches.

At the event, Taijiquan practitioners from China and France jointly presented a wonderful performance, showcasing the unique charm and profound meaning of the sport, while promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture and a healthy lifestyle.

In November 2025, the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference adopted a resolution designating March 21 of each year as International Taijiquan Day. This is the first international day in the UN system named after a martial art.

Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with the European Parliament's delegation for relations with China led by chair Engin Eroglu in Beijing on Wednesday.

Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with the European Union (EU) to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation, and pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

He said China stands ready to join hands with the EU to address global challenges, promote exchanges and cooperation among legislative bodies, effectively utilize communication mechanisms, and advance the sound and stable development of China-EU relations.

Eroglu said the EU stands ready to work with China to contribute to the development of EU-China relations.