Photography exhibition on China-France-Europe cultural exchanges opens in Beijing

A photography exhibition showcasing intercultural understanding and cultural exchanges between China, France, and Europe opened on Saturday at Beijing Language and Culture University, giving Beijing’s educational, cultural and diplomatic communities a chance for cross-cultural dialogue.

The inauguration ceremony of "Photographic Gaze on Chinese, French and European Cultures" was attended by the university's president, representatives from the French Embassy in China, exhibiting photographers, and guests from cultural and artistic circles.

"We are delighted to see that this space has truly become a meeting point for French and Chinese cultures, fulfilling its founding mission: to bring civilizations together and to foster the confrontation of diverse ideas. Today, our gaze extends further. This photo exhibition broadens the horizons of human exchanges beyond China and France, to include the European Union as well. Sixty carefully selected works depict the human faces, daily lives, and natural beauty of China, France, and EU member states," said Duan Peng, President of Beijing Language and Culture University.

As France celebrates photography's bicentenary, the exhibition highlights its enduring power to bridge cultures.

"This exhibition carries special resonance, as 2026 marks the bicentenary of photography in France. Two centuries after the early experiments that led to the invention of this art form, this anniversary invites us to reflect on the essential role photography plays in our understanding of the world. As art, as testimony, as memory, as a universal language, it allows us to cast a sensitive eye over our societies and to better grasp our cultures," said Florent Aydalot, minister counselor for cultural, educational and scientific affairs at the Embassy of France in China.

The exhibition is divided into three sections—China, France, and Europe—each presenting a unique cultural mosaic. From Chinese steppes and deserts to lively folk festivals, from French monuments and street scenes to ceremonial events and everyday life in Europe, the collection as a whole paints a rich, vibrant intercultural panorama.

"There are some exceptionally talented photographers here. Photography, as an art form, is one of the few ways to let others see through your eyes. So being exposed to these different perspectives, whether Chinese or European, is a truly wonderful opportunity to discover how people perceive the world and understand each other's cultures," said Aaron Berkovich, one of the exhibiting photographers.

For one visitor, the exhibition is more than a collection of images—it is a visual dialogue between cultures.

"For me, the visual is a real connection between two countries, between two cultures. It is the photographers' vision, but also the vision of the cultural background each of us carries. There are the gazes from one side, and the gazes from the other: gazes that are much more natural, much more social, much more architectural, or even the way we perceive light—because that, too, is our way of seeing," said Fuentes Franklin, a visitor.

Under the sign of friendship between the Chinese and French peoples, the exhibition highlights exchanges and coexistence among different cultures, bearing witness to the sincere friendship between the two nations.

Photography exhibition on China-France-Europe cultural exchanges opens in Beijing

Photography exhibition on China-France-Europe cultural exchanges opens in Beijing

China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the statement made by Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi 10 years after the so-called "2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea", a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in Beijing on Sunday.

The statement blatantly endorses the illegal "award", attacks China's lawful claims and mischaracterizes Japan as a "legitimate stakeholder who uses the South China Sea", said the spokesperson.

Japan is not a party in the South China Sea and is in no position to pass judgment on China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. During World War II, Japan committed innumerable crimes that caused untold suffering on China and its people, including the illegal occupation of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, said the spokesperson.

Now decades later, Japan, in the name of a "stakeholder", is again attempting to meddle in the South China Sea. This reminds people of Japan's history of aggression and expansion, and heightens their vigilance against Japan's neo-militarism agenda, said the spokesperson.

China's sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea were established in the long course of history, and are solidly grounded in the law. China's activities in the South China Sea are fully legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. China's rights in the South China Sea can by no means be denied by the makeshift "arbitral tribunal", said the spokesperson.

In rendering the "award", the "arbitral tribunal" exceeded its authority and abused its jurisdiction. The "award" is naturally illegal, null and void, and has no binding force. It has gravely undermined the sanctity and authority of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and dealt a serious blow to the international rule of law, said the spokesperson.

China neither accepts nor recognizes the "award", and opposes and will never accept any claim or action arising from it, the spokesperson added.

By turning a blind eye to the glaring flaws in the "award" while openly endorsing it, Japan has laid bare its double standards and hypocrisy, said the spokesperson.

What Japan really cares about is not the international rule of law, but meddling in and destabilizing the South China Sea. For some time, Japan has been stepping up collaboration with the Philippines and expanding its export of weapons and equipment to the country. Japan has also deployed military forces overseas on many occasions and launched offensive missiles. These actions go far beyond the scope of self-defense, break free from Japan's Constitution and norms in the international law, and challenge the post-war international order, said the spokesperson.

China urges Japan to stop smearing China, stop sowing disinformation in the South China Sea, and stop undermining peace and stability in the region, said the spokesperson, adding that China will continue firmly defending its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

Any attempts to challenge China's lawful rights and interests and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea are doomed to fail, the spokesperson said.

China strongly deplores Japanese FM's statement on South China Sea: spokesperson