(16 February 2017)

Sunwah  – 2017 is the 53ᵗʰ anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China. The strategic partnership between France and China has been built, and reinforced, by a number of high-level, bilateral visits by government leaders and supported by a series of educational, art and cultural exchanges organised by civil groups. As a part of this, the Jonathan KS Choi Cultural Centre of Paris was inaugurated in the National Superior School for Fine Arts (the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts) on 16th February 2017. The opening ceremony was organised by the Jonathan KS Choi Foundation, the National Superior School for Fine Arts and the French Embassy in Beijing.

The officiating guests of the opening ceremony were H.E. Jack Lang, Special Envoy of the President of the French Republic, who was formerly twice Minister of Culture and twice Minister of Education; Dr Jonathan Choi, Chairman of Sunwah Group and the Jonathan KS Choi Foundation; Mr Jean-Marc Bustamante, President of the National Superior School for Fine Arts and Mr Yang Zhaohui, Mayor of the Puer Municipal People’s Government. Ambassadors from seven countries also attended the ceremony.

During the ceremony, Dr Jonathan Choi was conferred the French Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by His Excellency Jack Lang for his significant contribution to the promotion of mutual understanding and cultural exchange between France and China.

Dr Jonathan Choi and H.E. Jack Lang, Special Envoy of the President of the French Republic at the Plaque Unveiling Ceremony of the Jonathan KS Choi Cultural Centre of Paris on 16 February 2017

Dr Jonathan Choi, Chairman of Sunwah Group and Jonathan KS Choi Foundation, was conferred Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by H.E. Jack Lang, Special Envoy of the President of the French Republic

The officiating guests, the ambassadors from seven countries and the representatives of the Hong Kong Chinese General Chamber of Commerce at the Opening Ceremony of the Jonathan KS Choi Cultural Centre of Paris

Dr Jonathan Choi said that the Jonathan KS Choi Cultural Centre of Paris would become an additional hub for arts and cultural exchanges in Paris and would work with other cultural centres in United Kingdom, Vietnam, Japan, China and Canada to promote an understanding of, and appreciation and respect for, the unique culture of each country and would generate the kind of good will that would, ultimately, pave the way to a more harmonious world.

Sunwah Group also took the opportunities to introduce to the French public the distinctive Yunnan culture. A Yunnan Province delegation from China was invited to organise a tasting of Pu’er tea and Yunnan coffee with an ethnic minority performance at the opening ceremony.

Dr Jonathan Choi and H.E. Jack Lang at the Yunnan Puer tea tasting, accompanied by Mr Yang Zhaohui (third from right), Mayor of Puer Municipal Government

Dr Jonathan Choi and Mr Jean-Marc Bustamante, President of the National Superior School for Fine Arts (second from right) in front of the Jonathan KS Choi Cultural Centre of Paris

To mark the inauguration of the Jonathan KS Choi Cultural Centre of Paris, an exhibition of “China – Sketches for Historical Paintings 1950-1970” was held at the Chapel of Petits-Augustins in the National Superior School for Fine Arts and open to the public.  Besides bringing Chinese arts and culture to France, the Jonathan KS Choi Foundation will also bring French arts and culture to China. In October and November 2017, the Jonathan KS Choi Foundation will sponsor and organise a touring exhibition of approximately 130 pieces of art from the National Superior School for Fine Arts and the National Centre of Visual Arts (the Centre National des Arts Plastiques). The exhibition will take place at the National Museum in Beijing and then move on to Kunming in December.

Source: Sunwah Group