Beijing, December 4 (China News Network) -- Today, the "China-Canada Friendship Envoy - Commemorating the 130th Anniversary of Norman Bethune's Birth" online dialogue meeting was held, and Canadian friendship organizations from six cities in Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto, Waterloo, Winnipeg, and Gravenhurst, Bethune's relatives, hometown representatives, research scholars, and Chinese people from Beijing, Hebei, Shaanxi and other places gathered in the clouds to commemorate this Sino-Canadian friendship ambassador. And on how to better promote the spirit of Bethune and other issues to carry out interactive exchanges.
The event was co-organized by the Beijing Municipal People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the China International Friends Research Association, the Bethune Spirit Research Society, the China Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall and the Waterloo Confucius Institute in Canada, which was also the twentieth session of the "Capital People's Friendship Exchange and Cooperation Cloud Dialogue" of the Beijing Municipal People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
Dr. Bethune's cousin, Warren Bethune, was commissioned by the Bethune family to represent the family at the dialogue. Dr. Bethune's hometown, Dr. Bethune's hometown, Mayor Paul Kelly of Grevenhurst, Canada, Deputy Mayor Heidi Lorenz, and Dong Chun, daughter of Bethune's translator Dong Yueqian, attended the dialogue as the descendants of Dr. Bethune's relatives, friends, and representatives of hometown people.
He Liliang, advisor to the China International Friends Research Association, recalled Dr. Bethune's visit to Yan'an in March 1938. She said that commemorating Bethune and learning from Him will play a role in promoting the development of international friendship, especially the friendship between the Chinese and Canadian peoples.
Dr. Bethune's student and former vice president of the General Hospital of the Beijing Military Region, Zhang Yesheng, is 98 years old. He said that the admiration for Bethune came from the bottom of his heart, and he has always taken Bethune as his example, whether he is a doctor or a dean, for decades, he has never changed his life and doing things like Bethune.
Zhang Qian, executive vice president of the Beijing Municipal People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said that Dr. Bethune has touched generations of Chinese people, "Our commemoration of him is not only to commemorate his deeds and contributions, but also to jointly safeguard the foundation of China-Canada relations, maintain the friendly feelings of the Chinese and Canadian peoples, and let this friendship be passed on from generation to generation." ”
Stephen Shabell, representative of the Canada-China Friendship Association, spoke about his 10 years of teaching experience in China. He remembered his first visit to Anqing, Anhui Province, many years ago, when he introduced himself as a Canadian, the local people would hold his hand tightly and talk about Dr. Bethune with emotion, and at that moment, he realized how kind and important Dr. Bethune was to the Chinese. At the Bethune Memorial in Shijiazhuang, he solemnly wrote in the guestbook: "Dr. Bethune's humanitarian spirit makes me feel proud to be a Canadian." ”
John Ducas, President of the Canadian Bethune Association, is a well-known cardiologist in Canada, and he introduced his and the association's touching experience of re-embarking on the Bethune road over the years, teaching and free clinics in China. He has visited China a total of 12 times so far, and has successively added family, friends and colleagues to make this team grow stronger. In this way, he hopes to carry forward the spirit of Bethune and make the world a better place.
The main venue of the dialogue was located at the Chinese Memorial Hall of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the curator Luo Cunkang introduced the precious collection of Dr. Bethune at the dialogue. He said: Commemorating Bethune and carrying forward the bethune spirit is an emotional way to remember the valuable assistance and support given by various anti-fascist forces in the world, such as peace-loving countries and peoples and international organizations, to the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Hebei Province is the place where Dr. Bethune once fought and finally rested, and representatives of the People's Association of Hebei Province for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Bethune Memorial Hall of the Martyrs Cemetery of the North China Military Region, and the Bethune Memorial Hall of Tang County, Hebei Province, all attended the meeting online. Lu Xiaomei, executive vice president of the Hebei Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said that the people of Hebei have a special and deep affection for Dr. Bethune. Bethune's sacrificial hometown of Tang County, Hebei Province, and his hometown of Gravenhurst, Canada, are also friendly counties and cities. The association hopes to jointly organize an essay contest and speech contest for young people from the two countries with China and Canada, so that more people of the two countries, especially the young generation, can join the cause of China-Canada friendship through various forms. (End)
Source: China News Network
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