May 3, 19:30 Beijing Time (14:30 Moscow Time). The National Centre for the Performing Arts of China and the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia jointly held a special concert to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as the "treaty"). This is the first official event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of the treaty and also an important achievement of the friendship between the capitals of China and Russia. Musicians from China and Russia performed classic pieces of the two countries in the concert online to praise the profound friendship between the two peoples and express the good wishes of China and Russia as good neighbors, good partners and good friends forever.

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova delivered video speeches.

Sun Chunlan pointed out that celebrating the 20th anniversary of the signing of the treaty represents a milestone in the development of Sino-Russian relations. Both sides will continue to carry forward the spirit of the treaty under the strategic guidance of the two heads of states and promote the development of bilateral relations in a broader scope, on a wider field and at a deeper level. Additionally, the two sides will hold more people-to-people exchange activities in fields like education, culture, health, sports and tourism, to promote mutual understanding between the two peoples and mutual learning between the two civilizations, and to advance the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.

Tatyana Golikova said that Russia is willing to make joint efforts with China to deepen cultural and people-to-people cooperation and consolidate the social foundation of Russia-China friendship. 

For the first time, the concert was live streamed through satellite signal transmission, which enabled simultaneous performance across space to achieve high-definition and nearly zero-delay interactive communication. A total of more than 2,000 spectators at home and abroad watched the concert at the scene. The live performance of the concert was broadcast through the NCPA Classical Music Channel and other media platforms in China and through the Culture Channel of National Russian Television Broadcasting Corporation (Russia-K) in Russia.

Valery Borisov, Conductor, Chief Chorus Master, together with the singer Denis Makarov, performed classical Russian opera music such as the March of the Maid of Orleans. Lv Jia, Music and Art Director of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, performed Chinese classic melodies such as Ode to the Red Flag and Red Silk Dance together with the pianist Chen Sa.

Mo Gaoyi, Member of the Standing Committee of Beijing Committee of the Communist Party of China and Head of the Communication Department of Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Wang Ning, Vice Chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the National Centre for the Performing Arts attended the concert.

(Photo by CNS)