Oct. 29, 2009
Contact:
Leah Seupersad, 404-413-1354
University Relations
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| China-US Peace and Friendship sculpture |
The Association of Chinese Professionals in Atlanta (ACP) assisted in the installation of the milestone sculpture during an award ceremony and ribbon cutting at Georgia State Oct. 29, near GSU's Recreation Center at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Decatur Street.
"It's a real honor and privilege for Georgia State University to share in this wonderfully historic occasion of 30 years of formal relationships and friendship between our two countries and to be able to host this sculpture here at our university," GSU President Mark Becker said. "If you think back to what has been accomplished in these 30 years it's nothing short of amazing. Georgia State in particular has been very pleased, honored and privileged to have numerous strong relationships with institutions in China. We hope that it will be visited often by friends on both sides to remember this historic occasion."
Atlanta was one of six cities in the United States and China selected to receive the sculptures, which depict the underlining desire and longing of all human beings for peace and friendship. "Peace" and "Friendship" are engraved on the sculpture in Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Arabic in the shape of ribbons flying from the four corners of the earth, which are attached on the top of the pyramid.
The engraving on the sculpture reads: "We casted peace and friendship, the most desired and cherished words of man kind into this sculpture as a present to the hometown of President Jimmy Carter from thousands of miles away, China. This sculpture is to commemorate the 30th anniversary of establishment of formal diplomatic relations between China and the United States, which symbolizes the sincere hopes and best wishes of Chinese people for lasting peace and friendship between our two countries."
Congratulatory speeches were given by numerous special guests attending the award ceremony, including Zou Wen, general secretary of the Sculpture Council of Chinese Artists Association; Georgia Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams; Yanping Gao, consual general from the Consulate in Houston People's Republic of China; and John Stremlau, vice president of the Carter Center. Proclamations from the State of Georgia and the City of Atlanta were also presented.
"China and U.S. relations are now at a historical point after 30 years of development and we have every reason and responsibility to promote greater and better friendship and relationships between China and the United States in the next 30 years," Gao said. "This sculpture serves as a token of friendship from Chinese people to American people and I wish this friendship would last from generation to generation."