On February 12, Consul General Tang Rui was invited to Manchester’s Chinese New Year Appreciation Dinner. More than 300 people attended the dinner, including Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Sharman Birtles MBE JP DL, Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Yasmine Dar, President of the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester (FCAM) Ms Lisa Kit Yee Yam DL, and local people.

Consul General Tang Rui said that Manchester’s Chinese New Year celebrations have been widely applauded, received positive feedback and quite impressive. It was the hard work of President Lisa Kit Yee Yam DL and all the local Chinese that made the Chinese New Year an important festival for the people of Manchester, contributing significantly to the promotion of Chinese culture and bringing the two countries closer together. Consul General Tang Rui also introduced China's latest development achievements, and pointed out that the Consulate General was looking forward to continuing working with people from all walks of life to promote a fruitful cooperation in the region and facilitating a better development of the overseas Chinese associations.

In the guests’ speech, the contribution of the overseas Chinese associations to enriching local cultural life was highly appreciated. A cultural troupe from Chengdu staged the unique performances of Sichuan province and recommended Chengdu to the audience.