The 89th Universal Esperanto Congress will be held at the Beijing International Convention Center from July 24 to 31, announced Guo Xiaoyong, vice president of the China International Publishing Group and secretary-general of the congress’ preparatory committee. Mr. Guo was speaking at a press conference on July 23.
This is Beijing’s second time hosting the congress. In 1986, the 71st congress was held in the capital city.
Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People’s Congress (NPC), will be the special patron of this year’s congress. NPC Vice Chairman Xu Jialu is honorary chairman of the preparatory committee and Zhao Qizheng, minister of the State Council Information Office, is director of the preparatory committee.
Some 2,000 Esperantists from 51 countries will attend this year’s event. A diverse group that includes scholars, teachers, government officials, professionals, clerical workers, entrepreneurs and homemakers, will be united in that they all speak the same language.
Reinhard Selten, winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize in Economics, is also expected to attend.
The annual International Reception and Congress University will be featured, as usual, in this year’s World Esperanto Congress.
There are over 100 items on this year’s agenda, several of which have distinctly Chinese characteristics, such as the “Feel China, Charming Beijing” exhibition, China Day events and Esperanto Woods inauguration ceremony. An evening of performances by members of China’s ethnic minorities will be one of the entertainment highlights.
At the closing ceremony, the Congress will issue the Beijing Declaration, which advocates language equality.
The World Esperanto Congress is organized by the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA) in host countries. The First World Esperanto Congress was held in France in 1905. Since 1908 it has been held once every year, except during the periods of the two world wars.
The 89th Congress in Beijing is sponsored by the China Esperanto League, an affiliate of the China International Publishing Group.
Founded in 1951, the China Esperanto League joined the UEA in 1980. In 1986, the league sponsored the 71st congress in Beijing, with 2,482 Esperantists from nearly 60 countries participating. It was the largest international conference that China had held at that time.
Esperanto is an international language created by Polish ophthalmologist Lejzer Ludwik Zamenhof in 1887. Based on Indo-European languages, it is intended to remove language barriers in international exchange and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between different peoples of the world.
In the early 1900s, Chinese who had studied in Japan and Europe introduced Esperanto into China. With the support of such eminent men of letters as Cai Yuanpei, Lu Xun, Hu Yuzhi, Ba Jin and Chen Duxiu, Esperanto gradually spread across the country.
The Chinese government and state leaders have supported the promotion and application of Esperanto in China since 1949. El Popola Cinio (China Report), a magazine dedicated to developing Esperanto, promoting friendship and introducing China, was launched in 1950. In 1951, the China Esperanto League was established with Hu Yuzhi as its president.
Today, the China International Publishing Group, China.org.cn, the China Report Press and China Radio International continue to introduce China to the world through Esperanto.
(China.org.cn July 23, 2004)
