Omer Eisa Ahmed, the Sudanese Ambassador to China. Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

On January 13, a ceremony was held at the Grand Millennium Beijing to celebrate Sudan's 60th anniversary of independence. The event drew the participation over 600 people, including government officials, diplomats, entrepreneurs and members of the media. Chen Yuan, the vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Makkawi Mohamed Awad, Sudan's Minister of Petroleum, and Abdul-Rahman Dirar, Sudan's Minister of Finance and National Economy, attended the event. Omer Eisa Ahmed, the Sudanese Ambassador to China, gave a speech in which he reviewed the history of how Sudan gained independence from colonial occupiers and offered an optimistic vision of things to come. The celebrations also featured Sudanese music, dancing and food.