Queen Elizabeth II recently became Britain’s longest reigning monarch and she has been on the throne for 63 years. [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Martyn Roper, Minister and Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Beijing, delivered a keynote speech at the event.

“It is a pleasure to see Chinese people interested in our culture and we hope to show Great Britain to the public. Chinese President Xi Jinping successfully visited our country last year, marking a golden era for Sino-British relations. Therefore, I believe that we will have more cooperation and exchanges in the future,” Roper said.

Ma Weiwei, debater on a Chinese popular online talk show called You Can You Bibi, was invited as the special guest for the Open Day event.

“I am glad to take part in the event and I think it is a good opportunity for the public to get to know Britain and its culture. Besides, I have heard that the British Embassy made efforts to promote gender equality and I am here to voice my assent on the issue,” Ma said.