Kiyotaka Akasaka, UN Under-Secretary-General, addresses the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition "A Glimpse of China" at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 18, 2009. The photo exhibition in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding the People's Republic of China was opened here on Friday.(Xinhua/Shen Hong)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 18, 2009 -- A photo exhibition unveiled here Friday at the UN Headquarters in New York to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The two-week exhibition, with the name of "A glimpse of China," was co-sponsored by Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations and China's Xinhua News Agency.

More than 30 news photos featured the daily lives of Chinese people in various walks of life and the accomplishments achieved since the birth of new China on Oct. 1, 1949.

Zhang Yesui, China's UN envoy, said at the opening ceremony that remarkable achievements have been made over the past six decades in China's political, economic, cultural and social endeavors.

"The photos on display vividly showcase what China is like today," said Zhang, adding that he hopes the exhibition will help enhance people's understanding of China.

Kiyotaka Akasaka, UN under-secretary-general for public information, spoke highly of the progress China has made in social development and achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"We all know that sixty years is just a blink of an eye in China's 5,000-year-old history. But in that blink of an eye in 60 years, China has made enormous progress," Akasaka said.

He said remarkable economic achievements have taken place in the past 30 years after China started to open up and sustain an average gross domestic product (GDP) growth of about 10 percent a year.

"This was gradually thanks to China's steady efforts in continuing its reform and successful integration into the global economy."

Some 100 officials, diplomats and journalists from the United Nations and permanent missions to the world body attended the ceremony, including Sha Zukang, UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, and Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, UN under-secretary-general for political affairs.

China's permanent representative to the United Nations Zhang Yesui (L) and UN Under Secretary-General Sha Zukang visit the photo exhibition "A Glimpse of China" at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 18, 2009.(Xinhua/Shen Hong)