Three Chinese Wu Shu Performances by the visiting Chinese Martial Art Delegation took place in Monrovia, Liberia from December 2 to 4 2009.

Madam President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Vice-President Joseph Boakai, among other senior government officials, graced the first performance at SKD Sports Complex in Paynesville.

Chinese Ambassador to Liberia Zhou Yuxiao made remarks before the performance started. He stressed that the delegation's tour in Liberia was a part and parcel of the program mapped out in the Action Plan of Beijing FOCAC Summit. Ambassador Zhou said that the purpose of holding such cultural events was threefold. The first was to promote cultural exchanges between China and Liberia, the second was to show China's confidence in Liberia that Liberia was gradually becoming a normal and safe place for business and cultural activities, and the third was to bring some joy and cultural life to the Liberian people. Ambassador Zhou mentioned that Wu Shu was about fighting and fighting skills, but it was far more than that, and it involved very rich concept of traditional Chinese philosophy and, in essence, was about cultivation of a healthy body and mind.

Mrs. Etmonia David-Tarpeh, Minister of Youth and Sports of Liberia, welcomed and expressed her appreciations to the visiting Chinese delegation. She emphasized that establishing Wu Shu as a new sport in Liberia would make people engage sports beyond soccer, basketball, volleyball and others, and it could cultivate Liberian young people physically and mentally, which was critical to the long lasting peace and development of the war-torn nation. She pledged that the Ministry would work closely with Chinese colleagues to promote the bilateral cultural and sports exchange and cooperation.

Liberia is the last stop of the delegation's tour in Africa, which is initiated by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, presented by the Chinese Martial Art Association and locally sponsored by Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Liberia and the Chinese Embassy in Liberia.

Wu Shu(Martial Art)is an traditional art of sports with a strong foundation in China. It is a precious part of the rich and colorful culture accumulated by the Chinese people during the long social practices, and is now very polular all over the world.