Richard pose a photo with Zhu Ling, the publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

On behalf of our 16,000-plus Canadian alumni in China, please accept our warmest congratulations on the 35th anniversary of China Daily. The Canadian Alumni Network (CAN) is a non-profit platform for those who studied in Canada's post-secondary institutions and now reside in China. With more than 140,000 Chinese students currently in Canada, we can expect to see a huge growth of alumni in China within the next 10 years and I'm confident that they will be new avid readers!

We have seen China Daily adapt and grow with the rapid development of communication during recent years. But over past 20 years what I remember most fondly is the hard copy newspaper before the age of internet and social media as it was the only English-language news media that provided information on China and rest of the world while I was a young Chinese-Canadian student at Peking University. The China Daily was always readily available in our "Shao Yuan" foreign student dormitory reading room, and allowed the native English speakers to appreciate the ongoing development of Chinese society and economy, as we studied Chinese language and culture.

I remained in Beijing after my studies and started working at the Canadian Embassy, and saw China Daily supporting the annual Terry Fox Runs in Beijing for cancer research, and becoming a co-sponsor of this meaningful cancer awareness campaign. The annual event brought out tens of thousands of participants and raised substantial funds for cancer research at the Chinese Cancer Institute. I am proud to have been a part of this special Beijing community event for so many years, by supporting, participating and running along Beijing landmarks such as the 2nd Ring Road, Chaoyang Park, and Tian'anmen Square.

Fast forward to 2006, I had the distinct privilege of taking part in a year-long celebration of the China Daily's 25th anniversary and was honored to meet Mr Zhu Ling, the China Daily's Editor-in-Chief. During that time, I was the public relations director for the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Beijing and advised behind the scenes on hosting a variety of China Daily golf tournaments that were supported by SwissCham Beijing, AustCham Beijing, Canada-China Business Council, and MayCham Beijing. Players and guests included embassy officials, chamber of commerce representatives, and senior executives from international businesses. I was deeply honored to receive special recognition for the support given to the China Daily during the 25th anniversary, and this China Daily plaque hangs proudly on my wall in Canada.

Congratulations on the 35th anniversary and look forward to many more anniversaries in the future!