Chaiyong Satjipanon (center left), Thailand's ambassador to the US, talks with Chen Xiongfeng (center right), China's consul general in Washington, on stage during the opening ceremony of the ninth Asian Festival in Fairfax, Virginia, on July 21. The two-day event is one of the biggest celebrations of Asian culture in or near Washington, DC. Also on stage are Emil Fernandez (left), first secretary and consul of the Philippine embassy, vice-president of Singha North America, the import arm of a major Thai brewing company and the festival's main sponsor. [Photo by Sun Chenbei / China Daily]