(Jan. 24th, 2025）

Hon. Morakane Mosupyoe, Speaker of Gauteng Provincial Legislature,
Hon. Mahlatsi, MEC for Health of Free State Provincial Government, representing Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae,
Hon. MECs, Deputy Speaker from both Gauteng and Free State,
Hon. Member of the Parliament of South Africa ,
Hon. Mayors and Speakers of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Mangaung, West Rand, Mogale and Rand West,
Distinguished guests from political parties, business, media, academia, non-governmental organizations and other sectors, especially young learners,
Fellow colleagues of the Consular Corps,
CEOs of Chinese enterprises, heads of local Chinese community and associations, dear compatriots,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening!

It gives me a great pleasure to have your kind company today on the occasion of celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important traditional festival of China. The festival is always a time for family reunion, biding farewell to the old year and ushering in the new one. It carries our emotional touch with the family and the nation, embodies the Chinese philosophy of peace, amity and harmony, which are also the common values of human society. The Lunar New Year is celebrated in China and around the world. Last month, it was inscribed by UNESCO on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Today, we have prepared a variety of cultural experience booths, showcasing Chinese traditional delicacies such as dumplings, pastries, and 冰糖葫芦, a kind of sugar-coated fruits, showcasing the ceremonial tea-making, Chinese ethnic costumes, calligraphy and many other intangible cultural heritage articles. You can also enjoy martial arts, songs and dances, and the trailer of the 2025 Spring Festival Gala of China Media Group. By these presentations, we are simulating the traditional Chinese Spring Festival fair so that our Chinese compatriots can feel the homely festive atmosphere, and our South African friends can experience the traditional oriental culture and lively atmosphere of this festival. It is our hope that today’s Spring Festival fair will help promote mutual learning among civilizations and enhance mutual understanding and friendship.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the past year, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. At its Third Plenary Session, the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sounded a clarion call for further deepening all-round reform and advancing the Chinese modernization drive. China’s economy has made steady progress and is on an upward trajectory. Many other central tasks focusing on innovation, social safety and harmony, culture and green development have also witnessed fresh and remarkable achievements.

Over the past year, amid the volatile landscape in the world, China has demonstrated its sense of responsibility as a major country by actively advancing the building of a community with shared future for mankind and the reform of the global governance, strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations, and promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Together with our friends from Africa, China successfully held the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). We put forward China’s vision at different bilateral and multilateral forums, contributing to the maintenance of world peace and stability.

Over the past year, under the guidance of our two presidents, China-South Africa relationship has been elevated to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era. Our sub-national friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields with Gauteng and Free State have yielded new results.

Looking into the new year, China will continue to make its utmost in full confidence to promote the high-quality development and to pursue high-standard opening up. China will continue to work with all countries including South Africa to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind, jointly creating a better future for the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we ring in the Chinese New Year, I would like to extend, on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Johannesburg, my best wishes to my fellow countrymen and South African friends and express my heartfelt thanks to people from all walks of life who have been supporting China's development and committed to promoting China-South Africa relationship and sub-national friendly cooperation. In the new year, the Consulate General will, as always, have active engagement with people of all sectors in the two provinces and provide high-quality consular services to Chinese compatriots and enterprises, together translating the friendly relationship of cooperation between our two countries into more tangible benefits.

Finally, I wish you all enjoy happiness and peace in Chinese Lunar Year of the Snake.

Thank you!