Chinese embassy in South Africa holds online celebration to ring in the Chinese New Year

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sends Chinese?New?Year?greetings?via?video?message?to?the?Chinese?community?in?South?Africa?and?Chinese people living around?the?world. (Photo/Chinese embassy in South Africa)

“In?the?New?Year,?China?and?South?Africa?will?follow?the?important?common?understandings?between?their?heads?of?state,” said Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong in his warm greetings during an online celebration of the Chinese New Year entitled “Happy Chinese New Year” held by the Chinese Embassy of South Africa on Jan. 28.

Chen?said?that?in 2021, China?and?South?Africa?together?celebrated?the?CPC’s?centenary.?The?leaders?of?the?two?countries?interacted?frequently?and?deepened?mutual?political?trust.?Bilateral?practical?cooperation?was?also?steadily?advanced.?

Chen?noted?that?as the two countries deliver?on the?outcomes?of?the?FOCAC?meeting,?they?will?continue?to?deepen?mutual?trust,?promote?cooperation,?pursue?high-quality?Belt?and?Road?cooperation,?jointly?safeguard?multilateralism?and?international?justice,?and?promote?the?building?of?a?China-South?Africa?and?China-Africa?community?with?a?shared?future.?

Chen?noted?that?the?Beijing?Winter?Olympics?and?Paralympics?were?to?begin very?soon. An?extraordinary?and?outstanding?Winter?Olympics?that?is?both?green?and?tech-savvy?will?be?presented?to?the?world.?Athletes?from countries all over the world?will?unleash?their?skill?and?passion?in?winters?sports on?this?international stage,?and?demonstrate strength?in?solidarity?and?friendship?for?the?world, according to the ambassador.

Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong sends Chinese?New?Year?greetings. (Photo/Chinese embassy in South Africa)

In a pre-recorded message South African President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated the People's Republic of China in the run-up to the New Year. “As?we?recover?and?rebuild?in?the?wake?of?COVID-19,?it?is?our?wish?that?the?comprehensive?strategic?partnership?between?China?and?South?Africa?will?lead?to?mutual?economic?growth,?development?and?common?prosperity,?prosperity?for?ourselves,?for?our?respective?regions,?and?for?the?rest?of?the?world,” he said.

This is the first time that the South African president has sent his?Chinese?New?Year?greetings?via?video?message?to?the?Chinese?community?in?South?Africa?and?Chinese people living around?the?world.?He?wished?everyone?well?as?people?usher?in?the?Year?of?the?Tiger,?an?animal?that?symbolizes?strength,?bravery?and?independence.?

“In?the?year?ahead, our?focus?will?be?on ending?the?pandemic,?alleviating?poverty,?reducing?inequality?and?creating?more?jobs,” he stressed, adding?that?South?Africa?is?grateful?to?the People's?Republic?of?China?for?its?support?throughout?the?pandemic,?and?particularly?for working?to?ensure?that?Africa?has?greater?access?to?COVID-19?vaccines.?

Nathi Mthethwa, Minister of Sport,?Arts?and?Culture of South Africa, extends greetings to the Chinese people. (Photo/Chinese embassy in South Africa)

Nathi Mthethwa, Minister of Sport,?Arts?and?Culture of South Africa,?extended?warm?festive?greetings?to?the?Chinese?people?in?his?speech.?He?said?that?the?two?countries?share?common?interests?in?a?number?of?areas,?notably?the?promotion?of?people-to-people?exchange?mechanisms,?economic?development?through?trade?and?investment,?as?well?as?cultural?exchange?programs.?He?believes?that?the?year?2022?will?bring?more?opportunities?for?both?countries?as “we?continue?to?work?together?toward?the?common?objectives?of?strengthening?our?relations?in?many?areas?that?we?aspire towards.”?As?the?Beijing?2022?Winter?Olympics?is?already?at?the?doorstep,?he?hopes?that?this?important?event?will?continue?to?strengthen?the?friendly?relations?between?the?two?countries.?

The?online?event?was?divided?into?three?chapters:?“Celebrating?the?Spring?Festival?Together,” “Embracing?the?Winter?Olympics”?and “Wishing?for?Good?luck.”?Participants?reviewed?the?highlights?and?achievements?of?China-South?Africa?exchanges?in?2021,?and?enjoyed?wonderful?cultural?performances.

The online celebration (Photo/Chinese embassy in South Africa)

Nearly?1,000?representatives?from?the?South?African?government,?political?parties,?military,?business community,?think?tanks,?and media joined?the?celebration,?as?well?as?Chinese?institutions,?Chinese?compatriots?and?students?in?South?Africa.?The?live-streaming?of?the?event?was?viewed?by?more?than?150,000?people?in?China?and?South?Africa.