Your Excellency，
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening! Welcome to today’s reception.
In five days, we will celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year of Dragon, or the Spring Festival，which is the most important traditional festival in China, and carries the spirit of family harmony, social cohesion and balanced relationship between human being and nature. Recently, Spring Festival has been listed as a United Nations official holiday. In Chinese culture, Dragon symbolizes auspiciousness, strength and success. Taking this opportunity, I would like to extend my best wishes to Seychellois friends, in particular the Chinese community, for a happy new year.
On December 7th last year, I arrived Seychelles and assumed office as the 16th Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles. Over the past 2 months, when I was walking down the street or shopping at the market, local friends would greet me with ‘Ni Hao’, or hello. I was struck by the deep friendship between our two peoples. The Creole culture is impressive with its diversity, vitality and inclusiveness. I am very glad to know that Chinese culture is part of this amazing culture. And it is gratifying to see that Chinese community has completely integrated into the local society, and made enormous contribution to the economic development and social harmony of Seychelles. In the aftermath of December 7 disasters, under the leadership of President Wavel Ramkalawan, Seychellois people worked hard to rebuild their homes and business, demonstrating solidarity and strong resilience. I will always remember your optimism and perseverance in times of challenges.
My mission here in Seychelles is to promote bilateral friendship and practical cooperation, building China-Seychelles community with a shared future characterized by ever stronger bond. With the hospitality accorded to me by Seychelles government and people, with the sound working relations and personal friendship already established, with the inspiration I got over the past two months, I have full confidence to elevate China-Seychelles relations to a new high.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
China is a country with a history of 5,000 years. Today, she is advancing the rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. In 2023, China enjoyed political stability, social harmony and rapid economic growth. It’s GDP grew by 5.2 percent and reached 18 trillions USD, contributing 32 percent to world growth. China is a major trading partner of over 140 countries and regions. It’s manufacturing sector has topped the world in size for 13 years in a row, and the output accounted for over 30 percent of the world total. China's innovation capabilities continue to improve in 2023, with the number of patent applications ranking first in the world, and the number of high-tech enterprises increased to about 400,000. China is committed to pursue high quality development, and its door will open to the world wider and wider.
China sticks to people-centered development approach. Chinese people's livelihood and well-being has been significantly improved year on year, which is reflected in such fields as employment, education, medical care, and elderly care. In this regard, Chinese people's sense of gain, happiness, and security continues to improve notably.
China has always been a force for world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order, and promoter of progress of human civilizations. In 2023, the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was successfully held in Beijing. The Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, all of which proposed by President Xi Jinping, have taken root and borne fruits, providing more Chinese insight, better Chinese input, and greater Chinese strength to the noble cause of human peace and development. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the lofty goal pursued by China’s diplomacy. We call for an equal and orderly multi-polar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, helping the world usher in a brighter future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
Africa is a continent brimming with vibrancy and hope. The top priority of China’s diplomacy is to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with African countries, under the principles put forward by President Xi Jinping for China’s relations with Africa, namely sincerity, real results, amity and good faith.
Seychelles is an important country in Africa and west Indian Ocean region. Since diplomatic ties established 48 years ago, our friendship has become a model for sincerity, equality, solidarity and cooperation between countries of different sizes. We are good friends, partners, and brothers sharing weal and woe. I am glad to see that projects aided by China such as National Assembly building, Palace de Justice, hospital and social housing etc., have contributed a lot to local economic and social development. China medical teams have been providing service for nearly 40 years in Seychelles. The Confucius Institute of UniSey have been proactively promoting the Chinese language teaching and cultural exchanges. The Chinese contractors are taking an active part in local economic development. After the December 7 disasters, China provided assistance in a timely manner to help Seychelles people.
This year, we will hold another meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, bringing new opportunities to bilateral relations. We are willing to work together with Seychelles side to deepen cooperation in tourism, fisheries, agriculture, blue economy, climate change, health, education, culture and people-to-people exchange, to achieve pragmatic outcomes and creat in a better future for China-Seychelles relations.
Finally, I’d like to propose a toast for the upcoming Year of Dragon,
To the peace, prosperity and progress of China and Seychelles!
To the stronger friendship between our two countries and peoples!
To the good health, happiness of all the guests present!
Cheers!