Hon. Mxolisi Dukwana, Premier of Free State,

Hon. Ntombi Mekgwe, Speaker of Gauteng Provincial Legislature,

Hon. MECs of Gauteng and Free State, Mayors and Speakers of Johannesburg and Ekuhuneni, Friends from political parties, academic, media and other sectors,

Dear colleagues of the Consular Corps,

Mr. Zheng Bingkai, Minister of Embassy of China in South Africa

Mr. Chen Longjian, Chairman of South Africa-China Economic and Trade Association, CEOs of Chinese enterprises,

Mr. Li Xinzhu, Director of South Africa Chinese Community and Police Cooperation Center, heads of local Chinese community and associations, dear compatriots,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening!

Let me first of all welcome and thank you all for joining us today to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year and bid farewell to the old one.

Over the past year, the world remains volatile. Profound changes unseen in a century is fast evolving, confronting humanity with unprecedented challenges to peace and development. Amid the current international landscape, China has always embraced the world and fulfilled its responsibilities as a major country. Guided by the idea of the global community with a shared future, China calls for an equal and orderly multi-polar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. It is firmly committed to promoting a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. It is firmly committed to building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity through joint efforts. China has been working unswervingly together with international community for the effective implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and for the promotion of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Over the last year, China’s economy has sustained the momentum of recovery with an innovation-driven high quality development. China’s GDP in 2023 reached over 126 trillion RMB, an increase of 5.2% year-on-year, maintaining a leading growth rate among major global economies. Being estimated to contribute one third to world growth, China remains the most powerful engine for global growth. China is committed to providing more opportunities and greater stability to the world through its path to modernization.

Over the past year, under the guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Ramaphosa, the relationship between China and South Africa has entered a “golden era”. Both countries are committed to being strategic partners with high-level mutual trust, development partners that progress together, friendly partners that enjoy mutual understanding, and global partners with a commitment to justice. The relations between China and Consular district, Gauteng and Free State, have also made much headway. Premier Lesufi and Premier Dukwana visited China last year respectively and reached a series of new agreements on cooperation with China. At the sub-national level, we see more frequent exchange of visits at all levels. We see increasingly expanded and deepening cooperation in many areas including economy, trade, investment, culture and sisterhood of cities/provinces.

I arrived in Johannesburg and assumed my office as Consul General of China only more than two months ago, but I have been deeply impressed by the strong growth momentum and vitality of the friendly relations of cooperation between the two sides. I am thrilled to learn of the strong aspiration and determination to engage with China when the two Premiers and delegation members shared with me their experience in China and the outcomes of their visits. I very much enjoyed the wonderful performances of the local students and their enthusiastic interaction with the Chinese teachers at the “Chinese Culture Land” events, because these are telling me our two peoples are so close at heart and truly appreciate each other’s culture. And on several occasions I have participated in the “Driving Education Culture” events held by my Consulate and the charity events hosted by local Chinese community for local students, every time of which increasingly intensify my feelings that our two peoples are genuinely helping each other as well depicted in a Chinese old saying, “A friend in need is a friend in deed”.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

The development of China and the development of China’s relations with South Africa at both national and sub-national levels cannot be achieved without the understanding and support of people from all walks of life in South Africa including Gauteng and Free State. Neither can they be achieved without the efforts and contributions of Chinese enterprises and compatriots who are working and living here, especially in Gauteng and Free State, given the fact that the two provinces are home to a majority of Chinese institutions and community in South Africa.

On occasion of the Chinese New Year, I would like to express my heartfelt respect and gratitude to all those who have long been committed to the bilateral relationship. Here in particular, I wish to say “thank you” to the governments and departments of Gauteng and Free State for their good work in protecting the safety and security of Chinese institutions and Chinese nationals and in creating an enabling environment for bilateral exchanges and cooperation.

In the year ahead, I hope that the Chinese enterprises and all Chinese community members in Gauteng and Free State will continue to be successful and give more back to the local society, at the same time, continue to make your contributions to the furtherance of friendship and cooperation between China and South Africa.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

It is a great honor and huge responsibility for me to be Consul General of China in Johannesburg. In the year ahead, I will bear in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s instructions during his meeting with Chinese diplomatic envoys in late December in Beijing, remain committed to taking “diplomacy for the people”. Together with my Consulate colleagues, I will try my very best to provide high quality consular services. I will do my utmost to get further engaged with Gauteng and Free State, sparing no effort to enable more mutually beneficial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, working together for the building of a quality China-South Africa community with a shared future.

Dear friends,

The Chinese Lunar New Year, the Spring Festival, symbolizes joy, harmony and peace, embodies the core values of harmony, love and peace in Chinese culture. The coming year in traditional Chinese calender is the year of the Dragon. In Chinese culture, the dragon represents good fortune, majesty and vigor. The Spring Festival is celebrated in China and around the world including here in Johannesburg. We look forward to celebrating the Spring Festival with the world and hope all civilizations will live in harmony, proper together and engage in exchange and mutual learning, and that people of all countries will enjoy better mutual understanding and friendship and work together for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

To wrap up, I wish all of you a happy Chinese New Year! May I propose a toast,

--to the prosperity of China and South Africa and the well-being of our peoples,

--to the ever-growing China-South Africa friendship，

--to the success and good health of everyone present in the Year of the Dragon!

Cheers!