Distinguished guests,

Dear Diplomat Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening!

Welcome to the Chinese New Year Reception jointly hosted by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the FFCCCII, the FFCAP, and the PCCCII. I wish all of you a very happy, a very prosperous Chinese New Year!

The Chinese New Year, commonly known as the “Spring Festival”, has a history of more than 3,000 years. The Chinese New Year means celebration and reunion, represents happiness and hope, and highlights a national memory shared by hundreds of millions of Chinese people and overseas Chinese. In December 2023, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to designate the Spring Festival as a UN holiday, thus making the “Chinese New Year” a “Global New Year”. In December 2024, UNESCO listed the “Spring Festival” as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity. Nowadays, many countries and regions in the world proclaim the Spring Festival as an official holiday, and about one-fifth of the world’s population celebrates the Spring Festival in various ways.

There are many traditional activities for the Chinese people to celebrate the Chinese New Year such as posting couplets（贴对联）, family reunion dinner（团年饭）, giving lucky money（压岁钱）, New Year visiting（拜年）, playing fireworks（放烟花) etc. In order to let everyone feel the festive atmosphere, we prepared a red scarf for each guest, with the word “福” and “蛇” embroidered on both ends. The Chinese character “福” means happiness and good fortune, while “蛇” represents the upcoming Year of the Snake, known as the dragon on earth. The end of a snake’s hibernation indicates the arrival of spring. So I hope it will bring blessings and good luck to all of you.

From a broader perspective, the Chinese New Year embodies the enduring and profound Chinese civilization. It reflects the Chinese people’s deep respect for tradition, value for family, optimism about life, and expectations for the future. These are not only the deep-rooted principles that have allowed the Chinese civilization to survive and thrive for 5,000 years, but also the inexhaustible driving force for the Chinese nation’s efforts to renew and revitalize itself in the new era.

China’s traditional culture is both uniquely Chinese and universally appealing. It is heartening to see that Chinese culture is interacting with the world in a brand new way. “Tik Tok refugees” are flocking to and lingering on Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu. And “China Travel” has become a global trend. Vlogger Li Ziqi from China has made a strong comeback by releasing video clips about Chinese culture, making her overseas fans jubilant. The game “Black Myth: Wukong” has encouraged global players to dive into the Chinese classic Journey to the West. And the list goes on. We can observe that people from all over the world are enthusiastic and eager to learn more about China and Chinese culture, and we hope that such exchanges can help break through the “information cocoon” and “wall of prejudice” and promote mutual understanding and friendship.

China and the Philippines share historical memories and people-to-people bonds. 华人华侨作为菲社会的重要组成部分，积极投身菲国家建设，同时始终情系桑梓，成为推进两国各领域交流与合作中坚力量。This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines. Fifty years ago, visionary leaders of the two countries ushered in a new chapter in our bilateral ties. I’d like to avail myself of this opportunity to pay tribute to the successive generations of leaders of both countries and all those who have contributed to the development of bilateral relations. I look forward to seeing both sides remain committed to the original aspiration, answer to the call of our two peoples, and work together to promote the bilateral ties, so as to bring even greater benefits to the 1.5 billion people of our two countries together.

In conclusion, let us wish China and the Philippines prosperity!

May the people of both countries enjoy happiness and well-being!

May the traditional friendship between China and the Philippines be everlasting!

Thank you and Happy Chinese New Year!