Ambassador Tian Xuejun and His Wife Attend the Opening Ceremony of the Year of China in South Africa

2015/03/24

On March 15, the Concert of the Grand Opening for the Year of China in South Africa was held in the State Theatre in South African administrative capital Pretoria.

As the representatives of the two governments, Minister of Culture of China Luo Shugang and Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa read out the congratulatory messages from Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma. Chinese Ambassador Tian Xuejun and his wife Counsellor Qiao Jie and leaders of the South African government attended the ceremony.

In the congratulatory message, President Xi Jinping congratulated on the grand opening of the Year of China in South Africa. He said under the framework of the Year of China in South Africa, the two countries will work closely together and organize activities in a wide range of areas. Held in major cities in the nine provinces across South Africa, the events will showcase China's development journey and its achievements as well as the fruitful results of China-South Africa cooperation. The Year of China will usher in another new chapter of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Xi Jiping stressed in the message that the two countries should work hand in hand to strive for greater results in the friendly cooperation between China and South Africa and between China and Africa as a whole, to the greater benefit of the Chinese and African people.

President Zuma said in the message that the two countries holding state year respectively have elevated the people-to-people exchanges to a higher level. The South African side appreciates China for hosting of the Year of South Africa in China and will provide strong support for the Year of China activities. Looking forward to the future, the China-South Africa cooperation will yield more important and fruitful results.

Minister Luo Shugang, Minister Mthethwa, Director General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation Matjila and Chinese Ambassador Tian Xuejun together launched the opening.

Over 1300 people including senior officials of South African government, ambassadors and high commissioners to South Africa, overseas Chinese and representatives of Chinese companies and students attended the ceremony. At the beginning of the concert, the audiences together sang the national anthems of China and South Africa, echoing the friendship between the two countries. The wonderful performances by the Chinese and South African artists were warmly applauded by the audiences. Ambassador Tian and his wife had friendly exchanges with the guests. All of the guests wished the Year of China a full success.