It is my pleasure to celebrate the Chinese New Year with you and embrace the warmth of spring. On behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, I wish to convey my festive greetings to friends from all walks of life in the consular district including the Chinese communities, Chinese students and Chinese enterprise employees.
The Spring Festival is the oldest and the most important traditional festival in China. It not only carries Chinese people’s desire for reunion and devotion to their family and country, but also embodies the common values of all mankind which is characterized by family harmony, harmonious coexistence of man and nature and the like. Whereas the Spring Festival originates from China, it belongs to the world. In September 2022, the Golden State of California became the first to recognize Lunar New Year as an official state holiday in the United States. In December 2023, the United Nations adopted a resolution by consensus to list the Lunar New Year as a UN floating holiday. The Spring Festival has become a window for the world to perceive China and a bridge for mutual learning among different civilizations.
2023 was the first year to comprehensively implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The CPC and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups have forged ahead with resolve and tenacity. China’s economy rebounds and moves upward, with an estimated GDP growth of 5.2 percent, at the forefront among major economies. China’s manufacturing prowess continues to shine, cultivating the world’s largest manufacturing sector for 14 consecutive years. China’s innovation-driven development is full of energy. Its total input in R&D and investment in high-tech sectors have been growing at double-digit rates for several years running and its international patent applications rank the first in the world. China’s green development makes steady progress. China is home to nearly half of the world’s installed photovoltaic capacity. It makes and sells over half of the world’s new energy vehicles (NEVs). China’s head-of-state diplomacy has been immensely successful; the Belt and Road cooperation reaffirms our commitment to shared benefits; and the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran sets a new example of political settlement of hotspot issues. China will steadfastly advance Chinese modernization, pursue high-quality development and high-level opening-up. We will continue to pursue China’s development in the broader context of world development, shoulder the responsibilities of our times, jointly tackle the challenges and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
Last year, with our joint efforts, China and the U.S. managed to rebuild communication and dialogue and stabilized bilateral relations after painstaking efforts. Last November, President Xi Jinping and President Biden held a historic meeting in San Francisco and offered guiding views in terms of adopting a correct perception of each other, properly managing differences, and advancing dialogue and cooperation. The two sides reached more than 20 deliverables, restored and established a series of dialogue and communication mechanisms, and formed the future-oriented San Francisco vision. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations. Making its way through twists and turns for nearly half a century, the China-U.S. relationship has taught us an important lesson, that is, upholding mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the right way for China and the U.S. to get along with each other as two major countries, and should become the common direction of efforts of both countries in the new era.
Since taking office, I have visited states, counties and cities in the consular district and had extensive exchanges with friends from all walks of life. Participants in the China-California Business Forum told me that they are confident in China’s economic prospects and the future of China-U.S. mutually-beneficial cooperation. A over 100-year-old Flying Tiger veteran told me that, during his visit to China last year, he made a birthday wish for China-U.S. friendship to last forever. Audiences at the Chinese American Film Festival and TV Festival said that they believe there is huge potential for China-U.S. collaboration in film and TV industries, and they hope that the two sides will work together to enhance cultural exchanges. Los Angeles and Long Beach continue to deepen sister-city and sister-port relations with Guangzhou and Qingdao, and jointly build green shipping corridors with Shanghai to address climate change. I am deeply impressed by the strong impetus and huge potential of China-U.S. sub-national exchanges and cooperation, touched by the rich heritage and profound friendship between Chinese and American people, and inspired by the shared expectations and aspirations of friends in our consular district for the sound and steady development of China-U.S. relations.
At the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, President Xijinping pointed out that the building of a community with a shared future for mankind is the noble goal China pursues in conducting major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for the new era. China calls for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, promoting common prosperity. In this global village, all nations including China and the U.S. are one big family. As the world’s two largest economies, China and the U.S. shoulder common responsibilities of promoting world peace and development. The two sides should make joint efforts to implement the important common understandings reached by our two presidents at the San Francisco summit meeting, uphold mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation so as to improve the well-being of our two peoples and promote world peace, stability and prosperity.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that the hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at sub-national levels. Friends in our consular district have been devoted to promoting China-U.S. friendship, strengthening exchanges and cooperation, upholding sincere expectation and exerting relentless efforts for the development of China-U.S. relations. This fully demonstrates that the friendship between our two peoples has always been the motivation of China-U.S. relationship and practical cooperation its enduring driving force. In the coming new year, our Consulate is ready to work with friends from all walks of life to implement the significant common understandings and outcomes reached at the summit meeting between our two presidents in San Francisco and promote the stable, sound, and sustainable development of China-US relations.
The Chinese community’s participation and contribution is important to the development of China-U.S. relations. The overseas Chinese compatriots, with the aspiration for a better China-U.S. relationship, held friendship ping-pong tournament and forums commemorating China-U.S. Ping-Pong Diplomacy and its 52nd anniversary to carry on and promote the spirit of China-U.S. friendship. They successfully held the Chinese American Film Festival, participated in the Hollywood Christmas Parade, promoted cultural exchanges in various ways and integrate with diverse cultures in local communities. They provided generous help to the homeless and autistic children, gave back to the society, showcasing the kindness and sense of responsibility of the Chinese community and integrating with other ethnic groups in a harmonious and inclusive way. Out of sincere emotions, Chinese communities care for and support the development of their hometowns, and hold events celebrating China’s National Day.
When meeting with Chinese diplomatic envoys attending the the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, President Xi Jinping emphasized that over 1.4 billion Chinese people are strong supporters of China’s diplomatic work and the diplomatic envoys should take “diplomacy for the people” as their commitment and pass on the warmth of the CPC Central Committee to every Chinese citizen overseas. Last year, my colleagues went to Arizona, Hawaii, San Bernardino County and Irvine City to deliver consular service and receive on-site passport, travel document and visa applications, serving more than 2,000 applicants. We have handled every consular case whole-heartedly and served Chinese citizens who were in trouble in a timely manner.
Next year, we will bear the original aspiration and mission of serving the people in mind, take a pragmatic approach, further improve our capability of consular assistance, and safeguard the safety, legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and institutions in the consular district. We will consistently improve our service for overseas Chinese, and exert utmost efforts to provide better consular services, visit more places and meet more people to address their concerns and deliver results for their well-being.
In a few days, we will enter the Year of the Dragon. Dragon symbolizes nobility, auspiciousness and prosperity in Chinese culture. We wish our great motherland prosperity and the Chinese people happiness. We wish China-U.S relations stable, sound and sustainable developments. We wish China-U.S sub-national exchanges and cooperation more fruitful outcomes, and the friendship between Chinese and American people last forever. Last but not the least, I wish you all health, happiness and success in the Year of the Dragon!
Thank you.
