Good evening!
The year of jade rabbit leaving with winter, while the year of the Dragon coming with spring. It gives me great pleasure to be here tonight with all of you to celebrate the forthcoming Year of the Dragon. First, I’d like to extend my warm welcome to all the guests here! It’s a great honor that the Head of Sabah State, Tuan Yang Terutama Tun, Yang Amat Berbahagia Toh Puan, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Chief Miniter, and Yang Amat Berbahagia Datin Seri attend our Chinese New Year Reception once again. Let's express our heartfelt gratitude to them with enthusiastic applause for their presence!
Chinese New Year is a traditional Chinese holiday featuring family reunion. It is also listed as a national holiday in many countries like Malaysia. About one-fifth of humanity celebrates the Chinese New Year in various ways around the world. Moreover, this festival has been officially listed as a UN floating holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings as from 2024. It means that the Chinese New Year is no longer limited to specific ethnic groups, but has become a global cultural event. Sabah is well known in Malaysia for the harmony among people from diverse ethic groups. During Chinese New Year, the Chinese community here celebrates with high spirits in various ways, such as firing firecrackers, hanging lanterns, playing dragon and lion dances and having friends gatherings. This provides a joyful cultural experience for the local people and reflects the values of diversity and inclusiveness promoted by the state government.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Chinese New Year is a time for us to bid farewell to the old year.
In 2023, despite the international challenges to world peace and development, Chinese and Malaysian people have continued to forge ahead with resolve and tenacity in pursuit of a better life and have made plenty real achievements. The implementation of "Malaysia Madani" concept and the "Sabah Maju Jaya" development plan has made remarkable progress. Chinese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, achieved a smooth transition in our COVID-19 response efforts. Steady progress has been made in pursuing high-quality development. China has achieved 5.2% GDP growth in 2023. Our modernized industrial system has been further upgraded. The Chinese economy has sustained the momentum of recovery. Everywhere across China, new creations and innovations are emerging every day. A number of advanced, smart and green industries are rapidly emerging as new pillars of the economy. The C919 large passenger airliner entered commercial service. The Chinese-built large cruise ship completed its trial voyage. The Shenzhou spaceships are continuing their missions in space. The deep-sea manned submersible Fendouzhe reached the deepest ocean trench. We have marched forward with solid steps on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects.
While pursuing its own development, China has also embraced the world and fulfilled its responsibility as a major country.
In 2023, we held the China-Central Asia Summit and the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and hosted leaders from across the world at many diplomatic events held in China. We facilitated the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Beijing. All these demonstrate that China has shouldered due responsibility and worked relentlessly to bring stability and positive energy to an uncertain world with its own certainty.
The year 2023 also marks the tenth anniversary of the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping. In his speech delivered at the recent Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, President Xi Jinping comprehensively elaborated on the profound connotation of the scientific system of building a community with a shared future for mankind, setting the noble goal for major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and called for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization and bringing countries together to meet challenges and achieve prosperity for all. This vision responds to the common pursuit of people in countries around the world for peace, development and cooperation, and identifies the fundamental path to solve global issues. Warmly echoed by the international community, this vision has been written into resolutions of UN General Assembly for seven years in a row, and included in resolutions or declarations of multilateral mechanisms like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS.
In 2023, China and Malaysia reached an important consensus on building the China-Malaysia community with a shared future, which opened a new chapter of our bilateral relations. Since December 1st, China and Malaysia have implemented reciprocal visa-free policies, which greatly benefits the people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between our two countries. Last week, the Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry reiterated that Malaysia has always, and will continue, to adhere to the “One China Policy”. These developments are a milestone in our bilateral relations and have provided new opportunities for the development of China-Sabah relationship. In 2023, fruitful achievements have been made in the development of our relations. The Chief Minister of Sabah, as well as some other Cabinet Ministers and State Legislative Assemblymen/women visited mainland China, Hongkong, and other places, which has given rise to the exchanges and cooperation on the local level between our two sides. Sabah carries out friendly exchanges with many provinces and cities in China. Cooperation between us in all areas like investments, trade and culture has been strengthened with a strong momentum. China Mobile Science and Technology Museum's International Tour Exhibition held in Sabah is on its first display in Malaysia, which is warmly received by local people. China’s biggest investment in Sabah, the Kibing Silica Sand Production Base and Photovoltaic New Material Manufacturing Project Phase I, was launched at a record high “China speed” for project implementation.
The enhancement of China-Sabah relationship is achieved through joint efforts of our friends from all walks of life in Sabah. On behalf of the Consulate General, I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Head of State Tuan Yang Terutama Tun, to the Chief Minister Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji, to the Sabah Government, to all the Chinese communities, Chinese enterprises and overseas Chinese, and to all the friends who support the development of China-Sabah relations, China-Malaysia friendship, and the work of the Consulate General and myself.
Dear friends,
Chinese New Year is a time for us to usher in the new year.
2024 will mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia. China will steadfastly advance Chinese modernization, fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, and work to achieve steady and long-term economic development. Malaysia and Sabah will also keep on implementing the "Malaysia Madani" concept and the "Sabah Maju Jaya" development plan. All these will create new chances for strengthening the friendly cooperation between China and Malaysia, as well as between China and Sabah. Standing at the new starting point, let’s jointly seize the opportunities, improve exchanges and cooperation, deepen the friendship between our peoples, and promote the China-Malaysia community with a shared future. By doing so, we will facilitate the realization of our respective development goals, improve the well-being of our people and contribute to making the world a better place for all.
Finally, let’s wish China and Malaysia prosperity and everlasting friendship, wish the people of Sabah success and good health, and wish the world peace and tranquility!
Wish all of you and your family a very auspicious and happy Year of the Dragon!
Thank you!