Ashraf AboArafe
On behalf of Ambassador Liao Liqiang and the Chinese Embassy in Cairo, Ambassador Zhang Tao and the diplomatic mission in Egypt extend their sincere congratulations to the Chinese community and the Egyptians on the occasion of the happy Spring Festival. Deputy Ambassador Tao’s speech was as follows:
Your Excellency,
Dear compatriots and friends,
Good evening! On behalf of His Excellency Ambassador Liao Liqiang and the Chinese Embassy in Cairo, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and blessings to the Egyptian friends from all walks of life, the Chinese community, teachers, students, workers in Chinese companies in Egypt and their families on the occasion of the happy Spring Festival.
The year 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. In the face of the international situation entangled with changes and turmoil and the arduous task of advancing reform and development and maintaining domestic stability, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united with Party members and people of all ethnic groups and led them to make remarkable achievements through arduous struggle. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was held successfully, calling for further comprehensive deepening of reform. The Chinese economy has made steady progress, with China’s GDP expected to exceed 130 trillion yuan, and the total grain output exceeding 700 million tons for the first time in history. New industries, businesses and economic forms are emerging one after another, and China’s modernization is taking steady strides forward. The diplomacy of a major country with Chinese characteristics has continued to open up new equations, and China is working with countries in the “Global South” to build a community with a shared future for mankind, injecting more positive energy into maintaining world peace and stability.
The past year 2024 also marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership. Under the strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, China-Egypt relations have made a qualitative leap forward. Over the past year, the two presidents met twice, reached important consensus on elevating China-Egypt relations toward the goal of building a community with a shared future in the new era, and declared 2024 as the “Year of China-Egypt Partnership”, with the two sides holding dozens of events to further deepen the historical friendship between the two countries. China and Egypt have maintained close communication and coordination in the United Nations, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other multilateral forums, making positive contributions to maintaining and promoting international and regional peace, stability and development.
The past year has seen the continuous expansion and deepening of China-Arab League relations, as we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, and worked together to implement the outcomes of the first China-Arab Summit with serious steps to accelerate the pace of building a China-Arab community with a shared future.
Fellow countrymen and friends,
The year 2025 is the concluding year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, and it is also an important year to lay a solid foundation for launching the “15th Five-Year Plan”. In the historical journey of building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation in an all-round way through Chinese-style modernization, China-Egypt and China-Arab relations will surely embrace a broader horizon.
In this context, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to the Chinese compatriots in Egypt for your long-standing positive contribution to promoting friendly cooperation between the two countries and the closeness of hearts between the two peoples, hoping that you will unite as one as always, and work hard to further build the nation and build a China-Egypt and China-Arab community with a shared future! The Chinese Embassy will continue to implement the vision of “diplomacy for the people” to actively help you solve the urgent and intractable problems you are facing. The homeland will always be your support and the embassy your warm home.
I wish our great country prosperity and progress, and its people safety and prosperity!
I wish China-Egypt cooperation and China-Arab cooperation further progress and achievements!
And I wish everyone good health and continued success!
Thank you very much, and Happy New Year!
