Yuqing says China to provide aids for needy

… Spring festival belongs to China, world

Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Yan Yuqing, has promised to continue traditional Chinese virtues of helping those in need and aiding those in peril while celebrating ‘Spring Festival’

Yuqing said China has contributed to charity that will further promote people-to-people exchanges, work for the stable and long-term growth of building China-Nigeria community with a shared future.
She said the Lunar New Year, a festival in the Chinese culture, is a time for family reunion and ringing in the new year. According to her, Spring Festival in China, is the oldest and the most important traditional festival in the Chinese culture. It’s a time for family reunion and ringing in the new year.

“The festival conveys the greetings and warmth of the spring season and also embodies the core values of harmony, love and peace in Chinese culture. The Lunar New Year is celebrated in China and around the world. Some rough estimates suggest that the Lunar New Year is a public holiday in almost 20 countries and celebrated in various ways by about one-fifth of humanity.

It is particularly gratifying that on December 22, 2023, the UN formally listed the Lunar New Year as a UN floating holiday, making it a common celebration for people around the world. Traditional Lunar New Year activities are organized in nearly 200 countries and regions, making the festival a global cultural event, and bringing joy to people around the world. 

“The Lunar New Year celebrations reached a peak on February the 4th with the reception for the Chinese New Year of the Dragon and the 2024 “One World One Spring Huaxing Shines” Spring Festival Gala held by the Chinese Consulate General.

“Wonderful performances with unique Chinese characteristics were staged, a wide variety of Chinese food was enjoyed to the fullest, and when night fell, a grand Chinese New Year light and fireworks show appeared as scheduled, with people exchanging Chinese New Year wishes in the midst of the brilliant light and sound of fireworks.”

In his speech, Hon. Jaafaru Yakubu, Chairman of House Committee on Nigeria-China Relations Committee, House of Representatives, said the unity and harmony demonstrated by the Chinese New Year celebration is a strong evidence to the long-lasting friendship between the two peoples.

The Secretary to the Lagos State Government,  Barr. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, highly commended the Chinese New Year as a bridge that connects us across cultures and continents, which symbolizes the beauty of culture diversity and the strength that comes from understanding and embracing one another.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun, sent their Lunar New Year wishes by video and letters.

During the reception, the Consulate General also joined hands with Nigerian overseas Chinese communities, as well as Chinese enterprises and academics to subsidize the local blind school charity sales. Especially the “Renewed Hope, Rebirth from the light” charity programme to provide financial support for cataract patients, has facilitated more than ten beneficiaries who have regained their sight to experience the warm atmosphere of Chinese New Year on the spot, and to thank the Chinese for their great love.

It can be seen that Chinese civilization, represented by the Spring Festival, not only reflects the aesthetic taste of the Chinese people, but also provides a rich cultural experience for people from all over the world, including Nigeria, and builds a bridge of communication for exchanges and mutual understanding among different civilizations.

Yuqing said Chinese civilization is an important carrier of the spiritual pursuit of the Chinese nation. She said, “In the long course of history, the Chinese nation has gone through a course of development different from that of other civilizations in the world, formed a unique value system, cultural connotation and spiritual qualities of the Chinese people in their view of the world, society and life, and created a broad and profound excellent traditional culture, as well as a cultural self-confidence that draws on a wide range of strengths.

“Chinese civilization is the ‘Grand Canal’ that connects China with the world. Amity between peoples holds the key to the relationship between countries”, and the deep friendship of peoples is the source of drive for the development of national relations.

“Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have always been a vital component of China-Nigeria relations and a source of driving force for the growth of the relations, allowing our two nations to build a deep friendship across cultural and language differences.

“In the past decade and more since President Xi Jinping proposed the BRI, Belt and Road cooperation has expanded beyond the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America, and from “hard connectivity” to “soft connectivity” and to the connectivity between the people.

A harmonious picture of multiple civilizations flourishing together, is being drawn up through rich and colorful cultural years, expos and exhibitions, and deepening exchanges between non-governmental organizations, think tanks, media organizations, and the youth—all these flourishing activities.

“Chinese civilization is a promoter that pushes China-Africa and China-Nigeria relations to move forward. The Under-Secretary-General, Mr. Miguel Moratinos, the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, said that the Dragon symbolizes strength, courage, and wisdom—the qualities the world needs while facing unprecedented crises.

“In Chinese culture, the dragon symbolizes bravery, enterprise, self-improvement, holding good wishes that match the common pursuit of development by all peoples, and we can benefit greatly from appreciating each other’s cultures.”

She further disclosed that, in March last year, President Xi Jinping put forth the Global Civilization Initiative in his keynote address at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level meeting, calling for joint efforts to advocate the respect for the diversity of civilizations and upholding the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations.

“China is ready to work together with the international community, to open up a new prospect of enhanced exchanges and understanding among different peoples and better interactions and integration of diversified cultures. Together we can make the garden of world civilizations colorful and vibrant.

“China and Nigeria are good friends and partners, and though the people of our two countries are separated by thousands of miles, they can still become families that love each other.

“The two countries are major cultural countries with their own characteristics, and we will also celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day and other festivals together, so that the Nigerian people can better and more closely understand the Chinese culture.”

Yuqing therefore said they will continue to encourage Chinese community to carry forward the traditional Chinese virtues of helping those in need and aiding those in peril, contribute to charity causes, and further promote people-to-people exchanges, work for the stable and long-term growth of building China-Nigeria community with a shared future.