Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Sun Weidong at the 2021 Online Spring Festival Concert
2021-02-11 01:10

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

As the Chinese New Year is coming soon, I’m very happy to enjoy this online concert with Indian friends. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in India, I would like to express sincere appreciation to the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism and China National Symphony Orchestra for their strong support!

The year 2020 was an extraordinary year for China, India and the whole world. The outbreak of COVID-19 brought both unprecedented challenges and profound inspiration to human society. In his special address at the World Economic Forum Davos several days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed out that there is only one Earth and one shared future for humanity. As we cope with the current crisis and endeavor to make a better day for everyone, we need to stand united and work together. The way to solve the problems facing the world is through upholding multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind. As the only two major developing countries with a population of more than 1 billion in the world, China and India shoulder important responsibilities in maintaining global peace and stability and promoting common development. We should fulfill our responsibilities as a major country and make due contributions to overcoming the pandemic at an early date and promoting world economic recovery.

Over the past year, China-India relations have encountered difficulties and challenges and come to a critical crossroads. China’s policy on China-India relations is clear and consistent. China and India are both emerging economies and major neighboring countries. Maintaining the sound and steady development of China-India relations serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples. China and India are partners rather than rivals. We pose no threat but offer development opportunities to each other. This is the fundamental judgment made by the two leaders on China-India relations. It provides strategic direction and political cornerstone for bilateral relations. We should firmly stay committed to it. We should follow the important consensus reached by our leaders and stick to the right path of mutual trust and cooperation. We must not go down the wrong path of suspicion, still less should we turn back to negativity and retrogression. It’s imperative for the two sides to take a far-sighted approach and meet each other halfway. Taking a far-sighted approach means we should proceed from the fundamental interests of the 2.7 billion people of our two countries, look at the overall situation, think long-term and uphold autonomy, peaceful development and good-neighborly friendship. Meeting each other half way means we should respect each other and take a calm, rational and constructive approach, seek consensus through candid dialogue, and implement consensus through concrete actions. We should bring our positions closer rather than otherwise. We need to put the boundary question in an appropriate place in bilateral relations and not allow our differences to become disputes. We need to increase mutual trust through communication, properly handle differences through consultation, and actively promote practical cooperation to bring China-India relations back on the right track of sound and steady development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

People of our two countries are the fundamental forces driving the development of bilateral relations. Friendship between the two peoples is an important foundation for the friendship between the two countries. Culture and art serve as an important bond of friendship and mutual understanding between our peoples. By inviting the China National Symphony Orchestra to hold this online Spring Festival concert, we hope to build a new platform for friendly exchanges between our two peoples. The China National Symphony Orchestra is a national-level art troupe in China. It has performed many times around the world and won high praises worldwide for its remarkable skills and outstanding performances. This time they will perform a series of Chinese and foreign classics and especially will bring two pieces of Indian music. One is the theme song of the Indian movie “Awara”, which is familiar to many Chinese at the age above 50. The other is a well-known Indian popular song, the “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”. Hope you will like it.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

The Chinese culture is known for its openness and inclusiveness. We are committed to stimulating vitality through openness and fostering innovation through integration. Openness embodies confidence, brings opportunities, and paves a new path. Today’s concert presents an open and inclusive China where Eastern and Western cultures meet. We use music to convey friendship and connect our hearts. In the future, China will embrace the world with a more open attitude and contribute the dynamic achievements of Chinese civilization to the world. We are committed to promoting mutual understanding and friendship between China and the rest of the world to jointly create better tomorrow for human kinds.

In the Chinese culture, the Spring Festival represents the end of winter and coming of spring. Everything will take on a new look. The upcoming Chinese New Year is the Year of the Ox. It symbolizes auspiciousness to people of both China and India. Let me take this opportunity to thank all the friends who support the development of China and China-India relations! I wish you all health, peace and happiness in the Year of the Ox!

Thank you!

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