Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
Good evening and Namaste!
As the Year of the Horse approaches, it is a great pleasure to join all of you to celebrate the Spring Festival. In Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes the spirit of forging ahead with vigor and confidence. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in India, I would like to extend my warmest Chinese New Year greetings and best wishes to all the guests for a prosperous Year of the Horse and every success in the year ahead.
2025 marks the final year of China's 14th Five-Year Plan. Despite mounting economic pressure, China has pushed forward with innovation-led and high-quality development. China’s GDP has exceeded 140 trillion yuan, about 20 trillion US dollars, reaching a new milestone. With a growth rate of 5 percent, China has ranked among the fastest-growing major economies, contributing more than 30 percent to global economic growth. China has become a major trading partner for more than 150 countries and regions, with its total trade in goods growing 3.8 percent year on year to over 6.4 trillion US dollars. Facing a world of growing changes and turbulence, President Xi Jinping solemnly proposed the Global Governance Initiative, calling for a more just and equitable global governance system, which has received positive responses and support from over 150 countries and international organizations. China practices true multilateralism, advocates an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. We stay committed to safeguarding the global free trade system, as well as stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains.
Last August, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a successful meeting in Tianjin, which leads China-India relations from “a reset and fresh start” to a new level of improvement. Exchanges at all levels have become more frequent. Economic and trade cooperation has reached new heights. People-to-people exchanges have become more active. The bilateral relations have continued to improve. In 2025, bilateral trade between China and India reached a record high of 155.6 billion US dollars, registering a year-on-year growth of over 12 percent. India’s exports to China grew by 9.7 percent, demonstrating the vast potential of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. China has resumed the pilgrimage for Indian pilgrims to the sacred mountain and holy lake in China's Xizang Autonomous Region, with nearly 20,000 Indian pilgrims fulfilling their life-long dreams. India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens, and direct flights between Chinese mainland and India have been restored, all of which have facilitated exchanges between the two peoples.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
As ancient civilizations of the East, both China and India possess brilliant traditional cultures that remain vibrant and relevant, continually offering us inspirations and guiding us forward. Last year, I visited the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, UNESCO World Heritage sites. Surrounded by the murals and sculptures, I could truly feel the historical exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Indian Buddhist cultures. I also visited Santiniketan, the hometown of Rabindranath Tagore, as well as the Chinese Language and Culture Department of Visva-Bharati University. Immersed in the intersection of literature and language, I could sense the enduring cultural ties and spiritual resonance between China and India. Through the visits and exchanges, I found many commonalities in our intellectual traditions and value pursuits. At the family level, both countries cherish traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival and Diwali, which emphasize unity and harmony. At the national level, China’s emphasis on self-reliance resonates with India’s strategy of Atmanirbhar Bharat（“Self-reliant India”）. At the global level, China’s vision of “a world of great harmony” echoes Indian’s pursuit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam（“the world as one family” ).
The Chinese nation has always valued good-neighborliness and harmony among nations. We stand ready to work with India to draw wisdom from our traditional cultures, uphold the important consensus that China and India are each other’s cooperation partner and development opportunity, better align our development strategies, deepen practical cooperation to expand the “pie” of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and jointly advance national development and rejuvenation. We are ready to enhance people-to-people exchanges with India, build more bridges of friendship and bring our peoples closer together. We support India’s role as the BRICS rotating chairmanship, stand ready to strengthen multilateral coordination with India, and work together to advance the development of the Global South.
（中文讲）女士们、先生们、朋友们,
在印华人华侨、中资机构和留学生是中印交流合作的重要桥梁。新的一年，希望大家凝心聚力，继续为中印关系发展和两国友好事业添砖加瓦。中国驻印度使领馆永远是各位的家，我们会用心用情用力为大家做好服务。
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
Tomorrow marks Lichun, the first of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese traditional calendar. “Li” signifies a beginning, and “Chun,” or spring, is a symbol of hope. At this fresh start of a new seasonal cycle, we look forward to the sustained, sound and steady development of China-India relations in the year ahead.
Finally, please allow me to propose a toast:
To the peace and prosperity of both China and India.
To the new development of China-India relations.
To the happiness and good health of all the friends present today.
Cheers!
