（January 11, 2023）
Honourable Mr. Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang,
Members of the Parliament and State Legislative Assembly,
Representatives from government departments,
Leaders from political parties,
Leaders and representatives from the Chinese communities, media, and educational institutions,
Dear colleagues from Consular Corps,
Dear guests,
Ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends,
Good evening!
Bid farewell to the old year of golden tiger, and welcome the new year of jade rabbit. At this moment, I would like to extend warm welcome to all the distinguished guests who are attending the 2023 Chinese New Year Reception hosted by Chinese Consulate General in Penang. This is the first time that Chinese Consulate General’s reception returns in physical form since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. On behalf of Chinese Consulate General in Penang, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to friends in political circles, Chinese nationals and overseas Chinese abroad, Chinese enterprises, overseas Chinese students, and friends from all walks of life in the consular district who keep extending attention and support to the development of the relationship between China and Malaysia at both national and local levels!
This is my first Spring Festival in Malaysia, so I am very excited. Now, Penang is all decorated with lanterns and festoons, everywhere is filled with the atmosphere of joy, and people of all ethnic groups share the joy of the Spring Festival. I am deeply impressed by the harmony and inclusiveness of the pluralistic societies and cultures of Malaysia. The harmonious coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations are the common characteristic of China and Malaysia, which are both united multi-ethnic nations.
Dear guests,
The Spring Festival is an important festival of family reunion for all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, both at home and abroad. It is also an important time to express gratitude for the gains of last year, and to prepare for the new journey ahead in the new year. The year 2022 was a year full of difficulties and challenges for all the countries in the world. And for China, it was also a year of extraordinary significance that will be forever recorded in the history.
In this year of 2022, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully convened. A grand blueprint has been mapped out for advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, sounding a clarion call for us forging ahead on a new journey and in a new era. The re-election of General Secretary Xi Jinping as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee represents the expectation of all Chinese people. China’s development will maintain high continuity and stability. In the face of changes of the world, of our times, and of history, China solemnly declared that it has always been committed to its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development, and it is dedicated to promoting a human community with a shared future. China has put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and it stands ready to work with the international community to put these two initiatives into action. China is committed to building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.
In this year of 2022, when the world’s living through accelerating changes and in the face of the complex international situation, the Chinese government and people overcame all difficulties, addressed both domestic and international imperatives, made coordinated progress in COVID-19 response and in economic and social development, and scored new, great successes in national development. China successfully hosted the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, present the world with the classic charm of “Dual Olympic City” of Beijing. China successfully launched the space lab module Wentian and Mengtian, and the Tiangong space station was fully completed. China’s economy kept developing steadily. The GDP for the whole year of 2022 is expected to exceed 120 trillion yuan RMB (18 trillion US dollars), a year-on-year increase of 3.0 percent. China has put the people first and put life first all along. Following a science-based and targeted approach, China has adapted the COVID response in light of the evolving situation to protect the life and health of the people to the greatest extent possible, and minimized the impact of the pandemic on economic and social development to the greatest extent possible. China’s exchanges with international community were spectacular. President Xi Jinping made three trips abroad, covering Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. China’s head-of-state diplomacy amazes the world. Leaders of many countries and heads of international organizations paid visits to China successively, which fully reflects the best wishes of all the countries in the world to work with China to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
In this year of 2022, China and Malaysia overcame the difficulties brought by COVID-19 pandemic and made the bilateral cooperation in various fields to buck the trend and continue to achieve positive progress, jointly writing a new story in the development of China-Malaysia relations. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent a message of congratulation to Mr. Anwar Ibrahim shortly after his appointment as Malaysia’s prime minister. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and then Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a video meeting with the new Foreign Minister of Malaysia Zambry Abdul Kadir. Close high-level exchanges have laid a more solid political foundation for advancing towards the direction of jointly building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future. In the first half of last year, China’s investment in Malaysia reached 11 billion US dollars, accounting for 55.6 percent of Malaysia’s total approved foreign direct investments. From January to November last year, the bilateral trade volume between China and Malaysia increased by 18.5 percent year-on-year to 184.75 billion US dollars. China is expected to become Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years. The Chinese and Malaysian governments and relevant departments cooperated closely and made proper arrangements to facilitate nearly 3,000 Malaysian students to return to China to resume their studies. Chinese Consulate General in Penang helped nearly 400 Malaysian students to return to their colleges and universities. In December last year, the Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters in Chinese Language and Malay Language (China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters CATTI BC-BM) was also turned into reality from a proposal. The people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries have been gradually brought back to normal.
Dear Friends,
In the past year, Chinese Consulate General in Penang kept in mind of the four states of Northern Malaysia and strove for serving the overall bilateral relations between China and Malaysia. We worked closely with the governments, enterprises, media, and social organizations of the four states in the consular district, and made unremitting efforts to promote the development of relationship between the localities of China and Malaysia and enhance mutual understanding and affinity between the people of the two countries. For the first time, we launched the program of “My Love, My Connection between China and Malaysia” Academic Aid Scholarship for the Success of Students to provide financial aid to primary and secondary school students in the four states of the consular district to help them in realizing their dreams of success. We issued Special Scholarships for Studying in China to help some Malaysia students in the consular district to return to China to resume their studies. We officially launched the third session of “My Love, My Connection between China and Malaysia” Theme Essay Competition, enabling literature enthusiasts in the consular district to demonstrate the words of power in this flagship event. We provided supports to the activities such as the 36th Malaysia National Chinese Primary School Chinese Speech and Written Test Competition, the Commemorative Exhibition on Dr. Wu Lien-Teh, China Universities Online Education Fair, and assisted the Chinese schools in the consular district to set up the Confucius Classroom International Center and other teaching facilities, building a bridge of cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation between China and Malaysia. We provided support in organizing activities such as the “Work Hand in Hand for a better ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ Cooperation, Share the Development Opportunities of Silk Road E-Commerce Together” Seminar, “Internet Young Entrepreneurs Forum“ etc. to inject impetus into local economic and trade cooperation, especially cooperation in emerging fields such as the digital economy between China and Malaysia. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the governments of the four states in the consular district and people from all walks of life for their strong support to the work of Chinese Consulate General. In the future, we will provide support to and organize more meaningful activities and projects, and continuously set off new upsurges in local exchanges between China and Malaysia.
In the past year, adhering to the people-centered philosophy and the principle of serving the people through diplomacy，Chinese Consulate General in Penang distributed more than 600 Spring Festival packages to Chinese citizens in the consular district, held a series of “A Warm Welcome for Spring” activities such as the “face-to-face” Preventive Consular Protection Seminar, etc., actively provided consular protection and assistance, delivered services to Chinese citizens in the consular district and resolved their difficulties. We also provided guidance and services to Chinese enterprises for conducting business inspection and operating in Northern Malaysia. In the future, my colleagues of the Consulate General and I will continue to work hard to provide better services to Chinese citizens and enterprises in the consular district.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Every new year brings new beginnings and possibilities. Year 2023 is the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Malaysia, and also the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In the new year, we will forge forward together with a bright vision of emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and realizing recovery.
From January 8th, China has officially implemented provisional measures on cross-border travel. There is no other prevention and control restrictions except for a negative nucleic acid test taken within 48 hours prior to departure. More relaxed prevention and control measures may be introduced in the future. In the near future, direct flights between Penang and relevant cities in China will also resume, and people-to-people exchanges between China and Malaysia will be more convenient. You are all welcome to visit China more often. This is the best gift that the Lunar Year of the Rabbit gives us.
As we all know, in the Chinese lunar calendar, “rabbit” symbolizes kindness, beauty, and peace since ancient times, and it also represents vigilance and wisdom. We must seize the good opportunity of the world emerging from the pandemic, forge ahead with enterprise and fortitude, strive in unity to jointly promote economic development and improve people’s livelihood in both China and Malaysia, and write a new chapter of China-Malaysia cooperation.
Last but not least, once again, thank you for your presence. I wish the world to enjoy peace and prosperity, China and Malaysia to be prosperous and the people of the two countries to live in peace, and China-Malaysia friendship to last forever!
Thank you!