The New Year is a joyous occasion
Message from Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Wang Xuguang on the 2023 Chinese Lunar New Year
DEAR friends, today is the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, a time for family reunion and friends gathering.
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit.
In Chinese culture, the rabbit symbolises agility, vitality and hope.
The Year of the Rabbit is considered to be a year of jumping over obstacles and embracing a better life.
On this joyful occasion, I extend my New Year greetings to all of you, and wish everyone greater achievements or "a rabbit's jump" in personal development!
The year 2022 was not an easy year for China to maintain continuous economic and social development against the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
China's economy remained the second largest in the world.
The GDP for the whole year hit about 18 trillion USD with a three percent year-onyear expansion.
The Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games concluded with a resounding success.
China's first-ever space station was fully completed and we now have a new home in outer space. Its first homegrown large passenger aircraft C919 was also delivered.
None of these achievements would have been possible without the hard work of numerous Chinese people.
Last October, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully convened.
An ambitious blueprint has been drawn for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation, sounding a clarion call of the times for forging ahead on a new journey.
The modernisation of China, a country with over 1.4 billion people, will be of epoch-making importance in human history.
It will be a great cause to achieve common prosperity for all and provide more opportunities for global development and cooperation.
China will promote all-round green transition in its economic and social development and make concerted efforts with the international community to build a community of life for humanity and nature.
China will hold dear humanity's common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, and promote human advancement along a balanced, positive and upward trajectory.
Dear friends,
Going forward, the year 2023 marks the beginning of full implementation of the guiding principles laid down at the 20th
CPC National Congress and the beginning of a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects.
Two weeks ago, China announced the adjustment of its COVID control policy. Starting from January 8, for visitors to China, no mandatory quarantine will be required upon arrival any longer.
The people-to-people exchanges between our two countries will be rejuvenated, so does the cooperation in many other fields. We are expecting more Chinese tourists to visit Fiji in the New Year.
As the second largest economy in the world, China's reopening after COVID-19 will inject new and strong impetus into the global development.
The rebound in Chinese consumption will also help dispel the gloom of global economy and provide more certainty and stability amidst the uncertainties in the world. Dear friends,
I congratulate Fiji for a successful 2022 general election.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang warmly congratulated Sitiveni Rabuka on his taking office as Fijian prime minister.
China and Fiji are good friends, partners and brothers who respect each other and pursue common development.
China is ready to work with the new Fijian government to continuously expand our friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and lift ChinaFiji comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level so as to better benefit our two peoples. The Chinese people across the Taiwan Straits celebrate the same Spring Festival and carry on the same culture.
There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.
Resolving the Taiwan question and realising China's complete reunification is a common aspiration of the whole Chinese nation.
No one should underestimate our resolve, will and ability to defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
China commends and appreciates Fiji's longstanding commitment to the one-China principle, which is the political foundation of the China-Fiji relations.
As the Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said in his New Year message, 2023 will be a year of revival, awakening and renewed spirit.
I believe that under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Fijian Government, the Fijian people will make new and greater achievements in national development.
I wish China and Fiji to embrace prosperity and success, our people to enjoy happiness and wellbeing, and the China-Fiji friendship to last and thrive forever!
Happy Chinese New Year! Xie Xie.
Vinaka Vakalevu.