31 Jan 2019

A traditional art troupe from Jinlin Province in China on January 29 presented a gala performance to mark Happy Chinese New Year, also known as the spring festival for the Chinese community living in Botswana.

The festival, dubbed the most important festival for the Chinese, is used as a platform for family reunion to share joy and love, talk about the past year and look forward to the New Year, says the Chinese ambassador to Botswana, Zhao Yambo.

This year, the spring festival of the Year of the Pig was marked with colourful outfits, beautiful moves, folk music, magical antics and heartwarming messages about family, love and unity were depicted in the group’s “Happy Chinese New Year” presentation.

China deputy director general with Department of Culture and Tourism in Jinlin Province, Su Wei said her group was happy to participate in the celebrations and to showcase Jinlin Province’s heritage and culture through arts.

“This year’s celebrations of the Year of the Pig has brought along a lucky charm to Batswana and the Chinese community, as you know that 2019 falls within the Year of the Pig which is predicted to be a lucky year,” she said.

According to the traditional Chinese calendar, the pig has the last position in the zodiac after the dog, and a pig is a representation of diligence, kindness and generosity.

Ambassador Yambo said 2018 was a fruitful year that ushered in a new era for China-Africa and China-Botswana relations.

He said President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s first state visit to China was a milestone in the history of China-Botswana relations.

He added that China would always be Botswana’s good friend and good partner as they embarked on a distinctive path of win-win cooperation.

“Like 2018, 2019 is another year of significance as we will celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 53^rd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Botswana,” he said.

Yambo said China would promote the comprehensive implementation of the Beijing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.

“We will speed things up to turn the consensus reached by our two leaders into concrete actions so as to make sure our cooperation delivers real benefits,” he said.

Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Unity Dow said Botswana- China relations continued to grow and have become multifaceted as demonstrated by the increasing number of bilateral cooperation agreements in place.

“It is worth mentioning that tonight’s performance by artists from Jinlin Province takes place under the ambit for the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation signed in 1991,” she said.

Dow further highlighted that cultural diplomacy was critical for enhancing mutual understanding and greater people to people interaction, as it was only through culture that communities could communicate better.  ENDS