On January 31, the Chinese Embassy in Mauritius held a grand reception for the 2024 Spring Festival in the arrival and departure hall of the new cruise terminal in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, which was attended by more than 700 people, including President Rubon and his wife, Prime Minister Jugnauth and his wife, Vice President Boseren and his wife, Vice Prime Minister Luchumon, Vice Prime Minister Husnu, Acting Foreign Minister Ghanu and other dignitaries, as well as representatives of local celebrities from all walks of life, diplomatic missions in Mauritius, overseas Chinese, Chinese volunteers, and representatives of Chinese-funded institutions.
In his speech, Ambassador Zhu Liying extended New Year greetings and holiday greetings to friends from all walks of life in Mauritius. He said that the dragon symbolizes strength, wisdom and courage in traditional Chinese culture, and wished everyone a prosperous and fruitful new year. The Chinese Embassy deliberately chose to hold the Spring Festival reception for the Year of the Dragon at the new cruise terminal, which was unveiled not long ago, firstly, to take advantage of the cultural meaning of the dragon to wish the tourism industry, the pillar industry of the Mauritian economy, new achievements, and secondly, to symbolize that the friendship and pragmatic cooperation between China and Mauritius will once again set off towards a higher goal after 50 years of development. Ambassador Zhu pointed out that China's development report card in 2023 is very impressive, with stable and positive economic fundamentals and full of resilience, with an annual GDP growth rate of 5.2%, ranking among the best among major economies. The industrial foundation is strong, and the output value of the manufacturing industry reaches 28.7% of the world. Domestic demand has strong potential, and the middle-income group is growing rapidly, and it is expected to reach 800 million people in the next ten years. China's economy will contribute 32% to world economic growth in 2023, remaining the largest driver of global economic growth, injecting more certainty into an uncertain world. Ambassador Zhu stressed that China will not build small courtyards with high walls, let alone decoupling and breaking chains, but aims to build a community with a shared future for mankind, advocates an equal and orderly world multipolarization and inclusive economic globalization, and promises that the fruits of development will benefit all countries and continue to contribute positive forces to world peace and development. As the largest developing country, a partner of the Non-Aligned Movement, and a member of the Global South, China will always stand by the developing countries, especially small and medium-sized countries, and contribute to the common development of the countries of the South.
Ambassador Zhu said that 2023 is the first year of a new 50-year period for China-Mauritius relations, with deepening exchanges in various fields and new achievements in friendly cooperation between the two countries. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Jugnauth exchanged congratulatory messages on the National Day of the two countries and spoke highly of the achievements of practical cooperation between the two countries. The first meeting of the Joint Committee of the China-Mauritius Free Trade Zone was successfully held in Mauritius, and the teams of the two sides jointly formulated a roadmap for strengthening economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, opening up new possibilities for deepening bilateral cooperation. The "Water Cube Cup" Chinese Song Competition, the "Childhood under the Rainbow" Cultural Experience Day, the Dragon Boat Festival Celebration and other Chinese cultural themed activities were colorful. On the occasion of the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon, the Chinese Embassy, together with the Chinese Cultural Center, the Maoist central and local governments, and overseas Chinese groups in Mao, held a variety of celebrations such as the "Transnational Spring Festival Gala" and the parade of floats. The increasing integration of Chinese and Mauritian cultures has not only enriched the cultural life of the Mauritian people and added luster to the multicultural traditions of Mauritius, but also narrowed the distance between the two peoples. Ambassador Zhu said that the new FOCAC 2024 session will be held in China, and he believes that the holding of the forum will set a new example for South-South cooperation and bring new opportunities for China-Mauritius cooperation. As the "gateway to Africa", Mauritius should further leverage its advantages such as the China-Mauritius Free Trade Agreement and the China-Africa platform to play a greater role in China-Africa connectivity and common prosperity. In 2024, China-Mauritius cooperation has made a good start, with the visit of the Minister of Financial Services of Mauritius to China in January, and the visit of delegations from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade to Mauritius.
After the speech, Ambassador Zhu and his wife, President Rubon and his wife, Prime Minister Jugnauth and his wife and other guests jointly toasted, wishing the two peoples happiness and health and the long-lasting friendship between China and Mauritius. Subsequently, accompanied by Ambassador Zhu and his wife, the guests watched the "Auspicious Dragon" Chinese Zodiac Cultural and Creative Exhibition, and experienced Chinese culture in the calligraphy, tea art, paper-cutting, and musical instrument culture exhibition area. The guests were very interested in the cultural performance and asked questions from time to time. Artists from the China Cultural Center and local Mao presented wonderful martial arts, dance, instrumental music and other cultural performances to the guests. The dance program "Slow Voice" is elegant and atmospheric, showing Chinese style, and the marksmanship performance is exciting, attracting bursts of applause. At the reception, red lanterns were hung high, dragon and lion dances were noisy, giant lions and dragon boat exhibits attracted many guests, and the cultural exhibition area was crowded, and the atmosphere was festive and warm.
The reception was interviewed and reported by official media and mainstream media such as the Mauritian Government News Network, The Challenge, and The Mauritian Journal, as well as online newspapers and magazines such as Morning Post, Daily and Business Week. (Source: Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Mauritius)
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