The mood was electric, with a seamless fusion of Chinese and South African culture at Sandton when Consul-General of China in Johannesburg, Pan Qingjiang hosted a prestigious event on Friday night to usher in the Lunar New Year.
Several government officials from Gauteng and Free State – provinces served by the Chinese Consulate General situated in Joburg – joined the festivities which were also attended by members of local and international media, civic society groups, members of the academia, business and diplomats.
The Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the most important traditional festival of China which is celebrated across the People’s Republic of China around the world.
Last month, Spring Festival - social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year - was inscribed on the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
In his keynote address, Consul-General Pan said over the past year, under the guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa, the China-South Africa relationship has been elevated to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.
“Our sub-national friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields with Gauteng and Free State have yielded new results,” he said.
“Looking into the new year, China will continue to make its utmost in full confidence to promote the high-quality development and to pursue high-standard opening up.
“China will continue to work with all countries including South Africa to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind, jointly creating a better future for the world,” said Pan, a veteran diplomat.
He also extended gratitude to the people of South Africa and the vibrant Chinese community in South Africa.
“As we ring in the Chinese New Year, I would like to extend, on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Johannesburg, my best wishes to my fellow countrymen and South African friends and express my heartfelt thanks to people from all walks of life who have been supporting China's development and committed to promoting China-South Africa relationship and sub-national friendly cooperation,” he said.
“In the new year, the Consulate General will, as always, have active engagement with people of all sectors in the two provinces (Gauteng and Free State) and provide high-quality consular services to Chinese compatriots and enterprises, together translating the friendly relationship of cooperation between our two countries into more tangible benefits.
“Wish you all enjoy happiness and peace in Chinese Lunar Year of the Snake,” Pan concluded.
The Chinese New Year will this year fall on Wednesday, January 29 and will be followed by several days of festivities which will culminate with the Lantern Festival in mid-February.
Representing Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, the provincial MEC for Health Monyatso Mahlatsi said in the new year, the provincial authorities seek to intensify cooperation with China, particularly in reviving industries and boosting production.
"The message that we bring to the Chinese is actually to wish them well and wish that the relationship that we have had over the years with the Chinese people matures to even greater heights with cooperation between us and the Chinese, led by the agreements and memoranda by our national government. We cooperate based on the parameters set by our national government in this space," Mahlatsi spoke to IOL.
"We believe that we can learn more from this cooperation with the Chinese people and they can also learn from our side. At this point, we have a number of projects that the Chinese have been supporting us on, it is quite a huge number of projects."
Mahlatsi said factories across the province are struggling to remain in business and it is hoped that the cooperation with the Chinese will help in reviving production and to create much-needed jobs for the people of Free State.
On behalf of the Chinese community in South Africa, businesswoman Jenny Wu, founder of the Jenny Wu Sports Academy and chairperson of the African Chinese Women’s Association told the gathering that the Spring Festival represents the core values of family, renewal, and hope, transcending borders and resonating with universal human aspirations.
“The Chinese government has been paying great attention to its citizens and overseas Chinese communities all the time. Its foreign representative’s office is in close relationship with community members and caring for their livelihood in South Africa. The annual New Year reception hosted by the Consul General’s office is a typical example for this consistent and tireless efforts.
“I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Consul-General, Mr Pan Qingjiang and his colleagues for putting up this event for us,” she said.
Wu said the past year has been extraordinary.
“We are pleased to witness the close partnership between China and South Africa in all areas. We are confident that both countries will benefit through this brotherhood style relationship. Hence, I call upon the Chinese community members to be more active through the enhancing of this relationship. We are looking forward to a bright future for South Africa and the African continent,” she said.
According to Wu, in the Chinese traditional culture, the year of snake is also called a junior dragon year.
“It prophesies a year of great achievement through careful planning, hardworking and close partnership. As we welcome the year of the snake, may it bring forth resilience, good fortune, and endless opportunities,” she said.
In Chinese tradition, each year is linked to an animal from the Chinese zodiac. There are 12 zodiac animals which include the snake, rat, dragon, ox, tiger, rabbit, horse, goat, and rooster.
For more than a decade, China has been South Africa’s biggest trading partner, and South Africa is China’s biggest trading partner on the African continent.