Dumplings to attract wealth and yangge dances. The Ambassador of China spoke about the traditions of the Spring Festival and what he expects in the Year of the Rabbit

China is developing rapidly and intends to actively promote an all-weather and comprehensive strategic partnership with Belarus. The importance of this was noted by Xie Xiaoyong, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Belarus, in an interview with BelTA on the eve of the 31st anniversary of Belarusian-Chinese diplomatic relations (January 20) and the Chinese Spring Festival (January 22). The HEAD of the diplomatic mission drew attention to the importance of the decisions of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, Chinese research in space and the sea, spoke about what a new level of relations between Belarus and China implies, as well as about the traditions of celebrating the Chinese New Year and how he will celebrate the Spring Festival with colleagues In MINSK.

- Mr. Ambassador, how was the past year for China?

- For China, the past year 2022 was a period when the leading role of the Communist Party was even more evident. The CCP unites the country's multi-ethnic people who work hard and boldly and resolutely move forward.

We successfully held the 20th National Congress of the CPC, which developed a grandiose plan for the comprehensive construction of a modernized socialist state. A new concept of development is being comprehensively implemented in the country, and high-quality development is being promoted. At the same time, China's GDP exceeded 120 trillion Chinese yuan.

China firmly adheres to the principle of "people and life first", optimizes the anti-epidemic strategy in accordance with the development of the epidemic situation, and minimizes the impact of the epidemic on socio-economic development.

We successfully and timely hosted the Winter Olympic Games and the Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing, bringing a cost-effective, safe and great ice and snow festival to the world.

At present, China continues to explore space and the sea. Thus, the construction of the Chinese space station Tiangong has been fully completed. The Shenzhou-13, Shenzhou-14, Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft and the Tianzhou-5 space express were launched. And from the rover "Zhuzhong" it is reported about the successful exploration of Mars.

The Shenhai-1 deepwater oil and gas complex is producing day and night. The manned deep-sea submersible "Fendouzhe" ("Wrestler") is submerged to a depth of 10,000 meters. The first Chinese long-haul airliner C919 has been delivered to the customer. The third aircraft carrier "Fujian" was successfully launched. We have been innovating and reaching new heights.

- Please tell us in more detail about the main results of the 20th National Congress of the CCP, which became an important event not only for China, but for the whole world.

- The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was successfully held on October 16-22, 2022 in Beijing. This is an extremely important congress, convened at a key moment when China began to move towards the comprehensive construction of a modernized socialist state - the goal set for the 100th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

At the opening ceremony of the congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping, on behalf of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, delivered a report "Holding the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics High, Struggling Together for the Comprehensive Construction of a Modernized Socialist State", in which he made a retrospective summary of the work of the CPC over the past five years and great transformations that have taken place in ten years in a new era. Xi Jinping gave in-depth coverage of such important issues as opening up new horizons in Sinicization and modernizing Marxism, Chinese specifics and the essential requirements of Chinese modernization. He also defined the mission and tasks of the CCP in the march into the new era, as well as the strategic measures to comprehensively build a modernized socialist state and advance the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

At the first plenum of the 20th CPC Central Committee, a new central leadership was elected, with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core. He was unanimously re-elected General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission.

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee led by Comrade Xi Jinping, the Chinese people have gained even more powerful strength to move forward, began to fight in an even more upbeat spirit, felt an even stronger faith in victory, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation entered an irreversible historical process.

- Mr. Ambassador, the Chinese New Year is coming - Spring Festival, Chunjie. What does it symbolize and what are the main traditions of its celebration?

- The Spring Festival is a traditional and grand event for the Chinese nation. For the Chinese, it has a lot of special meanings, the most important of which is to reunite with relatives and celebrate the arrival of the new year together.

The night before the Spring Festival is called "Chusi", meaning "New Year's Eve". In China, the customs of the Spring Festival vary from region to region, but what is common throughout the country is that the whole family gathers together in Chuxi for a sumptuous New Year's dinner and watching the New Year's Gala. Even in Chusi, the Chinese paste paired strips of red paper with New Year wishes on the sides of the entrance of their houses, and in some regions they launch firecrackers and fireworks. Adults distribute holiday money in envelopes to children, wishing them to grow up healthy.

On this night, many people stay up to celebrate the Spring Festival and this tradition is called "Showway". After midnight, northerners usually eat ingot-shaped dumplings, hoping to attract wealth and possess treasures in the new year, while southerners eat glutinous rice balls, which signify a family reunion. Early in the morning the next day, that is, on the first day of the new year, it is customary to visit relatives and friends, congratulate them on the new year and wish each other all the best.

In some areas, during the Spring Festival, they put up New Year's pictures, hang lanterns, prepare New Year's cookies, walk on stilts, dance yangge (Chinese folk dance), watch lion dances to create a festive New Year's atmosphere. In a word, all these traditions contain the hope of the Chinese for the best, as well as our commitment to family values ​​and the desire for reunification and a happy life together.

- Mr. Ambassador, how will you yourself celebrate this holiday in Minsk?

- This year I will celebrate the Spring Festival with colleagues from the embassy. Together we will make dumplings, watch the New Year's gala concert, enjoy a gala dinner and set off fireworks. We will also organize various cultural and sports events, including basket ball throwing, jumping rope, badminton and table tennis competitions, museum tours and so on, that is, we will welcome the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit in a healthy and bright festive atmosphere.

In addition, my colleagues from the embassy and I will visit Chinese enterprises in your country, get acquainted with the living conditions, study of Chinese students and work of the Chinese living in Belarus, bringing them the warmth of the Motherland.

With the active support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus, the embassy together with the Association of Organizations of Chinese Compatriots "Huaqiao" will hold a symphony concert dedicated to the Spring Festival at the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society. Artists from China and Belarus will jointly perform on the same stage. I look forward to this event and believe that the guests of the event will be presented with a magnificent celebration of the symphony of sounds.

- This year, the new year according to the Chinese lunar calendar practically coincides with the 31st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the People's Republic of China. With what success are we meeting this date?

- In the 31 years that have passed since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Chinese-Belarusian relations have been steadily developing and continuously improving. During this period, the level of bilateral relations has risen four times: from "friendly cooperation relations", "comprehensive strategic partnership relations", "trustful comprehensive strategic partnership relations and mutually beneficial cooperation" to "all-weather and comprehensive strategic partnership relations".

According to the Chinese side, the volume of trade between China and Belarus increased from $60.8 million at the beginning of the establishment of diplomatic relations to $5.08 billion in 2022, an increase of more than 83 times.

In the fight against the covid-19 epidemic, the parties provide each other with anti-epidemic materials and exchange anti-epidemic experience. In particular, China donated many batches of vaccines against CORONAVIRUS to Belarus as gratuitous aid, which reflected the true meaning of the proverb "Friends are known in trouble."

The past year 2022 has become a year of continuation of traditions and opening of new promising paths, conquering new heights in bilateral relations between China and Belarus. Last September, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Belarus President ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO held a bilateral meeting in Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, during which they decided to raise bilateral relations to the level of an all-weather and comprehensive strategic partnership. Thus, Chinese-Belarusian relations have made a historic leap.

The two countries continue to deepen political mutual trust and firmly support each other on issues related to the fundamental interests of both sides, as well as maintain close coordination in the international arena. Trade and economic cooperation between the two countries is showing optimistic results, the joint construction of the "One Belt, One Road" is moving forward steadily. The Chinese-Belarusian industrial park "Great Stone" has become a pearl project of the joint construction of "One Belt, One Road" between the two countries.

Along with this, the humanitarian cooperation between the two countries is becoming closer day by day. For example, Belarus has become the second most popular Russian-speaking country for Chinese students to study abroad after RUSSIA. Last year, the number of Chinese students studying in Belarus exceeded 7,000.

Universities, think tanks, media and cultural institutions on both sides held a wide variety of online and offline activities. The interregional exchanges of the two countries were remembered by many bright moments, as well as the Year of the Regions of China and Belarus. 2022 has been a fruitful year for Chinese-Belarusian cooperation, and we look forward to even greater results in 2023.

- What does it mean in practice for the two sides to raise cooperation to the level of an all-weather and all-round strategic partnership?

- The decision of the leaders of the two countries to raise the Chinese-Belarusian relations to a new level of all-weather and comprehensive strategic partnership fully reflects the great importance that both sides attach to the further development of bilateral relations. We have every reason to believe that, being at a new historical starting point, both states will continue to continuously promote China-Belarus relations to a higher level, develop all-encompassing, multi-level and multi-vector cooperation between the two countries.

Both sides will maintain close cooperation on international affairs, provide mutual assistance and support in a difficult international situation, jointly protect the common interests of the two countries, as well as international impartiality and justice.

The Chinese side respects and firmly supports the Belarusian people in choosing a development path that is in line with their own national conditions, and strongly opposes the use or threat of unilateral sanctions in international relations for any reason, as well as interference in the internal affairs of Belarus under the pretext of human rights. The Belarusian side will also provide strong support to China on issues related to China's core interests, such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and so on.

It is very important that the parties will continue to adhere to the principles of equality, mutual benefit and cooperation, implement the important agreements reached by the heads of the two states, and continue to deepen cooperation in such diverse areas as the economy, trade, investment, science and technology, education , culture, medicine, for the even greater benefit of the peoples of the two countries.

- Mr. Ambassador, epidemiological requirements in China have been significantly relaxed since January 8. Can we expect in connection with this an intensification of the exchange of visits, including at the highest level?

- In the past three years since the beginning of the outbreak, the Chinese government has adhered to based on its own national circumstances and to form an epidemic prevention policy that meets the interests of the vast majority of people. This was to ensure the safety of life and HEALTH of the people to the maximum extent, as a result of which the goal was realized - to achieve the best results at the lowest cost.

In line with the latest developments in the epidemic situation, China is constantly optimizing prevention and control measures to ensure better coordination between epidemic prevention and socio-economic development.

Although the sudden outbreak of the epidemic had a temporary effect on the exchange of high-level visits between China and Belarus, it did not hinder communications and exchanges between the two sides. The leaders of the two countries always maintain close contacts in the form of telephone conversations, exchange of letters, and it can even be said that high-level exchanges have become closer than before.

In the context of the epidemic, Xi Jinping and Alexander Lukashenko held three telephone conversations in June 2020, January 2021 and January 2022, thereby timely contacting on the most pressing issues of the modern development of Chinese-Belarusian relations. And, as I said, the meeting of the two heads of state in Samarkand was especially important, when both sides reached a consensus on high-level exchanges between China and Belarus.

At present, in accordance with the latest developments in the coronavirus situation, the Chinese government has optimized epidemic prevention measures based on scientific assessment, and has also taken a series of measures to facilitate the movement of Chinese and foreigners, which has been widely approved by the international community.

I believe that the number of exchanges at all levels, including high-level reciprocal visits, and the movement of people between the two sides this year will gradually increase.

- Political contacts between Belarus and China have always been good, even in an unstable epidemiological situation. And how were things in the past year in trade and economic cooperation and what are its prospects?

- Last year, trade and economic cooperation between China and Belarus achieved good results and set new records. According to statistics from the Chinese side, the volume of bilateral trade between China and Belarus in the first 10 months of last year exceeded the value for the entire 2021. For the whole of 2022, it reached $5.08 billion, an increase of 33% compared to the same period, including the volume of Chinese imports from Belarus amounted to $1.804 billion, an increase of 65.4% year on year. China's exports to Belarus reached $3.275 billion, up 20% year-on-year.

During the year, the China-Belarus Industrial Park "Great Stone", the exemplary joint construction project of "One Belt, One Road", received 18 new enterprises, bringing the total number of residents to 100, marking the successful completion of the park's first decade of development.

At present, the parties are strengthening cooperation in the field of e-commerce and trade in agricultural products. For example, in September last year, the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of electronic commerce. An agreement was reached to strengthen political communication, support enterprise cooperation, promote market prosperity, and supply high-quality specialized products through e-commerce.

In addition, Belarus opened the Belarusian National Pavilion on nine well-known e-commerce platforms in China to promote high-quality Belarusian products among the Chinese, which has already received good reviews. Belarusian agricultural products, especially MEAT and meat products, MILK and dairy products, are very much loved by Chinese consumers. Thus, from January to November 2022, China imported various agricultural products from Belarus in the amount of $584 million, demonstrating an annualized growth of 51%.

In my opinion, trade and economic cooperation between China and Belarus has an inexhaustible development potential. I hope that both sides will continue to make joint efforts, make good use of each other's available resources, continuously expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of e-commerce, agricultural trade, traditional Chinese medicine, artificial intelligence, 5G network development, digital economy, to give new impetus to the future deepening trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to express congratulations to the entire Belarusian people on the occasion of the Spring Festival. The Chinese Embassy in Belarus and the Chinese Cultural Center in Minsk are jointly organizing a variety of online and offline events "Merry Spring Festival". We invite Belarusian friends to celebrate with us, get acquainted with traditional Chinese customs and share the festive mood. I wish you all a happy Spring Festival and prosperity in the Year of the Rabbit!

Alina GRISHKEVICH,

BELTA.