Chinese to Kenya ambassador Guo Haiyan speaking during the spring festival gala celebrations at the United Nations offices, Nairobi on January 22, 2025/LEAH MUKANGAI
Newly posted Chinese envoy Guo Haiyan has stressed her commitment to deepen the age-old ties between Nairobi and Beijing.
She said China will keep deepening the relations in line with the commitments made between the Asian powerhouse and its African friends.
“I just assumed my position as the 18thambassador. I will try my best together with my team and our Kenyan compatriots to make new contributions to our traditional friendship and cooperation in various spheres,” she said.
Haiyan spoke at the United Nations in Nairobi on Wednesday, where the UN and Chinese Embassy hosted the celebrations to mark the Chinese New Year.
The envoy said the New Year provides an opportunity to “inject new momentum to global growth and prosperity.”.
“The new year and the spring festival are an inspiration to tackle global challenges and reflects the desire for peace and harmony,” Haiyan said.
This year’s spring festival is the first since UNESCO on December 4 inscribed the celebrations as an intangible cultural component and a floating holiday in the UN calendar.
The celebrations at UNON precede the actual day of February 10 as mandated by the United Nations. The UN Secretary General issues a speech in this regard.
Amb Guo said she was elated to co-host the celebrations at UNON, stressing that it is the most important traditional festival in Chinese culture.
“It is the time for family reunion, time to express our aspirations for a better life, and it is also an important window for foreigners to know more and get a better understanding of Chinese culture,” she said.
Ambassador Guo Haiyan and Under-Secretary-General and UNON director-general Zainab Hawa pose for a group photo with other dignitaries/LEAH MUKANGAI
At the fete, martial artists and opera performers from Henan province in China put on colorful displays of Chinese traditional games.
Hawa Bangura, the director of the UN in Nairobi, said the new year ‘of the wood snake’ calls for “wisdom, strategy, and growth.”
“We pray that the new year brings common wisdom, strategy, and growth,” she said.
Chinese to Kenya ambassador Guo Haiyan and Under-Secretary-General and UNON director-general Zainab Hawa during the spring festival gala celebrations at the United Nations offices, Nairobi on January 22, 2025/LEAH MUKANGAI
Jane Makori, deputy director for Asia and Pacific Affairs at the Foreign Affairs ministry, conveyed Kenya’s best wishes to the Chinese population on the new year.
The snake is among the 12 animals in the Chinese lunar calendar. The “Year of the Dragon” was the most recent.
Others are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The years are marked with different themes.
