Your Excellency Mr. Director General Cooreman,

Distinguished Guests,

Friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening. The year 2023 is coming to an end, and 2024 is just around the corner. At the turn of the year, it is my great honor to have you here tonight to review the past, renew friendship, exchange views on cooperation and ring in the new year. At the outset, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, I would like to convey to all the distinguished guests and friends warm regards and festive greetings.

In this outgoing year, China-Belgium relations have shown a sound development momentum after the pandemic. New outcomes in economic and trade cooperation have been yielded. Our two countries have expanded common understandings and cooperation on exporting Belgian agricultural products to China, civil aviation service, pursuing green development and addressing climate change among others. Over 80 Chinese delegations visited Belgium. Friendly exchanges in such fields as education, science and technology, culture and at the sub-national level have brought the two peoples closer.

Over the past decade, China-Belgium relations have traveled through an extraordinary journey, with many memorable moments. In particular, President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to Belgium in 2014. President Xi and King Philippe upgraded together the China-Belgium relationship to an all-round partnership of friendly cooperation, charting the course for the development of this bilateral relationship. Ten years on, China and Belgium have further substantiated mutually beneficial cooperation, with greater means and higher quality. Despite the changing international landscape over the past decade, friendship and cooperation have stayed as the defining feature of China-Belgium relations.

Friendly exchanges between China and Belgium started much earlier than our generation. As in the documentary you just watched, in 1961, Queen Elisabeth paid an ice-breaking visit to China despite ideological differences. Over the past 50 plus years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Belgium have explored a way of friendly coexistence and win-win cooperation for countries with different political systems, histories and cultures. History of the past five decades shows that despite differences, as long as the two countries respect each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and core interests, China and Belgium can transcend differences and carry out effective cooperation. I want to stress here that China always abides by the basic norms governing international relations, never interfering in other countries’ domestic affairs. What kind of democracy is implemented in Belgium is Belgium’s own affairs. We respect the political system and development path of Belgium, and ask the Belgian side to respect China’s political system and development path and to respect China’s core interests and major concerns. As the world is undergoing profound historical changes, it is all the more important for the two sides to learn from history and embrace the future, carrying forward China-Belgium friendship and cooperation.

Distinguished guests,

Friends,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Over the years, friends from different sectors have made positive contribution to the development of China-Belgium relations. I want to express sincere gratitude and pay high tribute to you. I am convinced that guided by high-level exchanges, the China-Belgium all-round partnership of friendly cooperation will scale even greater achievements in 2024. Last but not least, I wish you happy new year and all the best.

Thank you.