Consul generals extend Spring Festival greetings to Jiangsu

2021-02-10 10:54:00

Consul generals of 13 countries in Shanghai including Japan, South Korea, Israel, Singapore and Thailand extended Spring Festival greetings to Jiangsu Province, China's major economic powerhouse.

To enhance understanding and deepen friendship with foreign countries, the Asia Division of the province’s Foreign Affairs Office and Xinhua Daily’s International Communications Department have cooperated to organize the event in the run-up to the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Akio Isomata, consul general of Japan, said the two countries stood by each other to overcome the difficulties in 2020. In describing the bilateral ties, he quoted the famous lines from a poem in Shi Jing, Book of Songs, which say “How can you say you don’t have clothes? I’ll share my robe with you.” He also hoped both sides will address challenges caused by the pandemic and take solid measures to move ahead as the year of 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of relations between China and Japan.

In his Chinese New Year message, Kim Seung-Ho, consul general of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, said the friendship between ROK and Jiangsu plays an important role in boosting the bilateral ties. In his remarks, he also used a popular Chinese term “Su Da Qiang,” which means Strong Jiangsu, in honor of the province’s economic strength. He said he’s happy to see the two sides have enjoyed a closer relationship in culture exchange, cooperation and trade.

Edward Shapira, consul general of Israeli in Shanghai, visited Jiangsu twice last year. The province also cooperated closely with Israel in the COVID-19 response. The China-Changzhou Israel Innovation Park, a bi-national governmental initiative, donated 100,000 masks and 1,000 sets of protective clothing to Israel. The Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital also held several video conferences with the Israeli health authorities to share its practices in COVID-19 prevention and control. “I hope we’ll all overcome the pandemic very soon, and be able to travel again to Israel, and to host Israeli delegation here in China,” said Edward Shapira.

Singapore's consul general in Shanghai, Chua Teng Hoe, also recorded a video to extend New Year greetings to Jiangsu, expressing his thanks to those who have supported closer ties between the two regions over the years. He said bilateral cooperation continues to strengthen despite challenges posed by the pandemic. As the 14th Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council meeting was held in last November over videoconference, the two sides should enhance cooperation in fields such as finance and technology innovation to take the relationship to new heights in 2021.

Holding a cute toy in honor of the Year of the Ox, Lada Phumas, consul general of Thailand in Shanghai, said in a video speech that the two countries helped each other in the fight against the pandemic in 2020. In this year, the two countries will overcome difficulties to make new strides. Also in the video, Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who has been awarded China's Medal of Friendship for her enormous contribution to the friendship between Thailand and China, also wrote down her best wishes for the Spring Festival.

In their remarks, consul generals of 13 countries in Shanghai all expressed their hope of deepening relationship with Jiangsu and cooperation in the pandemic response.