Ladies and Gentlemen:

It gives me great pleasure to join you at the launch of the 2021 “China Weeks: When Culture and Tourism Blend”.

On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, I would like to extend our warm congratulations on the launch of this event!

The first “China Weeks” in the UK was held in 2019. In 2020, the second “China Weeks” was presented on-line. This year’s two-months event will be special. It will continue serving as a bridge between Chinese and Western cultures and promote exchanges and mutual learning. Moreover, the year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and this year’s “China Weeks” will pay tribute to this important centenary.

First, “China Weeks” will enhance exchanges and mutual learning between the Chinese and Western civilisations.

In May 2017, the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing. In May 2019, the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations was held in Beijing with the theme of “Deepening Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations for an Asian Community with a Shared Future”. These two important events represent China’s efforts to enhance exchanges and cooperation with cultures of the world in the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and mutual learning.

This year’s “China Weeks” will present Chinese music and cuisine that contain elements of the Western culture. These are the fruits of exchanges and mutual learning between the Chinese and Western civilisations. They also embody the close bond between the people of Chinese and the people in the West, which is championed by the Belt and Road Initiative.

Second, “China Weeks” will display how China’s cultural and tourism industries improved people’s life.

In 2020, China achieved the goal of eradicating absolute poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects. By supporting industrial development and revitalizing the rural area, intangible cultural heritages have played an important role in eliminating poverty, improving people’s life and contributing to the global effort of poverty reduction.

Tourism based on these intangible cultural heritages has become a special part of the livelihood in many rural villages. It promotes local economic growth, creates jobs and brings benefits to the people.

This year’s “China Weeks” will, through a rich variety of programmes, focus on the stories of how intangible cultural heritages support the development of the rural area, how favorable policies for the development of tourism contribute to the preparation for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, and how the Communist Party of China serves the people wholeheartedly.

I believe that “China Weeks” is another vivid presentation of China’s proposals of exchanges and mutual learning between civilisations, harmonious coexistence between man and Nature, and a community of shared future for mankind.

I sincerely hope that China and the UK will build closer partnerships and write a splendid chapter of exchanges, mutual learning, solidarity and cooperation in culture and tourism!

In conclusion, I wish the third “China Weeks” great success!

Thank you!