On 22 January 2025, the “Icebreakers” Chinese New Year Dinner was jointly hosted by the 48 Group, the China Britain Business Council and the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK. Over 500 guests from different sectors in China and the UK were present at the event. H.E. Vice President Han Zheng of China sent a congratulatory message to the gathering. H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang attended the event and read out Vice President Han Zheng’s message at the dinner. The full text of Ambassador Zheng’s remarks is as follows:
Chairman Jack Perry,
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles,
Chairman Fang Wenjian,
Mr Stephen Perry,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
Let me say how delighted I am to attend “the Icebreakers” Chinese New Year Dinner 2025. Thank you to the 48 Group, CBBC and CCCUK for the kind invitation. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy, I would like to extend best wishes for the Chinese New Year to you all.
Now, I have the great honour to read out H.E. Vice President Han Zheng’s congratulatory message to tonight’s celebration. The full text is as follows:
On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, on behalf of the Chinese government, I would like to extend sincere greetings and best wishes to friends from the Chinese and British business communities and to all those from different sectors who have long been committed to promoting practical cooperation between China and the UK.
In 1953, the late Mr Jack Perry led a group of people with insights from the British business community to break the ice of blockade with great courage and forward-looking wisdom, and opened the door to China-UK trade, laying the foundation for friendly cooperation and exchanges between the two countries.
Looking back, the pioneering “icebreaking” spirit that features vision, openness and cooperation has driven China-UK relations to move forward for more than 70 years; and looking ahead, China and the UK both have great prospects of development and cooperation between the two countries has enormous potentials.
In this changing and turbulent world, the international community faces increasing challenges. Both China and the UK are major economies and financial powerhouses in the world. Strengthening dialogue and cooperation and maintaining a healthy and stable relationship between the two countries will not only benefit both sides, but also the whole world.
China is ready to work with the UK to jointly implement the important common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen practical cooperation in the fields of green and low-carbon development, artificial intelligence, financial services, trade and investment, education, and cultural exchanges on the basis of mutual respect and equality, and promote the steady and sustained development of China-UK relations.
I hope that friends from all sectors in China and the UK will continue to uphold the "icebreaking" spirit and make greater contributions to promoting China-UK friendship and mutually-beneficial cooperation.
I wish you all happiness, good health and all the best in the Chinese New Year.
Han Zheng
Vice President
The People’s Republic of China
Beijing, 22 January 2025
Ladies and gentlemen,
Vice President Han's message fully recognises the historical contributions of the "icebreakers" since the 1950s to the development of China-UK relations, and demonstrates the importance attached by the Chinese government to growing our ties. This is also a call for action to visionary people from both countries in this new age.
We live in an age of increasing turbulence and profound changes--changes unseen in a century. Look at the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, the geopolitical tensions, the threat of tariff wars and the sluggish global economy.
In this new age, what we need, more than anything, is confidence, resolve and solidarity. Only with confidence, resolve and solidarity can we turn challenges into opportunities.
In the past year--year of the Dragon, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has made solid gains in advancing Chinese modernisation despite all the headwinds.
China’s GDP exceeded 134 trillion yuan and the annual growth rate was 5%. New achievements were made in high-quality development. Our efforts to foster new quality productive forces produced new technologies, industries and modes of business. New headway was achieved in green and low-carbon transformation. The sky was bluer, the rivers cleaner and the air fresher. Both trade in goods and trade in services hit a new high. New steps were taken in opening up. Over 59,000 foreign-funded enterprises were newly established, and more than 820 billion yuan of foreign investment attracted. And new advancement was made in the development of sci-tech, education, culture, public health, sports and defence.
China remains the biggest engine driving the world economy, and keeps contributing certainty and stability to this uncertain world.
In the new year--year of the Snake, China will continue to show confidence, resolve and solidarity, stay the course of high-quality development and advance Chinese modernisation.
We will go all out to implement decisions of the third plenum of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and unleash new development vitality through further deepening comprehensive reform. In this connection, major reforms will continue to be rolled out. We will put to action decisions of the Central Economic Work Conference, and adopt a more proactive fiscal policy and an appropriately accommodative monetary policy.
We will vigorously boost domestic consumption and demand, make sure our foreign trade and inbound investment grow steadily and foster new quality productive forces, so as to effectively pursue higher-quality economic growth and appropriately increase economic output.
We will keep up our efforts to fight climate change and work tirelessly to reduce carbon emissions and pollution, develop renewable energy, and protect the environment. We will continue to observe the goals and principles of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement and make greater contributions to the global fight against climate change.
We will expand high-standard opening-up and foster a market-oriented and law-based business environment up to international standards. We will continue to host the China International Import Expo, the China International Fair for Trade in Services and the China International Supply Chain Expo, and welcome companies from all over the world, including and especially the UK, to make investment and do business in China.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In this new age of changes and turbulence, a stable and constructive China-UK relationship has become even more important both for the two countries and the world at large. And more than ever, we need to draw inspiration from the “icebreaking” spirit.
Over recent months, there has been some progress in China-UK relations. And we need to build upon that and keep up the momentum.
We should work together to earnestly follow through on the common understandings reached between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
We should faithfully implement the productive outcomes of the 11th Economic and Financial Dialogue which was held in Beijing and co-hosted by Vice Premier He Lifeng, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves. We should also restart dialogue and collaboration in many other areas, including new energy, AI, sci-tech, trade, education and also important international and regional issues.
And most importantly, we should handle bilateral relations in the spirit of mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The business community has always provided staunch support for mutually-beneficial cooperation between China and the UK. You have been the real driving force and I hope you will continue to be that. We need more “icebreakers” in this new age, in each and every sector.
Let’s work together to build more bridges between the two countries, connect our two economies more closely and deepen the friendship between our two peoples.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In this festive spirit, I wish you all and your family happiness, prosperity and good health in the year of the Snake. Happy Chinese New Year!
Thank you.
