Gala held in Cairo to celebrate Chinese New Year

CAIRO, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese New Year reception in Egypt's capital Cairo to mark the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit has gathered hundreds of attendees from both countries, who enjoyed cultural performances and shared new year wishes in the festive atmosphere.

Hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Egypt on the eve of China's Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year, the event featured music played by traditional Chinese instruments, singing performances of famous Arabic and Chinese songs, as well as Chinese crosstalk staged by native Egyptians.

In his address to the event, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang highlighted 2022 as an extraordinary year for China-Arab relations, citing the successful holding of the first China-Arab States Summit, and the two sides' consensus to make every effort to build the China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era, among others.

"The year 2022 was also extraordinary for Chinese-Egyptian relations," said Liao, adding the bilateral ties underwent profound and complex international and regional developments, through which the strategic and comprehensive importance of the relations has become more prominent.

Liao noted that 2023 is the first year to fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China as well as the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit, expressing willingness to work with Egypt to build a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era.

Among the attendees were Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Abbas, head of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority Amr El-Kady, as well as Egyptian experts in Chinese affairs and representatives of Chinese institutions and corporations operating in Egypt.

El-Kady said the Egyptian government and people warmly welcome Chinese tourists, adding that "tourist destinations across Egypt are fully prepared to attend Chinese tourists."

Ali El-Hefny, vice-chairman of the Cairo-based Egyptian-Chinese Friendship Association and a former Egyptian ambassador to China, said Egypt and China are keen to maintain the good momentum of growing bilateral relations. He also wished China steady progress toward new achievements in the new year.

The Egyptian attendees also wished their Chinese friends a happy new year on the eve of the Lantern Festival and stronger Egyptian-Chinese friendship through win-win cooperation.