Foreign leaders extend best wishes for Chinese New Year

Members of Chinese and Asian communities come together to celebrate the Year of the Snake in Edmonton's Chinatown, Edmonton, Canada, January 26, 2025. /CFP

Foreign leaders have sent their best wishes to the Chinese people around the world celebrating the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival.

China on Tuesday rang in the Year of the Snake. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among the Chinese, the Spring Festival signifies a time of family reunions and a slew of cultural events.

Beninese Minister of Foreign Affairs Olushegun Adjadi Bakari on Tuesday extended the warmest New Year greetings to the Chinese government and people when meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Benin Zhang Wei.

"Happy Spring Festival! As Chinese communities in Benin and around the world are celebrating the Chinese New Year, I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the great importance we attach to the strong and enduring friendship between Benin and China," Bakari said.

Bakari also drew a cultural parallel between the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, which symbolizes transformation, intelligence and perseverance, and Dan, the serpent deity in the Beninese culture, who is revered as a source of wealth, wisdom and harmony.

"These shared values resonate profoundly within the context of our bilateral relations and reflect the depth of our cultural ties," Bakari said. "May this Year of the Snake be a year of prosperity for all and for the enduring friendship between Benin and China."

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka on Tuesday extended greetings to the people in China and overseas Chinese around the world in a video message.

"On behalf of the Fijian government and the people, I wish you all a joyous and prosperous Chinese New Year. May this year bring happiness, health and harmony to your loved ones," Rabuka said.

The Spring Festival marks the time of renewal, hope and prosperity, values that resonate deeply with the Fijian spirit, said the prime minister, who also expressed his gratitude to the overseas Chinese for "their invaluable contributions" to Fiji.