Honorable Peseta Sam Lotu-liga, Minister for Ethnic Communities,

Mr. Peter Goodfellow, Chairman of National Party,

Mr. Jami-Lee Ross, National Party Member of Parliament,

Doctor Yang Jian, National Party Member of Parliament,

Honorable Phil Goff, Labor Party Member of Parliament,

Mr. Patrick English, Executive Director of New Zealand China Council,

His Worship Neil Sinclair, Mayor of South Waikato,

Mr. Wayne Walker, Auckland Councillor,

Mr. Arthur Anae, Auckland Councillor,

Distinguished leaders and representatives of Chinese communities,

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

Kia Ora and good evening.

Thank you so much for joining us today. First of all, please allow me, on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Auckland, and in my own name, to extend our warmest welcome to all the distinguished guests at the reception. Today we happen to be gathered here around the corner of Christmas and New Year of 2016. Now I would like to invite my colleagues in the consulate general to join me in sending you, through you to all the friends in the consular district our best wishes for Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Wish the New Year bring you good health, happiness and prosperity.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I feel so blessed to have an opportunity to work in New Zealand, a country which I have always dreamed about for a long long time. Though never been here before, I have a special connection and affection from bottom of my heart for this beautiful country and her wonderful people. When I was a child, studying in a kindergarten of Hunan Province, which is located in the central part of China, I met a tall gentleman with a big nose and blue eyes who came to visit us one day. He played games with us and shot photos for us. Taking me by my hand, he walked around the kindergarten with me and my little friends. For a week time, he kept many photos of my childhood in his camera. His sunshine smile and gentle and warm hand has been imprinted in my mind and heart. All the kids in the kindergarten loved him and called him "Big Nose Grandpa". Later on, I was told this gentleman was Mr. Rewi Alley, a household name in china who has made great contribution to China and in promoting friendship between China and NZ. He is highly respected and loved by the Chinese people. Since then, I had a childhood dream, which was to visit the home country of "Big Nose Grandpa" someday.

Now, my childhood dream came true. In the past week I met with many friends from various backgrounds in Auckland and I was truly touched and overwhelmed by the hospitality and warm reception received here. And also by their high expectation to extend friendship and expand cooperation with China and Chinese people. As the 8th Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Auckland, I am fully aware of my heavy responsibility and honored mission.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I feel so blessed that I arrived at a time when China and NZ are enjoying sound and fast growing development of our bilateral relationship. Since the establishment of the diplomatic relations in 1972, communication and co-operations between our two countries have been steadily and consistently increased, in all areas such as political, economical and trade, law enforcement, education, tourism and other people to people exchanges etc. Among all Western developed countries, New Zealand was the first country to recognize China's full market economy status, the first to conclude bilateral negotiations with China on China's accession to WTO, the first to start negotiations on FTA with China, and the first to sign and implement bilateral FTA with China. The first to sign an intergovernmental TV co-production agreement. The first to participate in infrastructure investment bank as one of the early founders of the bank. Now, China has become NZ's No one trading partner, largest source of international students and the biggest market of tourism. With great potential in beefing up co-operations in agriculture, animal husbandry and other traditional fields, meantime, there are and will be more and more new growth points in bilateral co-operations such as in energy conservation, environmental protection, information technology, biomedicine, infrastructure etc. We are confident that the two countries could definitely achieve the goal of reaching 30 billion New Zealand dollar of trade by 2020. It is our believe that deepening china and NZ cooperation conduces to common interest of both sides, to the stability and prosperity of Asia and pacific region and the whole world.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am so blessed that I arrived at a time when we are faced with tremendous opportunities to expand and deepen our co-operations and communications. President Xi pointed out, China and New Zealand both enjoy economic complementarities and should work together with times in building a community of common destiny. The Chinese economy is moving steadily in the right direction. This trend will not change. China will soon implement the 13th five-year plan for economic and social development, which will adopt new development approach featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development to achieve its ambitious blueprint for a moderately prosperous society in all respects. That is to realize the first of two centenary goals. The Chinese economy has great resilience, huge potential and ample room for readjustment. The upgrading of consumption of over 1.3 billion Chinese people will generate the largest market demand the world has ever seen. Parallel progress in the new type of industrialization, IT application, urbanization and agricultural modernization will further expand the space of development. In next five years, annual growth rate needs to be kept above 6.5%. At this rate, our per capita GDP will reach around US$12000, by 2020. All this will enlarge new space for China-New Zealand cooperation and brings huge opportunity to New Zealand and the world as well.

At present, china is also partnering with other countries to carry out The Belt and Road initiative. New Zealand is the natural extension of this route and China's important partner. The Maritime Silk Road will connect China's eastern coastal cities, across the South China Sea into the South Pacific. I believe the joint efforts to build the Maritime Silk Road will advance the mutual benefit and common development of our two countries. New Zealand's participation in the Road will be productive and fruitful and set up another example in this region.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

I am also very blessed that I arrived at a time when the ties between china and auckland consular district has been growing very quickly. With fast expanding communication and contacts, the mutual understanding and friendship of both sides has been deepened and strengthened. The relationship between Auckland and many provinces and cities of China is getting closer and stronger. The inter-city friendship between Auckland and Guangzhou, Qingdao, Ningbo are developing deeply and sustainably. Many other cities in China look forward to establishing more links and co-operations with the cities in Auckland, Waikato and Northland.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have so many things to do together.

We are very grateful to all of you present here today and many other friends for your commitment and strenuous efforts for promoting China-New Zealand cooperation and friendship. Without your support and contributions, the abovementioned achievements would not be possible. So here again please allow me on behalf of the Consulate General to express our most sincere appreciation for your support and contribution, and also for your help to the Consulate General and my predecessors. My thanks also go to the New Zealand Government for your valuable support and assistance to the Chinese communities in New Zealand. I am confident with joint efforts of both sides, we can make more achievement in fostering our bilateral ties and increasing the two peoples. My colleagues and I will try our utmost to provide high quality services to our Chinese community and all the friends in the consular district and work hard to take the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership to a new high and for more results.

Ladies and Gentleman,

Now, I would like to propose a toast,

To our friendship!

To the health of all the friends present here today.

Cheers!