Hon. Nikki Kaye, New Zealand Minister For Youth,

Hon. Sir Pita Sharples,

My dear friends,from Mr Rewi Alley's family,

Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good Afternoon!

Thank you so much for joining us this afternoon! I am so delighted to host this reception in celebration of the 45^th. anniversary of China New Zealand Diplomatic Relationship and in commemoration of the 90^th anniversary of Mr. Rewi Alley's arrival in China as well as the 120^th. anniversary of his birthday with all of my dear friends present here. Please allow me on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General to extend our warmest congratulations and appreciation to the New Zealand China Youth Federation and New Zealand Ministry of Youth Development for organizing a significant visit to China soon.

2017 is a very special year in the developing history of China New Zealand relations, marked by many anniversaries I just mentioned, with numerous commemorating events taking place both in China and New Zealand. Rewi Alley was a great friend and comrade for Chinese people, and a household name in China. To me he was a special hero who I met as a four-year old child at my hometown kinder-garden. At that time we the Chinese people could hardly see any foreigners with big nose and blue eyes, but he stayed at my hometown for a week and took me and my little friends here and there. We were so much impressed by this big-nose and friendly grandpa. His sunshine smile and gentle and warm hands have been imprinted in my mind and heart since then. I have always felt so lucky and have been so proud to have had that opportunity of meeting with Mr. Rewi Alley, a highly respected and loved man by the whole Chinese people because of his great contribution not only to China and the promotion of friendship and relations between China and New Zealand, but also to the promotion of the mutual understanding between the New China and rest of the world. His touching story of supporting China and Chinese people has always been engraved in my heart and very inspiring in my diplomatic career. I feel so blessed to be posted as the Chinese Consul General to Mr. Rewi Alley's home country, which made one of my lifetime dreams come true. Because from my childhood, I always dream that if I could do something for Mr. Rewi Alley's home country New Zealand. As the Chinese consul general, I am so proud that I can do a lot to promote the friendship and cooperation between our two peoples and two countries.

Mr. Rewi Alley's effort to China-New Zealand friendship has never failed. New Zealand always stays in the forefront of western developed countries' relations with China, and has created many "firsts". Since the establishment of China-New Zealand diplomatic relations 45 years ago, bilateral relations have enjoyed stable and healthy development, especially after President Xi Jinping's successful visit to New Zealand in 2014 and China-New Zealand relationship upgraded to comprehensive strategic partnership. This March, Premier Li Keqiang's successful visit to New Zealand generated a strong push to the bilateral relationship. The two sides signed around 20 agreements related to trade, culture, education, science, customs, tourism, and international development, adding more "firsts" to the history of China-New Zealand relations, including an agreement on starting negotiation on upgrading FTA, a memorandum on strengthening cooperation on the One Belt One Road Initiative, and an agreement to set up a Chinese cultural centre in Auckland. At present, China-New Zealand relations feature with unprecedented breadth and depth of cooperation in various fields. China is New Zealand's largest trade partner, largest source of overseas students, and second largest source of overseas tourists.

In our consular district in Auckland, the down to earth cooperation with China has been growing very fast. In addition to the primary industry, our cooperation in the connectivity of air routes, maritime, financial, people-to-people and many other fields have also been expanding quickly, presenting many early harvest of our cooperation on One Belt One Road. Such numerous examples fully manifest the pioneering, special and demonstrative China-New Zealand relations, which bring tangible benefits not only to peoples of the two countries, but also to the Asia Pacific and the whole world.

As a well known proverb goes, seeing is believing. Today's China is hugely different from that of Mr. Rewi Alley's time with significant social and economic development achievements. The visit to China by our young Kiwi friends in memory of Mr. Rewi Alley comes right in time. The 19th communist party national congress will be held on 18th of October which attracts worldwide attention and will be very important for China's future development, and for the world peace, stability and prosperity. You will see by your eyes that China will step on a new stage of another around of opening-up  and reform. The Chinese people are working very hard to reach the "two centenary goals" and to realize the Chinese dream of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. I have the most sincere welcome to the youth delegation members, as we always do to all our foreign friends who have supported us and are willing to learn more about a true China. We are confident that our goals will be reached. Mr. Rewi Alley must be very happy to see the great progress and achievements made in China and the fast growing ties between our two countries. And I am sure your visit will be a nice and impressive journey, provide more knowledge and better understanding of China, and come out with a series of mutually beneficial cooperation and agreements, all of which will be of great help to furthering relationship and friendship between the two countries and two peoples. It is our sincere hope that more and more new generations will carry on the spirit of Rewi Alley and to be great friends of China and Chinese people in the new era!

I wish your visit a great success! Thank you!