UNOOSA director terms 2025 milestone year for cooperation with China

Aarti Holla-Maini, director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), has said she expects fruitful space cooperation with China to continue as the office celebrates 10 years since opening its Beijing branch.

The United Nations International Conference on Space-based Technologies for Disaster Risk Reduction is being held in the Chinese capital this week. While in Beijing for the event, Holla-Maini spoke with China Media Group (CMG) and expressed firm confidence in the future of China's cooperation with the UN office.

"I would like to say that I have been to China now three times since joining the United Nations. I've been very impressed with the collaborative attitude and the open approach to international collaboration that is demonstrated by China. I hope that other countries, especially developing countries, will seize the opportunities that China is trying to bring to the world. 2025 is a really special year for us. It is the 10th anniversary of our regional center. It's also the 10th anniversary of our Beijing office here. And it's a milestone that signifies the strong collaboration between the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the People's Republic of China. So I'm very grateful that we reached this milestone and we can celebrate it together," she said.

Ahead of the upcoming Spring Festival, the UNOOSA director offered sincere holiday greetings to the country.

"For the Chinese people, I wish prosperity and good health above all. I really hope that given all the turmoil in the world, especially in this region, that the good work that we're doing together will have a great, positive impact and will save lives and preserve the livelihoods of so many vulnerable communities in the Asia Pacific region," she said.

The Spring Festival, which marks the start of a new year on the Chinese lunar calendar, is the biggest annual holiday for the Chinese people and sees residents across the country return to their hometowns to celebrate with their families and friends. This year, it falls on Jan 29, ushering in the Year of the Snake.

UNOOSA director terms 2025 milestone year for cooperation with China

The China Media Group (CMG), the country's flagship broadcaster, completed the fifth and final rehearsal of the highly anticipated Spring Festival Gala on Saturday.

A variety of performances were presented, including creative shows, songs and dances, acrobatics, operas, martial arts, sketches and magic tricks, creating a vibrant and festive atmosphere.

During the rehearsal, the coordination was impeccably smooth between the main venue in Beijing and four sub-venues, Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang, Yiwu in Zhejiang Province and Hefei in Anhui Province, both in east China, and Yibin in Sichuan Province in southwest China. Each of the sub-venues showcased its unique festive traditions and distinctive cultural heritage.

The gala, set to be aired on Chinese New Year's Eve on February 16 this year, will combine traditional Chinese culture with modern stagecraft, as well as cross-cultural performances featuring international artists.

Commonly known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, the gala has been broadcast live every Chinese New Year's Eve since 1983 and has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.

Just over a year ago, the Spring Festival itself was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Final rehearsal for 2026 Spring Festival Gala completes