Global officials send Lunar New Year greetings to Chinese people

China

Global officials send Lunar New Year greetings to Chinese people

2025-01-23 22:13 Last Updated At：01-24 00:47

As the beginning of a Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, approaches, officials from several countries have extended their heartfelt wishes to China and its people, expressing hopes for continued prosperity, strengthened ties, and happiness in the coming year.

Timor-Leste's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Coordinating Economic Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Environment, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, highlighted the significance of this year's Spring Festival, noting that the Chinese Lunar New Year has gained recognition worldwide.

Speaking in Chinese, he said, "This year's Spring Festival is very special because it has now been recognized by the United Nations as a significant day. On behalf of all the people and government of Timor-Leste, I wish everyone a happy Spring Festival, and all the best! May it bring us new hopes, new happiness, and a bright future. Wishing you great prosperity!"

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop also sent his wishes to China, expressing optimism about the future of China-Africa relations.

"I would like to extend my best wishes to the Chinese people. Wish China prosperity and success, and that this prosperity is shared with all nations. We hope that in the Year of the Snake, the friendly relations between China and Africa, as well as China and Mali, will continue to deepen," said Diop.

From Russia, Mikhail Shvydkoi, the Russian President's Special Representative for International Cultural Cooperation, conveyed his festive greetings on behalf of the Russian people.

"On behalf of myself, the citizens of Moscow, and all Russians, I extend my warmest congratulations to our dear Chinese friends for the Spring Festival. Happy Lunar New Year!" he said.

Similarly, Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, offered warm wishes for the Chinese Lunar New Year, expressing hopes for continued success and well-being for China.

"I wish our Chinese friends a happy Lunar New Year, health and happiness for their families, all the best, and continued prosperity," Mogilevsky said.

The Spring Festival, China's biggest traditional holiday, will fall on Jan. 29 this year.

U.S. stocks close higher amid criminal probe into Fed chair Powell

U.S. stocks finished slightly higher on Monday, staging a late-session recovery as investors navigated a volatile landscape marked by a criminal probe into the Federal Reserve leadership.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 86.13 points, or 0.17 percent, to 49,590.2. The S&P 500 added 10.99 points, or 0.16 percent, to 6,977.27. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 62.56 points, or 0.26 percent, to 23,733.9. Despite the positive close, the market experienced significant intraday turbulence, with the Dow dropping nearly 500 points at its session lows.

Nine of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in positive territory. Consumer staples and industrials led the gainers, rising 1.42 percent and 0.75 percent, respectively. Financials and energy were the primary laggards, declining 0.8 percent and 0.66 percent.

Market sentiment was initially shaken by an announcement on Sunday from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who confirmed that federal prosecutors are investigating him over the Fed's multi-billion-dollar project to renovate its headquarters. Powell characterized the probe as an attempt by the Trump administration to compromise the Fed's independence.

Further weighing on the financial sector was a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent for one year, which triggered a sell-off in banking stocks amid concerns over restricted lending and reduced profitability. Capital One shares plummeted 6.42 percent, while Citigroup, JPMorgan and Bank of America also recorded losses.

In contrast, retail giant Walmart led the Dow's advance, climbing 3 percent following news of its upcoming inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 index. The company also announced a strategic partnership with Google's Gemini AI to enhance the digital shopping experience.

Investors are awaiting Tuesday's release of the U.S. consumer price index for December 2025. Following last week's cooling labor market data, market participants increasingly expect the Fed to maintain interest rates at their current levels during the upcoming January meeting.