London on Sunday hosted one of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside Asia, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the heart of the British capital to share in the festivities.
The Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, fell on Jan. 29 this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake. The snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing wisdom, self-discovery and transformation.
Featuring various performances, including traditional lion and dragon dances, the event kicked off with a New Year's parade. Vibrant costumes, beautifully decorated floats and a chance to dance have attracted crowds of people in the city.
"I like that London celebrates Chinese New Year. My outfit is from China and it's from some of my family," said a kid, dressed in traditional Chinese clothing.
"London is so multicultural, isn't it? And just to see the cultures all getting along and to be able to celebrate with the people so close to Chinatown, it's just one of those real heartwarming London type of things," said a local resident.
And as the crowds packed out London's famous Trafalgar Square, China's Ambassador to the UK delivered a New Year's message.
"The huge turnout today is a testament to your support for China-UK cooperation, to your aspiration for working together among all countries. So, thank you for coming to this celebration," said Zheng Zeguang, Chinese Ambassador to the UK.
London's deputy mayor joined in the Eye Dotting ceremony - a tradition to awaken the lions ahead of their dance. She paid tribute to the close cultural ties between Britain and China.
"If anyone were ever to walk past and see how many people from so many backgrounds who are here in Trafalgar Square, all come together just to be part of our Chinese New Year celebrations. This is what is great about diversity and this is what is great about our city," said Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor of London.
So far, London's Chinese New Year has transformed from a small community event to the biggest celebration outside of Asia.
London's Chinatown holds vibrant celebration to ring in Chinese New Year
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
