2025 UN Chinese Language Day and CMG Video Festival held in Geneva

The 2025 United Nations Chinese Language Day and the 5th China Media Group (CMG) Chinese Language Video Festival were held at the UN Office in Geneva on Tuesday.

The event, co-hosted by the CMG, the Permanent Mission of China to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, and the UN Office at Geneva, invited friends worldwide to share their "China Travel" stories through video.

Over 300 guests attended the event, including representatives from the organizers, permanent representatives to the UN office in Geneva from around 50 countries, senior diplomats, representatives of international organizations and institutions.

Addressing the event via video link, Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and CMG president, said the increasing popularity of Chinese culture and Chinese stories has attracted more and more international viewers to explore China.

Stressing that China's development cannot be separated from the world and that the world's prosperity also needs China, Shen expressed his hope that through this event, more foreign friends will come to China to discover new opportunities.

Tatiana Valovaya, director-general of the UN office in Geneva, said the Chinese language, as one of the oldest and most influential languages in the world, has always been a bridge for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

She called for joint efforts to respect the diversity of civilizations to embrace a better future.

Chen Xu, permanent representative of China to the UN Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, said the annual Chinese Language Day not only reflects the importance the UN places on Chinese language and culture, but also illustrates the UN's firm commitment to promoting exchanges and mutual learning among world civilizations.

At the event, past winners of the Chinese Language Video Festival prizes shared their experiences. Max Burns from the UK, who is passionate about Chinese cuisine, expressed his desire to travel across China and share his culinary adventures with a global audience. Eleni Sotiriou from Greece hopes to return to China to study classical Chinese dance and explore more of the country's rich culture.

Also at the event, a new integrated media product named "China Travel with Cang Bao" was launched. The product, featuring Cang Bao, the mascot of UN Chinese Language Day, told the audience engaging Chinese stories in a relaxed and immersive way to help them explore the rich Chinese cultural heritage through the use of digital technology.

2025 UN Chinese Language Day and CMG Video Festival held in Geneva

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation