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
Japanese civic groups and residents held a rally Saturday in Tokyo to protest the dangerous policies pursued by the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Holding anti-war placards and chanting slogans, the protesters gathered outside Shinjuku Station in downtown Tokyo, calling for the pacifist Constitution to be upheld and for an end to the stoking of regional tensions.
Since Takaichi took office, Japan's remilitarization has markedly accelerated Last month, the Japanese government officially revised "the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology" at the cabinet and related meetings. It scrapped the longstanding restriction limiting weapons exports to only five categories of noncombat equipment.
Japan’s House of Representatives passed a bill in late April to establish a national intelligence council and a national intelligence bureau, in an effort to create the country’s first centralized national-level intelligence system since World War II.
Critics argue that these dangerous moves signal a shift toward a more assertive military posture, which has sparked widespread concerns among the public.
"To be honest, Takaichi neither seriously studied nor understood the history of Japan's aggression against China, Korea, and other parts of East Asia. Moreover, Japan doesn't even teach people this history. I think this is a great fault. I am also very worried and deeply concerned that such a history will repeat itself. That's why I must stand up now and oppose it," said a protester at the rally.
Another protester echoed these concerns, stating that the rallies reflect growing public anxiety and anger toward the government’s current policies.
"We feel a very strong sense of crisis [over the policies of the Takaichi government]. In Japan, more and more people are joining rallies like this. Their growing participation clearly reflects a deepening anxiety that Japan is heading towards war, along with widespread anger at the Takaichi government," said the protester.
"Japan, as China's neighbour, should have reflected deeply on its past war aggressions. Instead, it is now completely disregarding history, unilaterally expanding its military and continuously increasing armaments. Meanwhile people's livelihoods are worsening. Social security is being reduced, and education budgets are shrinking, but the government keeps pouring money into military spending. To me, this is a policy that will ultimately ruin the country," another protester said.
Notably, a growing number of young people in Japan are joining the protests, voicing dissatisfaction and concern over the government’s military expansion policy.
"The primary reason I decided to join the rally is that I believe current politics is pushing the country too far toward war. This is the fundamental reason. [The Japanese government] has many issues, and the first problem is the removal of restrictions on arms exports. This may be good for some companies, but ordinary citizens want it stopped. I see strong similarities [between the current situation and World War II period]. For instance, the push to create a national intelligence bureau, labeling certain groups as 'enemies,' and steering the country toward war -- these remind me very much of the Pacific War. If more people speak out and protest, it is possible to stop this dangerous trend. That's why I hope everyone will participate in the rally together," said a university student who took part in the rally.
Japanese civic groups rally in Tokyo against gov’t dangerous policies
