Spring Festival Gala promo debuts in Johannesburg

China Media Group's (CMG) 2026 Spring Festival Gala promotional video and cultural products debuted in Johannesburg on Jan 31, drawing more than 150 Chinese and South African political, business, and media representatives ahead of the holiday.

The Spring Festival Gala will be staged on Chinese New Year's Eve on February 16, marking a cherished occasion for families to gather and celebrate the most important festival in the traditional Chinese calendar. Johannesburg, home to more than 300,000 overseas Chinese, witnessed the debut of the 2026 Spring Festival Gala promotional video for the first time. Many Chinese residents gathered to take souvenir photos in front of the event backdrop.

A display of CMG's cultural and creative products, including porcelain collectibles called "Spring Bowl" and "Spring Plate," drew attention from both Chinese and South African visitors alike. The smooth ceramic textures and dynamic horse motifs, reflecting the symbolism of 2026, the Year of the Horse, along with auspicious designs, were praised for their craftsmanship and cultural depth.

South African Member of National Assembly Tshilidzi Bethuel Munyai praised the gala's role in deepening ties between China and South Africa.

"We are so pleased to be part of the Chinese community. The second Spring Festival with the CMG Gala dinner, the most outstanding and powerful gala dinner that we experience. You can see the Chinese community and South Africans together. They are so pleased to experience this fantastic gala dinner because it's a momentum to share Chinese culture, Chinese song, Chinese dance and it's something that we need to experience and it promotes the integration between Chinese people and the South African community. In other words, it promotes Chinese diplomacy of people-to-people relations. That's what I've experienced tonight," he said.

Yan Yuliang, head of a local Chinese business in South Africa, said that the Spring Festival Gala has brought a strong Chinese New Year atmosphere to the country.

"I feel both excited and deeply honored. For Chinese people around the world, the Spring Festival Gala is more than just a cultural performance, it's an emotional bond and a shared cultural memory. This year, the CMG Spring Festival Gala arrived in Johannesburg, bringing its promotional video, cultural and creative products, as well as animated works to the Chinese New Year celebration. It allows everyone to experience the strong festive spirit of the Chinese New Year firsthand, even while living abroad. For overseas Chinese living and working in South Africa, this holds very special meaning. This not only enhances everyone's sense of identification with Chinese culture, but also enables more South African people to learn about the real and vivid China through the Spring Festival Gala," said Yan.

Many South African locals said that the combination of the promo video and cultural displays helped them better understand how Chinese families use everyday items, like bowls and plates, to express hopes for family reunion and a brighter future.

"As South Africans we are elated and very happy to be a part of this. There's a lot to look up for; innovation, creation. And it is very good to be integrating with the world at large," said Bonnie Modiboa, a South African attendee.

This year's Spring Festival falls on February 17 and marks the start of the Year of the Horse, a time traditionally associated in China with family reunions and wishes for good fortune.

Spring Festival Gala promo debuts in Johannesburg

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao outlined the key priorities of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which opened on Friday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.

In an interview with CGTN ahead of the two-day meeting, Wang said free trade, digital cooperation and green economy are high on the agenda of the meeting.

"The key areas include advancing regional economic integration and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) in strengthening digital cooperation and developing green economy. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and chaos, with intensified geopolitical instability. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism poses serious challenges to the international economic and trade order, disrupting global and Asia-Pacific development. Against this backdrop, all parties have higher expectations for this trade ministers' meeting, hoping that it can build consensus and deliver outcomes," Wang said.

This year marks China's third time hosting the APEC meetings and the 35th anniversary of its membership.

By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.

China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies. In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies such as Singapore and Peru.

The minister said that China has always been a firm supporter and an important contributor to APEC.

"We have actively shared our vast market and development opportunities with all parties. China's door to the world will only open wider and wider. Facing the common challenges, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, further deepen reform, expand high-standard opening-up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world with its new achievements in Chinese modernization," the minister said.

China's Commerce Minister outlines priorities for 32nd APEC trade ministers' meeting