CMG Spring Festival Gala promo debut on German public transport, Dubai gala

The promotional video for China Media Group's (CMG) 2026 Spring Festival Gala was shown this week on Germany's public transport networks and at a major overseas Chinese gala in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, highlighting the diversity of Chinese culture and promoting cultural exchanges.

In Germany, the promotional video was shown for the first time on about 500 screens across subways, buses and trams in cities such as Berlin, Stuttgart and Munich during peak travel hours on Friday.

Local residents said they were deeply impressed with the video.

"I experienced the Chinese New Year in China and watched the CMG Spring Festival Gala on television. The technology behind it, the stage design and the art was very impressive. I'm really looking forward to watching the Spring Festival Gala again this year," said Anna List, an university student.

"I watched the promotional video of the Spring Festival Gala on the subway. The colors are very bright, and the visual impact is very strong. Displaying the show in Berlin is vital to enhance connection with China. It allows people to better understand Chinese culture, which has a history of thousands of years," said Kurt Kallensee, a resident.

The video was also screened with 270-degree surround sound at Dubai's La Perle theater on Thursday evening during the 12th UAE Overseas Chinese New Year Gala, which brought together about 3,000 overseas Chinese.

It drew enthusiastic reactions from the audience and heightened their anticipation for the upcoming gala.

The evening performance combined traditional art with modern technology, as artists from China and other countries jointly presented a multimedia showcase of cultural diversity.

"It was amazing. The performances were really good and I loved how cultural it was, like it covered everything. I was very, very pleased to see the musical instruments and the bamboo dance. That was my favorite," said an audience member.

CMG Spring Festival Gala promo debut on German public transport, Dubai gala

African officials on Wednesday pledged to scale up investment to accelerate development across the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at a meeting in Accra, Ghana's capital.

They made the commitment during the 24th Annual General Meeting of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), where leaders highlighted the need to expand the bank's capital base to finance transformative projects.

Ghanaian Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson stressed that timely capital payments would strengthen EBID's leverage and sustain its growth, enabling the institution to stimulate inclusive economic expansion across the region.

"Timely capital payments are critical. It strengthens EBID leverage and sustains its growth and impact across our region. Expanding our capital base is essential to strengthen our ability to finance transformative development projects and stimulate inclusive economic growth among our member states," said Forson.

EBID recorded strong achievements in 2025, with total disbursements of about 722 million U.S. dollars, up 47.7 percent from 2024. Building on that momentum, President George Agyekum Donkor said the bank remains committed to helping member states tackle poverty and close infrastructure gaps across the region.

"We aim to direct at least 63 percent of new commitments towards the private enterprises to catalyze job creation and innovation. Simultaneously, the bank would embed environmental, social and governance principles across its operations, dedicating over 41 percent of resources to climate mitigation and social inclusion projects," said Donkor.

With disbursements surging nearly 48 percent last year, EBID officials said the bank is positioned to channel more resources into private-sector growth and climate-focused projects, reinforcing its role as a driver of inclusive development across West Africa.

African officials vow stronger investment push at ECOWAS bank meeting in Accra