Celebration held in Zimbabwe for Chinese New Year

A vibrant celebration was held in Harare, Zimbabwe over the weekend to welcome the upcoming Chinese New Year, attracting more than 40,000 participants.

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, will fall on February 17 this year and marks the start of the Year of the Horse.

The Harare Chinese New Year Carnival featured a rich blend of cultural performances, including lion dances, street dances and musical performances by Zimbabwean and Chinese artists.

Meanwhile, the promotional video of the China Media Group (CMG) 2026 Spring Festival Gala was displayed on loop throughout the event, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding delivered a speech at the event, emphasizing the progress in bilateral relations over the past year. Speaking to a reporter at the event, he reiterated the importance of the growing ties at the people-to-people level.

"Over the past year, the relationship between China and Zimbabwe has been elevated to an all-weather community with a shared future. Chinese investment in Zimbabwe continues to expand, with bilateral trade reaching a new record high. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have also grown even closer and more frequent," said Zhou.

Zimbabwean officials attending the celebration also extended their New Year greetings and praised the strong ties between the two nations.

"2026, I know that it is the Year of the Horse and we are celebrating it. So happy year to the People's Republic of China as well as to the Chinese who are here in Zimbabwe. We celebrate with you. We are happy with you. We are also happy of the relationship that is there between Zimbabwe and China," said Emily Jesaya, Zimbabwe's deputy minister of sport, recreation, arts and culture.

"This is wonderful. This is promoting cultural exchange between Zimbabwe and China. And you know that we got wonderful relationships. China is a very good friend of Zimbabwe, a friend in need and a friend indeed," said Monica Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwe's minister of women's affairs, community, small and medium enterprises development.

Celebration held in Zimbabwe for Chinese New Year

Hong Kong has seen significant improvements in economic growth and international confidence since the National Security Law became effective on June 30, 2020.

The law has enabled Hong Kong to move from chaos to stability, and ushered in a new era of "one country, two systems."

By safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, it has been fundamental to maintaining Hong Kong's prosperous development and economic growth.

According to data from the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the region's GDP reached 407 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, up 2.5 percent year on year. Meanwhile, preliminary estimates have placed Hong Kong's GDP growth in 2025 at 3.5 percent.

In Hong Kong, capital markets have strengthened sharply, with Initial Public Offerings (IPO) fund-raising in the first half of 2025 rising sevenfold to 14 billion U.S. dollars, ranking first globally.

By the end of 2024, the number of overseas and Chinese mainland companies operating in Hong Kong had increased 10 percent year on year to 9,960.

Hong Kong's international status and confidence have also strengthened alongside the recovery. In 2025, it was ranked the world's freest economy, placed third as a global financial center, and returned to the top three in world competitiveness rankings.

Hong Kong witnesses renewed economic growth since National Security Law took effect in 2020