World leaders and heads of international organizations have sent Chinese New Year greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and the Chinese people as the country prepares to usher in the Year of the Horse.
Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that over the past year, the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has maintained sound momentum, and in 2026, the two countries will jointly launch the "Russia-China Year of Education."
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said his country was ready to expand cooperation with China and to work together to build a Brazil-China community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa is willing to work with China to further strengthen cooperation and contribute positively to world peace and development.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud praised the friendly relations between the two countries and expressed willingness to work with China to advance cooperation in all fields.
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan extended sincere congratulations and best wishes to President Xi, wishing China continued development and progress.
General secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith expressed confidence that the Chinese people will successfully embark on a new journey to fulfill the 15th Five-Year Plan.
Cambodian People's Party President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his firm belief that the Year of the Horse will add luster to the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China, injecting strong momentum into deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and advancing the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that under the visionary leadership of President Xi, China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in modernization, innovation, and global cooperation.
He said Pakistan firmly supports the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi and will continue to deepen all-round strategic cooperation between the two countries, jointly advancing toward a bright future of enduring friendship and shared prosperity.
World leaders, heads of int'l organizations send Chinese New Year greetings
Amid the rising fuel costs and airline surcharges linked to the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, Caribbean tourism officials gathered at the 44th Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Forum this month and expressed cautious optimism, citing resilient visitor demand, strategic marketing adjustments, and strong seasonal performance as foundations for continued recovery.
The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is already affecting Caribbean economies as fuel prices surge and airlines pass costs on to passengers. This not only pressures the region's tourism-dependent economies but also raises the cost of imported food, electricity, and transportation.
Since the start of the conflict, the price of Brent crude has surged nearly 50 percent, prompting airlines to find the ways to share the burden with travelers.
"The impacts are unfolding in stages. In the first place, when the uncertainty, or the disturbance occurred in the Middle Eastern region, it actually cut the supply chain to some extent to the Pacific, and people started to look at the region in particular. We amplified out marketing presence, to ensure that when people are looking for an option or places to rebook, that St. Lucia would turn up. And we've actually seen some of that result," said Louis Lewis, chief executive officer of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority.
During the International Monetary Fund's Spring Meeting, the international financial institution expressed its concern for Caribbean tourism, warning that it could see a decline as ticket prices increase.
Lewis acknowledged the potential for longer-term disruption.
"The second thing is that if the conflict continues as a prolonged activity, we anticipate that it could impact us. We will have to diversify from our major source markets, hence the reason why we are looking at Latin America," he said.
But some of the region's top tourism officials are seeing positive signs. The region is coming off another successful year, where tourism arrivals grew by 2.5 percent, adding an additional 900,000 visitors over 2024.
"The region has been witnessing a very good winter season, and I have no doubt whatsoever that the forecast that we have for the summer will continue to be very strong," said Ian Gooding-Edghill, minister of tourism of Barbados.
Still, structural vulnerabilities remain. As an import-dependent region, the Caribbean is highly exposed to global price fluctuations. Concerns are mounting that rising prices in the United States could trigger sharper inflationary pressures, including higher operating costs in the tourism sector.
"In Saint Lucia, we just saw the cost of energy increase about 20 percent, and that's having an impact now going into the summer when our rates are lower. It rallies points to the importance of us building a bit more resilience into Caribbean tourism," said Sanovnik Destang, president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.
Caribbean tourism shows resilience despite Middle East tension challenges
