China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Fu Cong delivered his Chinese New Year wishes at a celebration event hosted by the United Nations Chinese Book Club in New York.
This year's Spring Festival fell on Tuesday, ushering in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.
The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional holiday for the Chinese people. It was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.
A robotic lion dancer, a panda-shaped robot and three humanoid dancing robots took the center stage at the gala, captivating over 500 UN staff members, diplomats and international visitors who attended the event.
The celebration served as a backdrop for both UN and Chinese officials to extend their New Year greetings.
"Let us move forward with the unstoppable momentum and tireless vitality of a galloping horse. Let us redouble our efforts to strengthen cooperation between China and the United Nations, advance the cause of the UN development, and enhance exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, so as to make new contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity," Fu said at the event.
Khaled Khiari, UN assistant secretary-general for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, also expressed appreciation for China's long-standing engagement with the UN at the event.
Chinese envoy conveys new year greetings at UN celebration event
