It was a New Year’s celebration like no other: pomp and ceremony laced with the simplicity that displayed human love, camaraderie and fellowship as dozens of revellers from diverse backgrounds basked in the sunshine of a truly Chinese-style reception.
Led by Amb Wu Peng, the Chinese embassy in South Africa held the New Year reception at their HQ in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. Government executives and foreign affairs civil servants led by energetic cabinet minister Stella Ndabeni graced the majestic celebration on a sunny third Wednesday of January. There were academics, business executives from all sides, political leaders of note and a flurry of media representatives eager to capture an occasion that abundantly displayed the joys and wonders of the Chinese ways of life.
Bilateral relations between Pretoria and Beijing were described by the Chinese President Xi Jinping as having entered the Golden Era when he undertook a state visit to SA in August 2024.
Indeed, it was quite easy to notice the warmth embrace between the peoples of the two nations who are also allies in BRICS. There is just so much that brings China and South Africa together. Historically, the two nations fought colonialism ferociously, and won. Today, they are the powerhouses in their own right, with Chinese economy recognized as the world’s second largest and the country’s growth and development on the right trajectory after taking more than 800 million people out of poverty. This is a feat that the UN has lauded publicly, and many nations are studying how to emulate China. Yet during the New Year’s celebrations this week, Amb Wu’s humility and appeal for the bilateral relations to continue to blossom so the future generations could benefit through people-to-people diplomacy came out very loud and clear.
His speech that was well-received was so on-point as Amb Wu also focused on the year of the snake theme, which in Chinese epistemology is described as symbolizing wisdom. Through the long day of celebration during which people intermingled freely and forged cross-cultural dialogue, networking and friendships, the 2025 New Year’s celebrations will be remembered fondly for many years to come as an example to how to cement flourishing diplomatic ties. Among various other fantastic memorable features of the celebration, the day will also be remembered for the unique Chinese cuisine that had many people going back for more.
The embassy described it as “Sichuan cuisine”. It was meticulously prepared by chefs who flew all the way from China to dazzle South African friends of the Chinese embassy with an array of authentic dishes that – we were informed – have earned global acclaim.
