HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT RATU WILIAME KATONIVERE'S ADDRESS AT THE CHINESE NEW YEAR LANTERN FESTIVAL GALA

 The President of the Chinese Association of Fiji, Ms. Jenny Seeto;
 The Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Fiji, His Excellency Zhou Jian;
 Members of the Chinese Association of Fiji and the Fiji Chinese Community;
 Ladies and gentlemen. 

Miau sa bula siá and good evening to you all! Allow me this evening, to thank the organising committee for your kind invitation to the First Lady and I to attend this evening’s event.

I also wish to extend the well wishes of our beloved nation and our personal well wishes of prosperity and longevity for you all and congratulate you all for the successful organisation of this Chinese New Year of Rabbit and Spring Lantern Festival.

Spring Lantern Festival is an important day of Chinese Culture as it signifies the end of the Chinese New Year and people will return to work tomorrow. It is a crucial time to celebrate with your families as the lanterns play an important role in lighting the path ahead signifying a message of light, hope and good fortune. It further signifies insight and future success of which I wish upon each of us here today, as well as for our country Fiji.

I wish to encourage and express to the Chinese Community in Fiji our appreciation for your numerous contributions and achievements and I wish to encourage the community to continue to grow and to contribute to the developments that will bring hope and common good for everyone. You are an integral part of Fiji’s past, her present and most importantly her future.

Before I conclude, it would be rather remiss of me not to welcome the new People’s Republic of China’s Ambassador to Fiji, His Excellency Zhou Jian- Congratulations again on your new appointment. Your Excellency, I am confident that during your tenure, the Fiji and People’s Republic of China relations will be elevated to newer heights given your experience and our long standing relations – being founded some 48 years ago.

We hope you will enjoy your time here and that you will experience the Bula spirit of family and we will continue to share and appreciate our respective cultures and traditions – like the one we are in tonight. I thank you once again for the kind invitation to this evening’s celebrations and I wish you well for this Year of the Rabbit!

Vinaka Vakalevu!