Silence Charumbira
In a world full of uncertainty, China stands firm in safeguarding “our legitimate interests, curbing unilateralism and protectionism, while upholding international rules and the principles of equity and justice”, His Excellency Ambassador Yang Xiaokun has said.
Ambassador Yang was speaking in his keynote speech during Lesotho’s debut UN Chinese Language Day at the National University of Lesotho.
The embassy hosted the Chinese Language Day celebrations in partnership with the National University of Lesotho (NUL) Confucius Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology and the Machabeng International College Confucius Classroom.
The Chinese language is one of the six official languages used by the United Nations. The day is celebrated globally on 20 April annually, a date chosen to honour Cangjie, a legendary figure believed to have invented Chinese characters.
However, due to the Easter holidays which coincided with the day this year, the organisers decided to move the celebrations to the 30th of April.
“The day is meant to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization,” the embassy said in a statement.
Addressing guests who included Prince Seeiso, NUL Vice Chancellor Professor Olusola Isaac Fajana, university staff, embassy staff and the Chinese community in Lesotho and students, Ambassador Yang said: “In a world full of uncertainty, China stands firm in safeguarding our legitimate interests, curbing unilateralism and protectionism, while upholding international rules and the principles of equity and justice”.
He said the celebrations were a chance to reflect on the three decades of cooperation between China and Lesotho.
“Every stroke, every word, every volume of the Chinese language embodies not only the beauty of traditional culture, but also the contemporary wisdom of major concepts such as the Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Three Global Initiatives.”
“(The) first “International Chinese Language Day” in Lesotho (is an opportunity to) reflect on three decades of cultural exchange between China and Lesotho.”
It was also an opportunity to “showcase the remarkable achievements made possible through the dedicated efforts of educators from both nations”.
Ambassador Yang said the Chinese government would continue providing various scholarships and training opportunities for Basotho youth.
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“We look forward to your academic accomplishments, and to writing a new chapter in exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations between China and Lesotho.”
He said mastering Chinese means meant three things namely,
- Understanding Confucius’ wisdom— “is it not a joy to have friends from afar?”
- Decoding how 800 million people emerged from poverty in just four decades.
- Join in charting the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative
Among other activities, guests were entertained with Chinese cultural performances, interactive games related to Chinese culture and Chinese cuisine.
