Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 19 April 2023 - The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) marked the thirteenth anniversary of the celebration of the Chinese language by the United Nations (and the fifth of such occasion at ECA) on 19th April in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The event was organized by ECA in collaboration with the Mission of China to the African Union. The celebration featured a wide variety of speakers and performances that highlighted the richness of Chinese language and culture.
In opening the session, ECA’s Acting Executive Secretary, Antonio Pedro stated that this celebration was an opportunity to recognize the contribution of the Chinese culture and language to our common heritage, as the most widely spoken native language in the world.
He highlighted the fact that at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Chinese Language Day celebrations were organized under the theme of ‘Chinese Wisdom for a Green World’ to provide Chinese wisdom and solutions for green and sustainable development. “Here at ECA”, he said, “we also echo this ambition and would like to argue that indeed a green pathway that respects planetary boundaries and decouples natural resource use and environmental impacts from economic growth and human well-being is key to achieving Agendas 2030 and 2063.”
“To this end, we would need to take decisive steps to mainstream beyond GDP metrics into how we measure economic prosperity and progress” he further noted.
Hu Changchun, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa, and Head of Mission of China to the African Union, said that as one of the languages with the longest history, the most elegant structure and the deepest ideological connotation in the world, Chinese is attracting more and more global friends to explore and feel the essence of the profound culture behind it.
“In Africa, 17 countries have included Chinese language in their education system, and over 600 000 Africans are using or learning Chinese” stated Ambassador Hu Changchun, adding that China was willing to work with all African friends to write a new chapter for the mutual learning of Chinese and African civilizations in the new era as well as the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future.
Ambassador Hu Changchun’s comments were followed by two interventions: the first was made by Mr. Ma Feng, Attaché for Culture and Tourism Affairs, Mission of China to the African Union, on Culture and tourism “Nihao China”; the second was delivered by Mr. Song Wengang, Publicity member of the Chinese Medical Team, who gave a presentation on traditional Chinese medicine and healthcare.
In addition to a short video introducing China’s rich culture “China Beyond Your Imagination”, students from the Confucius Institute delivered multiple performances, including singing, dancing and martial arts as well as a demonstration with a smart robot.
ECA Chief of Staff, Ms. Sweta Saxena, speaking on behalf of Ms. Nita Deerpalsing, Director of ECA Publications, Conference and Knowledge Management Division, concluded the program by acknowledging that Chinese has been one of the official languages of the United Nations since the founding of the Organization. “Today the importance of the Chinese language is acknowledged by all. To celebrate Chinese means to celebrate cultural diversity, multilingualism and a culture of peace”, she added.
The celebration was moderated in English and Chinese by Chaoyi Hu, Associate Economic Affairs Officer for ECA’s Macroeconomic and Governance Division.
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About the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UN’s five regional commissions, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s (ECA’s) mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its Member States , foster intraregional integration and promote international cooperation for Africa’s development. ECA is made up of 54 Member States and plays a dual role as a regional arm of the UN and as a key component of the African institutional landscape.
For more information, visit: www.uneca.org
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org
