On September 21, 2019, the reception in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China hosted by overseas Chinese in Mauritius was held in the auditorium of Heen Foh Lee Kwon Society in Chinatown. More than 500 people including the Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius Collendavelloo, Minister Mentor Anerood Jugnauth and his spouse, Speaker of the Natioanl Assembly Hanoonmanjee and her spouse, Vice Prime Minister Daureeawoo, Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment Alain Wong, the Chinese Ambassador accredited to Mauritius Sun Gongyi, President of Heen Foh Lee Kwon Society LIM KIAN SIANG Eric, and representatives of the Chinese community in Mauritius attended the event.
In his speech, LIM KIAN SIANG Eric said that the representatives of the Chinese community in Mauritius gathered joyfully together and extended congratulations on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China with great excitement. The achievements of China's economic and social development in the past 70 years have made overseas Chinese feel doubly proud. Although thousands of miles away, the overseas Chinese in Mauritius have always been concerned about the development of their home country, wishing China a prosperous future. The Chinese community in Mauritius will make full use of their own advantages and continue to support the development of their home country, promoting the relationship between China and Mauritius to a new level.
In his address, Ambassador Sun Gongyi highlighted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China. Over the past 70 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, through the hard work of all Chinese people, China's economic society and people's lives have undergone great changes. China's development has set a successful example for mankind to overcome poverty and for developing countries to find development paths. In today's complicated and volatile international situation, China will continue to adhere to its own development path and persist in reform and opening up. China sincerely welcomes all countries in the world, including Mauritius, to participate in China's development cause and share China's development dividend.
Ambassador Sun Gongyi highly commended the development of China-Mauritius relations, saying that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 47 years ago, friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Mauritius in various fields has continued to deepen. Last year, President Xi Jinping's visit to Mauritius and Prime Minister Jugnauth's visit to China have raised bilateral relations to a new level. This year, with the completion of the Sports Complex that China has helped to build and has been used at the Indian Ocean Island Games, with the establishment of the office of the Mauritian Economic Development Board in Shanghai and with the signing of China-Mauritius Free Trade Agreement, Sino-Mauritian friendship will keep deepenging and last forever.
Ambassador Sun Gongyi spoke highly of the important role played by overseas Chinese in promoting bilateral exchanges. He said that overseas Chinese are witnesses and practitioners of the friendly exchanges between the Chinese and Mauritian people as well as the inheritors and disseminators of the Chinese culture. He hoped that under the context of cooperation and opening up, the overseas Chinese in Mauritius could seize the opportunities for cooperation between China and Mauritius and make more contributions to the construction of Mauritius and the development of friendly relations between China and Mauritius.
The atmosphere was friendly and warm. Ambassador Sun Gongyi and President LIM KIAN SIANG Eric cut the cake together with Mauritian dignitaries to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
During the reception, the Chinese community presented Chinese songs and dances. In the melody of "I and My Motherland", everyone raised their glasses and made a toast for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. They cheered for the friendship between China and Mauritius as well as the friendship between the two peoples.
