Director-General Tatiana Valovaya,

President Shen Haixiong,

Distinguished Guests,

We gather here today, at this time of the year when lush leaves are thriving, to mark the United Nations Chinese Language Day, to celebrate the unique charm of the Chinese Language, and to promote mutual learning and exchanges among civilizations.

The Chinese language is old and young at the same time. It is an old language with thousands of years of history, and one that is used till the present day. It is also a young one, full of vigor and vitality, as evidenced by the fresh vocabulary that keeps emerging. The global community of Chinese learners is an ever-expanding one. As one of the six official languages of the UN, Chinese is playing a role of growing importance in its work and in communications and exchanges between China and other parts of the world.

The Chinese language is more than a mere system of symbols. It carries the philosophy and wisdom with which the Chinese people understand the world and operate in it. The Chinese word for humanity- “人”- consists of two strokes that lean upon each other, suggesting that we humanity co-habitat the world, and that we need to support each other to stand tall. In today’s world, where different cultures, ethnicities and social systems flourish in coexistence, all of us live in one community with a shared future. The Chinese recognize the truth behind the saying that “it’s only natural for things to be different”. We ought to view the difference between civilizations with equality, inclusiveness and amity, and approach these differences with mutual admiration and mutual learning. Together, we shall support the UN in implementing its important mandate, and emerge from the many crises and tests that confront us.

This year’s Chinese Language Day is themed “Youth Together for a Better World”. Wherever young people thrive, there is hope for humanity and the noble cause for peace and development. Today, our celebration is joined by many young people. It is my hope that this event would showcase the charm of Chinese culture, enhance our understanding of each other, and pool more youthful wisdom for our community with a shared future. I also hope that you would get to know China better through today’s event, and look forward to welcoming more friends to visit China. There, you can see for yourself the many wonders of a country that is on track to realize its own modernization.

In closing, I would like to thank United Nations Office at Geneva, the China Media Group and relevant teams from Hunan and Nanjing for making today’s event possible. I would also like to thank you for your interest in and support for the Chinese Language Day events at the UN.

Thank you.