STORY: Kiribati president extends Spring Festival greetings to Chinese people
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Jan. 27, 2025
LENGTH: 00:02:25
LOCATION: SYDNEY, Australia
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Kiribati
2. SOUNDBITE (English): TANETI MAAMAU, Kiribati President
3. various of Spring Festival celebration
4. various of China
5. various of cooperation between China and Kiribati
6. various of China
7. various of Kiribati

STORYLINE:

Kiribati President Taneti Maamau recently extended warmest holiday greetings and best wishes to the Chinese people ahead of the Spring Festival.

In a pre-recorded video greeting, Maamau said the Spring Festival is an important traditional festival for the Chinese people, symbolizing reunion, harmony and new hope.

SOUNDBITE (English): TANETI MAAMAU, Kiribati President
"The Spring Festival is an important traditional festival of China, symbolizing reunion, harmony and new hope. On behalf of the government and the people of Kiribati, I would like to extend our warmest holiday greetings and best wishes to all the Chinese people on this joyous and auspicious occasion.
Looking back over the year 2024, China's high-level opening-up has become a distinctive beacon, bringing new development opportunities for the world, including Kiribati. In 2024, China and Kiribati also celebrated 5 years since the resumption of diplomatic ties and then achieved tremendous results in cooperation in many areas, including education, health, trade and investments, agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure, capacity building, people-to-people exchange, and many more. The result of these cooperations demonstrate the deep and robust friendship between the Kiribati and Chinese people.
The coming new year is the Year of the Snake in the Chinese lunar calendar. The Year of the Snake symbolizes wisdom and dynamism. Our two countries will continue to deepen mutual trust and friendly relations, to promote efforts, to guide our shared future, with full alignment with the Kiribati Vision for 20 years and the Belt and Road Initiative, to create a better and more prosperous future for our peoples now and into the future. May the Year of the Snake be blessed with good fortune, and may it brighten the lives of the two countries and peoples every day.
Once again, I would like to extend my most sincere New Year wishes to all the people of China, wishing China peace and prosperity and wishing the Chinese people happiness and success. May the bonds between our two countries continue to flourish, and our relations continue forever. Happy Chinese New Year with our traditional blessings of 'Te Mauri,' meaning health, 'Te Raoi (peace),' 'Te Tabomoa (prosperity)' upon our Chinese friends. Thank you."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Sydney, Australia.
(XHTV)