Your Excellency Dr. Dhafer Ahmed Alumran, Assistant Undersecretary of Foreign Ministry,

Your Excellency Mr. Najeeb bin Yaqoob Al Hamar, Chairman of Al Ayam Publishing Establishment's Board of Directors,

Your Excellency Mr. Moanes Al Mardi, Chairman of Bahrain Journalists Association, Editor-in-Chief of Al Bilad Newspaper,

Your Excellency Dr. Mansoor Al Jamri, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Wasat Newspaper,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

Good Evening!

It gives me great pleasure to host this Chinese lunar new year reception and meet you, both old and new friends. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Bahrain, I would like to extend warm welcome to all of you and express my heartfelt thanks for what you have done in the past to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between China and Bahrain. My Chinese new year greetings also go to all the Chinese nationals, Chinese enterprise and Confucius Institution staffs in Bahrain.

The year 2015 was a crucial year for deepening all-round reform in China. President Xi Jinping led Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to pursue the four-pronged comprehensive strategy to finish building a moderately prosperous society, deepen reform, advance the law-based governance and strengthen Party self-discipline. We achieved new and major progress in various fields, in particular successfully completed the 12th Five-year Plan for national economic and social development. China's economy growth rate in 2015 reached 6.9% and the total amount of GDP surpassed 10 trillion US Dollars. With the constant accumulation of GDP, China also encountered some new difficulties and setbacks in promoting economic development, but the long term development momentum of China's economy remains unchanged. China's economic growth rate still stands the first place among the world major economies, and China remains a major contributor to global growth.

In 2015, all-round progress was also made in advancing China's diplomatic agenda. Focusing on peace and development, we launched diplomatic initiatives with distinctive Chinese features on all fronts and made remarkable progress. We solemnly celebrated the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War with the international community, expressing China's dedication to the noble cause of peace and justice of mankind. We released the Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank was inaugurated, and the Silk Road Fund went into operation, providing strong impetus to the development and revitalization of countries along the routes.

2015 was also an important year for comprehensive development between China and Bahrain in all aspects. Bahrain was a peaceful oasis in the turbulent the Middle East, the pioneer of regional economic diversity and the best cost-effective place. The Belt and Road Initiative is highly coexisted with the demand for the economic and social development strategy of Bahrain. In 2015, the Chinese enterprises in Bahrain overcame all kinds of challenges and achieved great success. With the Bahrain Dragon City business booming, I believe more and more Chinese merchandise, investment and visitors will pour into Bahrain. The prospect of cooperation between China and Bahrain on all aspects will be bright and beautiful.

In 2015, all the Chinese nationals in Bahrain continued to make contributions to promote the friendship between the Chinese and Bahraini people, enhance the bilateral relations between China and Bahrain, and foster the modernization construction and great peaceful reunification course of the motherland. I would like to take this opportunity to convey my sincere gratitude and greetings to all the Chinese compatriots in Bahrain.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

China's 13th Five-Year Plan has been implemented since 2016. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, we will continue to pursue peaceful diplomacy with distinctive Chinese features, promote the Belt and Road Initiative as the overarching goal in the region, focus on the three key areas, namely, connectivity, production capacity cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and realize the common development and shared benefits with all the relative countries.

Today our President Xi Jinping started to pay historic state visits to Saudi Arab, Egypt and Iran, just few days ago the Chinese government issued the first China's Arab Policy Paper, which stipulates the guiding principle for developing China-Arab relations, offers the blueprint for China-Arab mutually beneficial cooperation and reiterates the political will of commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. I believe those will definitely promote China-Arab relations to a new and higher level. In the new year of 2016, the Chinese Embassy in Bahrain expects to cooperate and unite with all the Bahraini friends to develop the new areas of our cooperation and promote the relationship between China and Bahrain onto a new step.

In 2016, the Chinese Embassy in Bahrain will assume full share of responsibility and redouble efforts to ensure the wellbeing of Chinese nationals, and provide high-quality consular service and assistance for all the Chinese compatriots in Bahrain.

Finally, I would like to wish all my friends and your family members to have good health and happy Chinese lunar new year of Monkey. Thank you!