On February 17, Chargé d'Affaires Xie Yongjun was invited to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa to attend Bridging Cultures HUI: A Photographic Journey Uniting China and New Zealand, hosted by the NZ-China Māori Culture & Tourism Promotion Association Incorporated (NCMC). He delivered a speech at the event, which was attended by approximately 30 guests, including Nancy Lu, Member of Parliament; Georgii Zuev, Russian Ambassador to New Zealand; and Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Fiji’s High Commissioner to New Zealand.
Chargé d'Affaires Xie conveyed Ambassador Wang Xiaolong’s warm wishes for the Year of the Snake. He highlighted President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative, which advocates for strengthening international cultural exchanges and cooperation. He expressed gratitude to the NCMC for its dedication to fostering cultural ties between China and New Zealand, as well as to the three photographers whose work captures a vivid and authentic portrayal of China. Through their lenses, they have built a bridge for cultural exchange and deepened the friendship between the two peoples. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges, strengthening mutual understanding, and deepening the bond between the two nations.
Nancy Lu, MP; H.E. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, High Commissioner of Fiji to New Zealand; Dinesh Khadka, Honorary Consul of Nepal for Auckland, Waikato, and Northland; Chris Lipscombe, President of the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand China Friendship Society (NZCFS); Hu Hong, NCMC’s Honorary President; and the three photographers shared their reflections on the event. They spoke about China's commitment to equality among nations, personal experiences of China's development achievements, the warmth and hospitality of the Chinese people, China’s significant progress in poverty alleviation and rural economic development, and the coexistence of traditional culture and modern innovation across generations. They also discussed how China’s 30-day visa-free policy is enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries.
During the event, guests had the opportunity to appreciate the photography works of three New Zealand photographers, taken in Hunan Province, China.
