谈大使在酒会上发表新春致辞，向来宾致以新春祝福。谈表示，春节是中华民族最重要的节日。去年12月，“春节—中国人庆祝传统新年的社会实践”列入联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录，有助于让更多国家了解中国春节的文化内涵。今年是农历蛇年，蛇在中国文化中象征智慧、坚毅、敏捷和富足，预示着吉祥。“音乐是人类的通用语言，”我们一起欣赏著名艺术家演奏的中外名曲，共同感受音乐交融带来的共鸣，迎接农历新年的到来。
谈表示，中国始终倡导真正的多边主义和普惠包容的经济全球化，携手构建人类命运共同体。2025年是中国与欧盟建立外交关系50周年，作为多边主义、全球化和国际合作的重要推动力量，中欧应加强合作，共同应对气候、卫生、人工智能等问题的挑战。
荷兰皇家音乐厅管弦乐团总经理温特林在讲话中表示，非常荣幸能举办庆祝中国春节的音乐会。乐团十分重视此次演出，精心挑选具有中国特色的乐曲，组织各声部首席参加排练演出，希望能以高水平的演奏为观众带来多元音乐文化体验。
音乐会由欧亚网络基金会和IJ音乐厅承办，得到海牙中国文化中心、中国移动、中国工商银行、荷中咨询、力马人资等各方的共同支持。(谈践大使致辞英文全文附后）
Remarks by Amb Tan at the Chinese New Year Celebration Concert
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear musicians of the Royal Concerthall Orchestra,
Thank you for coming.
What a beautiful day! What a beautiful view!
According to the lunar year calendar, we are now still in the Year of the Dragon.
Yet the new year is just around the corner, on the 29th of January, three days to go. It will be the Year of the Snake. Happy Chinese new year! Wish you all the best in the Year of the Snake!
In the Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes wisdom, resilience, agility, abundance.
I have learned that in the western culture, the snake is a symbol of medicine and the medical profession. The emblem of the World Health Organization consists of the United Nations logo surmounted by a staff with a snake coiling round it.
Snake is auspicious. Well, many people may laugh and say that, whatever the zodiac animal, it is always auspicious. But I do believe that snake is really of good omen and auspicious. It has to be.
Why? Because my parents said that, and my parents-in-law said that.
Why they said that? Because I was born in the Year of the Snake. And so was my wife.
Dear friends,
The Spring Festival marks the beginning of a new year. It is the most celebrated holiday, not only in China, but also in some other countries and by some other peoples around the world. The Spring Festival is for family reunion. During an extended period of 40 days, 9 billion trips will be made in China for people to get-together with family members. This is the largest human migration on earth.
It involves a variety of social practices, like making and enjoying spring festival dinner, setting off firecrackers and fireworks, holding cultural events, etc.
About two months ago, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has inscribed the Spring Festival and celebration activities of the Chinese people on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.We are now observing the Chinese new year, here in the Netherlands.
I just cannot think of any other better way of celebration than organizing a concert as such, held at this prestigious venue, played by the world-renowned musicians, in this sunny day, and half of the music pieces are Chinese, the other Western classics.
I wish to thank Mr. Dominik Winterling, Managing Director of Royal Concerthall Orchestra, Mr. Michael Gieler, Artistic Director IJ-Salon, and musians of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, for the wonderful performance. My thanks also go to the Europe-Asia Network Foundation, and Ms Xiaojia Xu for organizing the concert;
To China Cultural Center Den Haag, China Mobile International UK Ltd, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Amsterdam Branch, Holland China Consulting, MAX Human Resources Management, for your support. Hope you like the Chinese music. It is beautiful.
Take the Butterfly Lovers for example, it is a moving folktale, the music is soft and a bit sad, expressed powerfully by the string quartet with the flutes.
Music is the universal language of mankind — a famous line by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Whoever we are, Europeans, Asians, or Africans, Chinese or Dutch, music can strike a chord among us.
Dear colleagues,
The year 2025 will witness major changes. Changes for the better, I hope. We need bridges not walls, connecting not decoupling, among countries, cultures, civilizations, and peoples. These words sound like jargon, or official speak. But they are not empty.
Let me give you some examples of what we have been doing. First, we are carrying out high-level exchanges. Nine days ago, President Xi had a constructive phone conversion with the then President-elect Trump; Just two days ago, Vice Premier Ding paid a successful visit to the Netherlands.
Secondly, we are promoting people-to-people exchanges. A year ago, China first introduced the visa free policy for a few countries including the Netherlands. Dutch visitors to China have increased by 130% thanks to this policy. Two months ago, this policy has been optimized and updated, with the the duration of stay doubled, from 15 days to 30 days, and scope of visa-free travel expanded, now covering business, official business, family business, tourism.
This is China’s unilateral arrangement. China is opening its door wider. China is for peace and prosperity, for exchanges and connectivity, for a common human community.
China upholds multilateralism, supports globalization, opposes trade wars. Multilateralism is the right way to maintain world peace and solve global challenges. Globalization is the trend of history. Of course, it may need to be more inclusive. Trade war has no winners, protectionism leads nowhere.
In 2025, China and the EU will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations. China and Europe are the two major driving forces for globalization and multilateralism. Given the new developments, and under the current circumstances, the cooperation between us is more needed than ever. Countries, especially the big ones, should strengthen not weaken the international cooperation mechanisms such as the climate and covid.
Hope in 2025, we can slither through the uncertainties and difficulties.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The city of Amsterdam will celebrate its 750th anniversary this year. Congratulations!
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. The UN has declared 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.
Let’s draw inspiration from the music. Let’s enhance exchanges and dialogues.
Last Thursday, when Vice Premier was meeting with Dutch ministers, he often asked when she or he visited China last time. The reply could be more than two decades ago. This is unacceptable, my Vice Premier said. And he has extended invitations to them.
Let’s join hands, for an open, peaceful and prosperous world.
My warmest wishes, wish you all happy, healthy, prosperous in the Year of the Snake.
Welcome to China, no visa.
Thank you.
