Your Excellency Minister of Transport and Communication, Mr. José Agostinho da Silva,

Your Excellency Secretary of State of Art and Culture, Teofilo Caldas,

Your Excellency President of ACCCTO, Ms. Tchong Fon Ha,

Dear fellow compatriots, ladies and gentlemen,

Good Evening!

I'm pleased to be invited to participate in the Chinese New Year Party held by ACCCTO, to celebrate the most important traditional festival of the Chinese People with all the guests and overseas Chinese present here. It reminds me that one month ago, the Association also had a gathering to celebrate the New Year's Day of 2019. Ten days ago, I also hosted a Chinese New Year Reception in the Chinese Embassy, which many of you attended. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for your presence in the Embassy.

Last year, under the leadership of Ms. Tchong Fon Ha, the ACCCTO has worked hard with some good achievements, such as playing an important role in safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of overseas Chinese, inheriting and expanding Chinese culture and traditions, promoting actively economic, trade and culture exchanges between two countries. I sincerely appreciate it and hope that the Association can make further and greater progress in the coming year.

During past year of 2018, unilateralism and protectionism was spreading in the world, and the existing international system was severely impacted and global economic development was slowing down. Against this backdrop, China's economy maintained good momentum, and a relatively fast growth GDP exceeding 90 trillion RMB Yuan with a growth rate of 6.6%, and remained steadily the second in the world. From a long-term perspective, China is now still in and will be in the period of strategic opportunity of development. China will continue to deepen reform, expand opening up, adhere to win-win cooperation, share development opportunities and achieve common prosperity with people around the world. In particular, the current China's "Belt and Road" Initiative has provided rare development opportunity not only for China, but also for many other countries in the world. Timor-Leste is a country among the "Belt and Road" Initiative, I hope that the overseas Chinese here could seize this opportunity of building together the "Belt and Road" between our two countries and push our economic and trade cooperation in depth and in substance, to benefit Timor-Leste's development and improvement of people's livelihood, and to realize an early economic recovery of Timor-Leste.

The year of 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 40th anniversary of the publication of Message to Compatriots in Taiwan. At the beginning of the new year, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the publication, putting forward five-point proposal including initiative of cross-strait democratic consultation. The speech further points out the direction for the Chinese Government's policy to Taiwan in new era and is of great significance to guide us to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and to complete the great cause of peaceful reunification of China. I hope that the overseas Chinese in Timor-Leste could continue to carry forward the love and passion to your family root and the native country, firmly support the one-China policy and promote the early realization of China's reunification.

I'm glad to learn, in 2018, Timor-Leste for the first time designated the Chinese New Year as a tolerance day-off through Government Order and this year the Government has just made the same decision, which shows the recognition from the Timorese Government and people on the contributions made by overseas Chinese to the economic and social development of Timor-Leste. I hope that overseas Chinese will continue to live in harmony with local people, take root in Timor-Leste, continuously expand development space, inherit and carry forward Chinese culture and tradition, so as to make contributions to the friendship between China and Timor-Leste.

Finally, I wish all of you a happy Chinese new year of the pig, have a prosperous career, good luck, health and happiness.