Dakar, February 10th (Xinhua) — The Chinese Embassy in Senegal held a 2026 New Year reception in the capital city of Senegal, Dakar, on the 9th. More than 200 officials from various levels of the Senegalese government, including Amadou Sherif Diouf, Secretary of State for Senegalese Overseas Chinese, as well as representatives of overseas Chinese, Chinese funded institutions, and local people from all walks of life, attended the event.
Diouf, on behalf of the Senegalese government and people, extended New Year’s greetings and conveyed good wishes to the Chinese people in his speech. He stated that the traditional friendship between Serbia and China is profound, and bilateral cooperation has always maintained a high level of development, achieving fruitful results in practical cooperation under bilateral and multilateral frameworks. He spoke highly of the significance of China Africa cooperation and pointed out that mechanisms and initiatives such as the Forum on China Africa Cooperation and the high-quality joint construction of the “the Belt and Road” have built an important platform for China Africa cooperation and injected impetus into Africa’s development.
Diouf said that Serbia is willing to strengthen the docking of development strategies with China, actively promote the implementation of Senegal 2050 Vision, and learn from the valuable experience of Chinese path to modernization. We hope that the relationship between Serbia and China will continue to deepen and become a model of friendly exchanges between countries.
Li Fei, Acting Charg é d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Senegal, extends New Year’s greetings to overseas Chinese and friendly individuals from all walks of life in Senegal. She stated that by 2025, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia will continue to deepen, political mutual trust between the two countries will continue to consolidate, cooperation in various fields will be fruitful, and cultural exchanges will be highlighted.
Li Fei pointed out that 2026 is the beginning year of China’s 15th Five Year Plan and the 70th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. The “China Africa Cultural Exchange Year” and the 2026 Dakar Summer Youth Olympic Games complement each other, bringing new historical opportunities for China Serbia cooperation.
The reception venue was filled with a joyful and peaceful festive atmosphere. The Chinese martial arts performance brought by the Senegal Martial Arts Federation was vigorous and full of momentum, winning rounds of applause from the guests on site; The teachers and students of the Confucius Institute at the University of Dakar sang Chinese songs with deep affection, and artistic performances such as dance and choir were performed one after another, showcasing the vitality and charm of cultural exchange between China and Serbia.