A concert was held in Guangzhou on Wednesday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Consulate General of Belgium in Guangzhou and the 10th anniversary of the sisterhood between the province of Limburg and the province of Guangdong.
The Belgian quartet Althamar performed masterpieces such as the First Movement of Debussy's Quartet Opus 10 and Tango Tout Court by Dirk Brossé.
The orchestra ZunLingZhiXiu from Guangdong played distinct musical pieces, including Stepping Up Higher (步步高) and Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon (彩云追月).
Wim Peeters, Consul General of Belgium in Guangzhou, delivered a speech to the audience, congratulating them on the enduring friendship between the two countries and sharing his deep impressions of the region.
"In the last two years, I have made great efforts to visit almost all provinces and at least all major cities in the Greater Bay Area," Peeters said, "And I have witnessed many wonders, both in economic development and technology, as well as in natural beauty and cultural richness."
All this has gone hand in hand with increased economic cooperation.
"South China has Belgian investments from Umicore, Solvay-Syenqo, AB-Inbev Breweries, Moortgat, Modulax, ETEX-Eternit, Puratos, IBA, and De Halve Maan," added Peeters. "Belgium, with its ports and airports, is the European focal point for activities from Alibaba, SF Airlines, Central Airlines, and BYD. With Peak, we even have a sponsor for the Belgian Olympic Team."
In 2015, the Belgian Province of Limburg and Guangdong Province signed an official sisterhood agreement, which has since generated extensive exchanges in the following years.
The partnership has facilitated numerous economic, educational, and cultural cooperation programs.
"This evening's concert is a beautiful expression of that friendship," said Jos Lantmeeters, Governor of Limburg, in a video speech. "May our bonds of cooperation and friendship continue to grow stronger in the years ahead."
"We are eager to seize these benchmark moments to deepen cooperation with Belgium and create a bright future together," said Cang Feng, Deputy Director General at the Foreign Affairs Office of Guangdong. "We hope that friends from Belgium will continue to care about, support, and participate in the economic and social development of Guangdong as always."
Reporter: Xie Hongzhou
Photo: Consulate General of Belgium in Guangzhou
Editor: Yuan Zixiang, James Campion, Shen He
