Fifty years, just a flash in the long course of history, have witnessed the vivid memory of the friendship over seas and mountains between China and the Netherlands. On the evening of May 23rd, Melodies over Seas and Mountains online concert in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties between China and the Netherlands was jointly held at both Zhuhai Opera House and the Royal Concertgebouw (Amsterdam).
"Amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations." Invited by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, artists in Zhuhai and Amsterdam gathered online to play the tune of friendship between the two cities, celebrating the close ties between China and the Netherlands at this anniversary with characteristic music of each country. Congratulation videos were sent by Mr. Tan Jian, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mr. Michiel Bierkens, Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Guangzhou, and famous artists at home and abroad.
The attendants at the concert in Zhuhai included Mr. Li Chong, Vice Mayor of Zhuhai Municipal Government, Mr. Chen Guangjun, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, Mr. Michiel Bierkens, Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Guangzhou, and overseas friends living in Zhuhai.
The concert was composed of 13 performances, covering jazz, piano solo, wind music, vocal solo, chorus, semichorus, fusion music, etc. The concert featured Nederlands Blazers Ensemble and Sinfonia Rotterdam, top musicians and artists from Zhuhai and other parts of China, including Liu Yutong, the first Chinese male singer to perform at Berkeley stage; Ou Kaiming and Qiongxia, National Class-A Artists and students of Cantonese opera master Hung Sin-nui, and winners of China Theatre Plum Blossom Award; Lu Yao, well-known pianist and director of Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians; Zhuhai Golden Jazz, one of the few professional jazz orchestras in China; and Semiquaver Women's Choir that has won a gold prize at "THE SINGING WORLD", the 19th International Festival of Choral Art in St. Petersburg.
As early as 400 years ago, China and the Netherlands had already started economic, trade, and cultural exchanges through the Maritime Silk Road. The Netherlands is one of the first western countries to recognize the People's Republic of China. The two countries established diplomatic relations at the level of Chargé d'affaires in November 1954, which was upgraded to the ambassadorial level in May 1972. For the past 50 years, bilateral cooperation, under multilateral frameworks and systems such as the United Nations, has born plentiful fruits in promoting economic cooperation, science and technology, sustainable development, and world peace.
Zhuhai's increasingly close ties with Utrecht, the fourth-largest city in the Netherlands with a profound historic and cultural heritage, are a demonstration to the ever-growing China-Netherlands friendship. As a vital bridge for China to connect with the rest of the world, Zhuhai started friendly exchanges with Utrecht in November 2013. In the following years, the two cities deepened their collaboration in investment, trade, science and technology, culture, tourism, education, healthcare, etc. Ninestar Corporation from Zhuhai set up its Europe sales center there. In 2019, The Charm of Zhuhai, a photo exhibition, was held in Utrecht, inviting the locals to appreciate the city's unique qualities, culture and history. Looking forward, China will continue joining hands with the Netherlands to advance sustainable, thorough and stable development for both sides, and Zhuhai is ready to make a greater contribution to the two countries' relationship.
The concert is supported by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Guangzhou, and the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province; hosted by the Information Office of Zhuhai Municipal People's Government, and Zhuhai Foreign Affairs Office; organized by Zhuhai Media Group Co., Ltd. The concert was streamed by People's Daily (Chinese app, English app and weibo platform), CCTV.com, Chinaculture.com, Nanfang Plus, itouchtv, Macau Cable TV, ZHTV-2, Guanhai Convergence Media app, etc.
Source | Zhuhai Foreign Affairs Bureau
