H.E. Under Secretary-General Anwarul Chowdhury, Chen Jian, Nobuaki Tanaka and Mrs. Tanaka, Ambassadors and Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening. My wife and I wish to thank you for coming to today's reception for the "Chinese Film Festival", which is the first of its kind held by the Permanent Mission of China in recent years at the United Nations.

Film is an art for the entire mankind. It embodies different civilizations and cultures and is a treasure for us all. Film is also a global language. It transcends races and cultures, deepens understanding among nations, and harmonizes different civilizations.

The first Chinese film was made in 1905. Over the past 100 years, the Chinese films have experienced their peaks and valleys, acquiring their own features and unique style. The recent years have witnessed a surge of Chinese films, and its industry has become more and more internationalized. From what I have learned, in the past three years, over 30 Chinese films won awards at more than 40 different world film festivals.

We have chosen four films for this festival, all made in recent years. I hope through this blend of contemporary Chinese films, you will get a glimpse of how ordinary Chinese people live as well as their fine sentiments. I am convinced this will enhance understanding and friendship between us. If you all find these films interesting and enjoyable, my mission will be more than happy to hold such festivals in the future. We can then take more of these trans-cultural journeys together.

Finally, my wife and I wish to thank the Secretariat for its kind assistance to this festival.

Thank you.