January 31, 2011　　 Source: China News Network

Zhao Yang, deputy director of Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of China’s State Council, will lead an art troupe to visit and perform during the Spring Festival in Africa. Before leaving for the visit, Mr. Zhao gave an interview to the reporter from China News Agency and said that the art troupe’s debut in Africa will not only convey the care and concern of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Officeand relatives of our compatriots, but will also carry out a close observation of their living conditions in Africa.

 

Photo by Zhang Qin, reporter from China News Agency

 

 

 

January 25, Beijing, China News Agency

 

Title: Chinese Art Troupe Debuts in Africa for Close Observation of the Overseas Chinese

 

Zhang Dongdong, reporter from China News Agency

 

“The debut performance of the art troupe in Africa will not only convey the care and concern of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Officeand relatives of Chinese compatriots in Africa, but will also carry out a close observation of the living conditions of the Chinese community in Africa”, Zhao Yang, deputy director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Officeof China’s State Council, explains the purpose of the visit on the eve of their departure.

 

Mr. Zhao will lead the art troupe consisting of prominent performers and ensemles like Lv Jihong, Tie Jin, Kelsang Dhondup, Shen Juan, Guo Rong, Feng Ruili, and the Kunming Ethnic Song and Dance Theatre, to visit and perform at Nairobi, Kenya, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, South Africa, and Hong Kong of China from February 3 to 19, offering 6 series of song and dance performances of rich ethnic flavors to the local audiences.

 

Zhao Yang hopes that the visit of the art troupe will send a signal to the Chinese compatriots in Africa that “no matter where they are, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Officeand their relatives in China are concerned about their livelihood and development in their adopted countries, and visit them on important Chinese festivities.”

“This is the first time for the art troupe to visit and perform in Africa,” says Zhao Yang and he adds that the Overseas Chinese Affairs Officeand China Overseas Exchange Association will continue to send troupes to more African countries.

 

He notes that African countries are having friendly relations with China. He believes that the visit will promote the traditional friendly relations with Kenya, South Africa and other African countries through non-governmental cultural exchanges. “The improved country-to-country relationship will be more favorable for compatriots to live and develop in their adopted countries,” he said.

 

As the Year of Rabbit is coming, Zhao Yang extended his New Year’s greetings to the overseas Chinese in Africa. He encouraged them to live in harmony with the local peoples, comply with laws and regulations, as well as make contribution to the local economic and social development and traditional friendship between China and Africa in the mean time of developing their businesses there.

 

Zhao Yang has led delegations to convey greetings to overseas compatriots for 6 times previously over more than ten years. He said from merely sending art groups to perform overseas in 1980s to the establishment of the brand name of the Universal Celebration of Spring Festival today, it had experienced three phases.

 

The first phase began in 1984 when art groups with national cultural characteristics were sent to visit and perform in the world at the traditional Chinese festivities like the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Day annually. Zhao Yang pointed out that the this phase is characterised with “we play and they watch” .

 

The second phase started from 2006 when the brand name of Cultural China appeared, which demonstrated Chinese culture from mere theatrical performances to all aspects of Chinese culture. Cultural events were launched, like the “Colorful Yunnan”, “Forum of Eminent Scholars”, “Talent Show”and “Splendid Sichuan”, among others.

 

The third phase began at the Spring Festival of 2009 when the brand name of “Universal Celebration of Spring Festival” was launched. Zhao Yang said the current phase emphasized on connecting the visits with observation of the living conditions of overseas compatriots, which will not only improve the quality but also extend and expand the effects of the performance, promoting the brand name and making it into a new platform for cultural exchanges between China and other countries and a new bright spot for uplifting Chinese culture’s sofe power.

 

On the reaon for the gradual growing of the brand name, Zhao Yang said that along with the improvement of living conditions and expansion of economic and social influence of the overseas Chinese, their needs for spiritual and cultural entertainment have increased, hoping to see more Chinese troupes to perform in their adopted countries.

“As the overall national strength of China has increased markedly, not only the overseas Chinese would like to have more Chinese culture, the mainstream local society is also increasingly aware of it. When the domestic artists perform abroad, they don’t only promotes Chinese culture but also carrying out exchanges with cultures of other local ethnic groups, which will push forward the common development and progress of the world’s civilization and friendship of people all over the world,” Zhao concluded.