Dear Friends from International Friendship Cities,
Greetings to you all. I am Hu Xiaohong, Vice Mayor of Zibo Municipal People’s Government.
As the seasons turn and we greet a new year, I extend, on behalf of Zibo Municipal People’s Government and our 4.7 million citizens, heartfelt greetings and best wishes to every resident of your esteemed city at the dawn of the 2026 Spring Festival.
The year 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Zibo’s engagement in international friendship city exchanges. Over these four decades, our friendship network has spread across five continents, embracing 40 cities in 25 countries. This year we successfully hosted the “40th Anniversary Exhibition Activity for International Friendship City Cooperation”, attended by more than 300 guests from 28 countries and yielding a wide range of on-site cooperative achievements. The friendship and collaboration between Zibo and its international friendship cities have entered an era of even greater flourishing.
In 2026, the Year of Horse begins under the Chinese lunar calendar. In Chinese civilization, horse is not only an auspicious symbol, but also embodies the spirit of unceasing progress and steadfast, reliable partnership. Standing at the threshold of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period, Zibo stands ready to work side-by-side with your government to consolidate deeper mutual trust, broaden cross-sector trade and economic cooperation, and foster more diverse cultural and people-to-people exchanges, jointly painting a new picture of mutual benefit and shared development.
May your city enjoy thriving industries and enduring prosperity. May all our friends welcome a joyful New Year and see every wish fulfilled.
Thank you!
The ABCF mission is to build a deeper understanding between the Chinese people and Barbadians and Caribbean people from all walks of life. The association’s focus is on personal experiences, people-to-people contact, cultural exchanges and exchanges of ideas, and the facilitation of travel, business and study. From the outset we aim to learn from and build on the experiences of the Caribbean and China, and to develop mutual understandings and support that will be to the benefit of both sides.
