China supports the People's choice in Kenya

As the people of Kenya slowly disengage from the spirited process of electing its new leaders, Kenyans will remember and continue to debate the role of the international community and diplomatic partners in this arduous process.

While several foreign countries and foreign media gave controversial opinions on the highly polarized elections, China stuck to the principle of non-interference. China does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or impose its will on others. Its foreign policy, especially towards Africa is based on equality, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

In a press conference just before the elections, the Chief of information and public affairs section at the Chinese embassy in Nairobi reiterated that China will strictly adhere to the principle of non interference and expressed their confidence in the Kenyan people to conduct peaceful and credible elections. He stated that China is ready to work with the new government. Friendly states respect each other’s sovereignty, core interests and choice of social system and development path.

Despite China’s growing influence internationally, coupled with increased interest in Africa, it has shown respect to Kenyans by letting them elect leaders of their choice.

Equality and mutual trust constitute the political foundation for the sound and steady growth of International relations in the new world order. Countries, big or small, developed or developing are all equals. This is the norm enshrined in the UN charter and universally accepted. 

However, hegemonism, power politics and neo-interventionism continue to plague the international system. International political inequality still exists, and the right to independent choice in politics, economics and overall development of developing countries is still widely abused.

China is a rising global power both politically and economically. Nevertheless, it has remained humble and respectful developing countries. Despite its rising global status and power, China is still a developing country and has stood with developing countries in difficult and trying times. It has persistently opposed outside interference in the internal affairs of other countries and encouraged strengthening of local and regional mechanism to deal with challenges related to politics, justice, governance and social system.

In the report to the 18^th National congress of the Communist Party of China, the outgoing president of the people’s republic of China; Mr. Hu Jintao stated that his country continues to call for equality, mutual respect, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual beneficial cooperation in international relations. China has called on all countries to observe the purposes of the UN charter.

Every nation has its own distinctive features which may be different from one another, but none is superior or inferior to others. Various cultures can learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses and vitally promote greater democracy in international relations. This cannot be achieved by coercion, threats and dominance but by dialogue that nurtures understanding and builds confidence amongst the people.

Whereas the international community and partners are entitled to their opinions on the Kenyan process, they should be mindful of avoiding actions and statements that could be interpreted as interference.  Any action that has the potential to influence persons to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate is a violation of the principles of the UN Charter on non-interference. It is therefore imperative that members of the international community support the newly elected leadership as they represent they will of the people and continue working together with the new government to foster growth and development.

We are better off following the Chinese growth Model -The Independent model

China’s progress since reform and opening up in the late 1970s has displayed a model of independent development, especially for African countries that are pursuing their development take off. African leaders must learn from the Chinese leadership’s single-mindedness and commitment to economic reforms. The Chinese leaders have demonstrated that is possible for poor countries to transform themselves independently through concrete economic reforms supported by state institutions. The Chinese model has taught us that the market and state can coexist and complement each other for development.

The market economy was vigorously prescribed to African countries as a way of dealing with the debt crisis and other economic challenges facing the continent. African countries were coerced into undertaking economic reforms by the World Bank, IMF and European countries to revive their struggling economies. Despite massive lay off and government restructuring, these policies failed miserably.

Meanwhile, the Chinese leaders were thinking for themselves after observing what was going on in Africa and Europe. They were reading the global economy and adjusting accordingly to new trends. China started reconfiguring its economy from manufacturing to more high-end technological approaches using local resources and innovation. It relied on the export of goods to grow its economy, using affordable labor force.

Many westerners underestimated China’s capacity in the global economic playground. Many economists predicted that its agricultural, financial and automobile industries would collapse because China did not follow their development models. They emphasized that without tariff protection, China’s domestic enterprises could not challenge European and American multinationals as Japan and South Korea had done.

Nonetheless, China continued to pursue its own unique development model based on local conditions and over the last decade, its economy has steadily grown at an average rate of 10% becoming the second biggest economy in the world and then engine of global economic growth. China’s leading role in shifting global economic dynamics is an outstanding scenario not seen since the Industrial revolution. China has now gained an upper hand and is leading by example. China does not interfere, not advocate interference in the internal affairs of other Nations but rather it encourages each partner to establish its own unique development model that best suits its environment.

China’s fast growth must offer lessons to Africa on the limitations of western development prescriptions. Many African countries now look to China as a model of growth and development. Africa must avoid excessive consumption and strategically implement independent policies that work for its local conditions. We must create new patters of trade, one that features south-south cooperation. Africa must trade with itself more. Kenya and other African countries could increase regional trade and industrial production of goods by following the Chinese model, which emphasizes the harnessing of local resources and local conditions to power economic growth.  Only then can we achieve sustainable development.

A Cultural feast to celebrate Chinese New Year

February  was a significant Month for China Kenya cultural relations. H.E Liu Guangyuan, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, hosted the “2013 spring festival reception” at the Kasarani Gymnasium, Moi  International sports centre to celebrate the Chinese spring festival with the Chinese community in Kenya and Kenyans from all walks of life. The Chinese Embassy in Nairobi presented to the Kenyan public and invited guests an enjoyable cultural show dubbed “Embrace China & Happy Spring Festival”.

Notable guests present included hon. Richard Onyonka, assistant minister for foreign affairs of Kenya, Amb. Ruth Solitei, Permanent secretary of the ministry of tourism of Kenya, Dr. Bitange Ndemo, Permanent secretary of the ministry of Information and Communications of Kenya, and madame Sahle-Work Zewde, Director general of the United Nations Office at Nairobi(UNON). Also in attendance were Kenyan government officials, media Houses, UN Organizations, foreign missions in Kenya. The total number of attendees was nearly 4000.

The show was the first major Chinese cultural show this year and it sought to carry forward and spread the Chinese culture and celebrate the Chinese New Year with overseas Chinese and friends. The Chinese delegation of art and dance troupes performed in Kenya as part of their overseas tour under the theme of “Embrace China & Happy Spring festival”. The group consisted of talented artists, singers, dancers and acrobatics among other performers whose main aim was to vividly demonstrate Chinese traditional essence and promote cultural exchanges between China and other countries. In his speech, Ambassador Liu averred that spring festival serves as an important cultural bond that links Chinese people and people from the rest of the world. He added that spring festival has become a worldwide cultural brand. He said it offers an excellent opportunity to further cement ties between the two countries noting that this year marks the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of China-Kenya diplomatic relations.

Chinese culture is one of the world’s oldest and most complex cultures. Its components include literature, music, visual arts, martial arts, cuisine, etc. The audience was treated to shows including acrobatics with a distinctive Chinese flavor. The highly entertaining Chinese opera was also in the menu. It is also one of the oldest dramatic art forms in the world. It evolved from folk songs, dances, talking, antimasque, and especially a distinctive dialectical music. Accompanied by traditional musical instruments, actors presented unique melodies as well as dialogues which are beautifully written and of high literary value. 

In the modern world, friendship between people and their countries is developing a world culture. It blossoms among people of different countries and continents irrespective of their class, creed and color. Every country has it unique and distinctive culture of its own expressed differently from one culture to the other, but the central idea is concerned with human understanding and progress. Modern states have come to the realization that when these cultures are taught across the globe through classics, paintings, music, dance, drama, and literature, a world culture of friendship is developed. There is much scope for different peoples, irrespective of their geographical position to mingle together and develop a world culture by means of friendship.

In the Report to the 18^th National Congress of the CPC, it was indicated that China will take solid steps to promote public international diplomacy and cultural and people to people exchanges. This is the first time that public diplomacy has been explicitly written into the party’s report. These steps will be a continuation of what China has been doing over the recent past. Cultural ties between China and Africa date back to the Tang Dynasty, but have progressed at a snail's pace, compared to the economic and political relationship over the last two decades.

In recent years, public diplomacy and cooperation in culture and people to people exchanges between China and Africa have been progressing well, strengthening our mutual friendship. This has provided a platform for understanding our cultural differences and contributed to building a strategic relationship of development between China and Africa. Public diplomacy and cultural and people to people exchanges will help Africa to have a better knowledge of China’s history, culture, development path, concepts of governance and its domestic and foreign policies and look at China more objectively and comprehensively. A better understanding of one another’s culture is the backbone of China –Africa ties.

Public diplomacy and cultural and people to people exchanges have become part and parcel of China’s overall foreign policy and are important in improving ties and building lasting friendships with other countries to achieve global harmony.More and more Africans are getting interested in the Chinese culture. Some of them travel to China to visit the places of interest there; some receive education or trainings in schools or universities in China; some learn Chinese language in Confucius Institutes or other institutions back in their own countries. To cement what we achieved in the last decade and keep the momentum going, the Chinese people and their African counterparts need to understand each other well. This will help them tackle effectively the challenges that arise out of the closer links that have been established.

Kenya should emulate China in conserving cultural heritage

China’s contemporary culture and the protection of its diverse cultural heritage have become one of the most talked about issues today. Cultural prosperity was put forward as an important objective of the central government’s national development strategy and has been firmly backed by legislation. This means that that for the first time, Chinese traditional cultural practices now have legal protection.

In addition to policies and laws, China has also incorporated the notion of “protection through production” into its preservation philosophy. The approach has proved productive. By the end of 2011, UNESCO had inscribed 29 Chinese Intangible Cultural heritage (ICH) items on its representative list of the Intangible Cultural heritage of humanity. China is home to more UNESCO certified ICH traditions than any other nation in the world.

All these measures have made China a unique tourist destination and a valuable cultural learning pot attracting interest from all over the world. They have enhanced China’s unique identity and value through its unique cultural heritage that has been preserved and protected over the years.

Seasons are celebrations, and so is the Chinese New Year: Happy Spring Festival.

All Chinese people across the entire globe are uncharacteristically in a celebratory mood. Pockets are lined and business is booming as they begin to treat themselves with earthly pleasures and buying each other gifts. Hundreds of millions of them are travelling across China from all over the country and the world to their hometowns and villages. The scene of passenger transportation in China is remarkable as the people are determined to get together with their families in what has come to be referred as the great annual Migration. It is the Chinese New Year, commonly referred to as Spring Festival.

Spring Festival marks the first day of the first Lunar month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. It usually falls somewhere between end of January and early February. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and each twelve years of the lunar cycle are named after 12 animals: The Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar). This year’s festival will fall on the 10^th of February and it marks the transition from the year of the dragon to the Year of the snake, 2013. Keeping with the ancient traditions and beliefs, the People born in the Year of the Snake are believed to share certain characteristics that relate to the snake. They are contemplative and private. The Snake is not outwardly emotional. They can appear cunning and reticent and work very modestly in the business environment.

Originally called “Yuandan”, Yuan meaning “beginning” and dan meaning “morning”; Spring Festival symbolizes the breaking of a new dawn on the first morning of the New Year. It is the grandest and most exciting festival for the Chinese, containing a long history of rich and cultural connotations. For thousands of years, China was an agricultural society with farming being the main economic activity. The whole year’s work depended on a good start in spring; a season for ploughing and weeding. As a matter of fact, modern day spring festival was in ancient times a series of sacrificial activities by which people hoped to bring about good weather and good crops in the New Year. It symbolized hope and rebirth.

Many traditions accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today. A huge clean-up gets underway days before the Spring Festival. Houses are cleaned from top to bottom, to sweep away any traces of bad luck. The ecstatic populace begins to embellish their sparkling rooms featuring an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. The doors and windows are then decorated with red paper-cuttings and couplets highlighting Chinese calligraphy with black characters on red paper, with themes such as happiness, wealth and longevity printed on them. 

The Spring Festival eve, referred to as ‘reunion night’, is perhaps the most exciting part of the event as anticipation creeps in. This is when family members reconnect, catch up on the past year, have big family reunion dinners and stay up until midnight to see the New Year in. Family members and relatives, some who have travelled long distances to be together, gather to chat and play. Most of them stay up all night enjoying sumptuous meals like rice cakes and jiaozi, or dumplings. Originally, jiaozi referred to the moment “across midnight”. The Chinese name for the period between 11 pm and 1 am. The next morning is called zi and Jiao means “across” and later jiaozi became the name of the food cooked before midnight and eaten after it. Without eating Jiaozi, you are not celebrating the festival in the real sense of the world. A series of celebrating activities such as lion dancing, dragon dancing, Yangge dancing and temple fairs ensued.

Although celebrations of the Spring Festival vary, the underlying message is one of solidarity and happiness for family members and friends. It vividly portrays a key cultural element deeply rooted in Chinese traditional heritage, that is, harmony. A family is an important cell in the Chinese society and spring festival is basically a time to consolidate family ties and friendships. For instance, on the first day of the New Year, people meet and celebrate by greeting each other. Children first go and greets their parents and grandparents in the morning, wishing them good health and a long life. In return, parents give some money in wrapped red-papers as gifts. This symbolized success and abundance in the New Year. In the past, people of high standing would have their names and official positions written on red color paper or carved wood chips, and on New Year’s Day; have them sent to friends. These were possibly the earliest New Year cards.

All activities during the spring festival centre on bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the New Year. With the opening up policy, globalization and modernization in China, New Year customs have transformed and become more interesting, attracting the attention of the whole world. Tourists flock China to witness the spring festival celebrations. They flock China to see the spectacular firework displays, the colorful street parades, Shaolin martial arts performances and the Lion and dragon dances among other activities. The Festival has stepped out from China to overseas communities, and has become a cultural symbol for harmony and auspiciousness the Chinese community both at home and abroad. It serves as an important cultural bridge linking the Chinese people across the world.

In recent years, China has conducted cultural exchanges with other countries, including Kenya in a bid to deepen exchanges and cultural understanding between the people. This year, Kenyans will have the pleasure of witnessing and joining the Chinese community in commemorating spring festival. The Chinese Embassy has organized a cultural performance dubbed “Embrace China & Happy Spring Festival” to carry forward and spread the Chinese culture and celebrate the Chinese New Year with overseas Chinese and friends. These celebrations will be held on February 16^th, 2013, at the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani from 3:30 pm to 6pm. It will feature groups consisting of talented artists, singers, dancers and acrobatics among other performers.

The only variation therefore between the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Gregorian New year is the date. Otherwise, the common overriding theme is thanksgiving and celebrations. Just as the rest of the world celebrated their New Year in early January, it is time for the Chinese people to usher in the New Year with greater hope and enthusiasm. Indeed, a merry year is born, just like the bright berry from the naked thorn. Happy New Year! May the Chinese people be blessed with Peace, Prosperity and good Health, now and in the future.