Mrs. Sharon Brennen-Haylock, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Eugene Newry, Deputy Permanent Secretary
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Students,
Good morning! Welcome to the Chinese Embassy. First of all, let me extend my warmest congratulations to the excellent Bahamian students who came through heated competitions and won the scholarships to study in China. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude towards the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas, the works of Chinese Scholarship this year would not finish so smoothly without your full support.
There is an old saying in China that it takes ten years to grow a tree, while a sound education program may require ten times as long before it takes roots. Education is the fundamental guarantee for a nation to develop. Both China and The Bahamas attach great importance to the development of education and the cultivation of talents. Over the past 20 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and The Bahamas, the exchanges and cooperation in fields of education between our two countries have been deepened continuously. China has provided full government scholarships for nearly one hundred Bahamian young people and has funded hundreds of Bahamians to attend short-term training and degree programs in China. In the Confucius Institute, Chinese Language courses had been set up for local students to meet the demands of the Bahamian people who want to learn Chinese and understand China. This is a special contribution to our bilateral cultural exchanges. We will continue expanding bilateral educational cooperation and exchanges in the future.
Dear students, you are going to study in China and start a new journey of your life. You will see a flourishing China in the process of modernization, you will also feel an ancient and beautiful China. China is a country with vast territory, large population, long history and glorious culture. China also endured many trials and tribulations in recent history and reborn through hardship. Now China is following the path of development that is fit for its characteristics and has made magnificent achievements. Chinese people are striving for the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping once said that youth is the future and the hope of a nation, if young people are strong and brilliant, the nation will be prosperous and powerful. I sincerely wish you would treasure your precious time in China to pursue studies and seek knowledge diligently so that you would make accomplishments in your learning and make contribution to the development of your motherland when you come back to The Bahamas. I also wish you would deepen your understanding about China by learning Chinese language and culture, become observers and practitioners of China-Bahamas relations in the future and make your own contribution to the bilateral relations and friendship between our two peoples. I believe in the near future you will become envoy of friendship between our two countries and peoples.
To conclude, I wish all of you a smooth life and successful study in China.
Thank you!