The Star: July 11, 2024

The Star Thursday July 11 2024
A Sincere Invitation from
Thousands of Kilometers Away
He Ying
Dear New Zealand Friends,
Consul General
of the People’s
Republic of
China in
Christchurch
A line from Chinese classical poem
reads, “Good friends feel close even
when they are thousands of miles
apart.”
Such is the case between China and
New Zealand. Despite being separated
by thousands of kilometers, the
two countries have fostered a deep
connection. Since the establishment
of the diplomatic relationship, our
friendship has stood the test of time
and continues to flourish with fruitful
cooperation in various fields, bringing
tangible benefits to the people of both
nations. Not long ago, Chinese Premier
Li Qiang visited New Zealand and
announced China’s visa free policy for
New Zealanders, injecting new vitality
into the people-to-people exchanges
between the two countries.
The visa free policy will officially
take effect from July 1st this year to
December 31st next year. During this
period, ordinary passport holders from
New Zealand who come to China for
business, tourism, visiting relatives
and friends, and transit for no more
than 15 days can enter China without a
visa. As the Chinese Consul General in
Christchurch, I sincerely invite our kiwi
friends to visit China and explore this
magnificent nation with 5,000 years of
history and a rapidly evolving modern
civilization.
China is a hotspot for investment and
business. In 2023, China registers
a 5.2 percent year-on-year growth,
ranking among the top of major
world economies and remaining an
important powerhouse driving global
growth. The vast market of 1.4 billion
people, a robust manufacturing
base, increasing technological
innovation capabilities, inclusive
and accommodating opening-up
policies, modern infrastructure, and
continuously improving business
environment will all create more
opportunities for the global business
community. The economies of
China and New Zealand are highly
complementary, offering vast
cooperation prospects. During his
recent visit, Premier Li Qiang together
with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon
witnessed the signing of multiple
bilateral cooperation documents in
fields such as services trade, business
environment, agricultural and food
exports, science and technology,
patent examination, and migratory
bird protection, injecting strong
momentum for greater development
of China-New Zealand relations in the
new era. We welcome our kiwi friends
to visit China and seek more business
opportunities and partners.
Like New Zealand, China is also a
fascinating tourist destination. With its
vast territory and abundant tourism
resources, China boasts magnificent
mountains and rivers, diverse folk
customs and traditions, unique flora
and fauna, and countless historical
sites. Its distinctive opera, music,
dance, and world-renowned cuisine
attract numerous visitors from around
the globe every year. From the ice
and snow world in the north to the
tropical rainforests in the south, from
the bustling cities in the east to the
majestic plateaus in the west, every
inch of China is blessed with unique
folk customs and cultural charisma,
which worth your visit and savoring.
You can sip tea on the ancient city
wall of Xi’an, tracing the marks of
Chinese ancient history. You can hold
a parasol by West Lake in Hangzhou,
experiencing Chinese poetic romance.
You can enjoy a dance performance in
Old Town of Lijiang in Yunnan Province,
experiencing the unique Naxi ethnic
culture. You can watch the desert
sunset by Crescent Lake in Dunhuang,
feeling the vast and spectacular view of
northwest China. When you get tired,
please take a break and savor Chinese
cuisine. The crispy and tender Beijing
roast duck, the spicy but delicious
Sichuan hotpot, the exquisite Canton
dim sum—each dish showcases the
unique flavors of different regions
in China, adding a special yummy
memory to your journey.
Dear kiwi friends, China’s door is wide
open to you. Once again, we sincerely
invite you to visit China, and we look
forward to you spending a wonderful
time and creating unforgettable
memories in this beautiful land.
This advertisement is paid for by the Chinese Consulate
20
LETTERS
Homeless people are citizens too. They
may be living in the street, because they
are broken or caring. They deserve the
same respect as everyone else.
Sure they shouldn’t be aggressive. But if
they come into your shop because it’s cold
outside maybe offer them a chair to sit on
for a while.
Councillor Jake McLellan sounds like
he’s onto it and is going to do the right
thing (The Star, July 4). I think something
should be done soon by the sound of it.
-Kathy Stanton
Too many roadworks
I hardly ever moan about anything, but I
am utterly annoyed as to how many road
works are happening around Christchurch
at any one time. Honestly, over the last
weekend and all this week I’m pretty sure
I went through at least 20 to 30 jobs happening.
If not more.
Sure, I understand roads, drains, water,
underground utilities, need to be addressed,
but so many at one time? And
then what really gets under my skin is you
drive through and look around to only see
about six to 10 people on site and some
of them just standing around yakking or
their hands in their pockets getting paid
god knows how much. And then over the
weekends, no one working but still all
the cones are still blocking half the road.
Could say more, but that will do.
-R Murray
Rugby failings
I wrote last week about the lack of
splendour in the current way rugby is
played and ruled. The New Zealand v
England game was a clear example of the
inadequacy of the game. This game was a
BEGGING:
The city council
is considering
a bylaw to
prohibit
aggressive
begging.
PHOTO: GETTY
‘Homeless people
deserve respect’
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great battle of attack, defence and counter
attack, but in the end it was decided on
two people, the kickers – or lack thereof.
That’s a true reflection of modern rugby.
As an aside I still find it hard to see why
the scrum and some mauling penalties
were given. Also it was essentially how
the game could have been won or lost. If
nothing else, more free kicks please.
-Alan Trenberth
Beer nostalgia
I’m 43 and absolutely loved Canterbury
Draught (The Star, July 4). Back in my
younger days, I used to drink up at the
Chancery and also played competition
pool on a Wednesday night for the Jolly
Poacher. At the end of the season all the
teams around Christchurch would have
their prizegiving up at the Canterbury
Draught brewery. We’d have a free two
hours drinking put up there for us.
Absolutely great memories. I actually miss
that beer.
-Brent Garlick
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