H.E. Hu Heping, Executive Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Minister of Culture and Tourism of China;

Mr. Mao Yu, Executive Deputy Director General, Bureau of Films, the Department of the CPC Central Committee;

Mr. Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture;

Ms. Hajia Zainab Ali-Biu, Leader of the Delegation from Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy;

Ms. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, Secretary to the State Government of Lagos;

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends:

Good evening to everyone!

I am delighted to be gathered here with all of you to witness the China Film Festival Opening Ceremony.

Both China and Nigeria are ancient civilizations, with abundant historical and cultural heritage, providing fertile soil and vitality for the two countries’ artistic and literary creation, including film-making.

The Chinese film-making industry has its origin at the early 20th century, and over the past century, Chinese cinema has evolved step by step from silent dramas and black-and-white films to high-tech, large-scale giant-screen movies, showing to the world a panoramic view of the Chinese people’s lifestyle, aesthetic thoughts, and sentiments of family and nation.

And in Nigeria, with the socioeconomic development in recent years, the Nigerian film-making industry, also known as the NollyWood, has risen rapidly. Nigeria’s production of films ranks among the top in the world, not only creating a huge economic miracle, but also providing an important window for the world to get to know and understand Nigeria.

Nowadays, when many Nigerian friends talk about China, they come up with elements such as Kungfu, Chinese Dragon, giant panda and red lantern as seen in Chinese movies. Through Nigerian movies, many Chinese people have also learned about Nigeria’s Afrobeat, Joloff Rice, and the Nigeria national football team, Super Eagles. The people of our two countries have crossed thousands of miles of mountains and oceans, by the light of the movies, and have become families that know and appreciate each other.

The prosperity of civilization and human progress will not be possible without enhancing common ground, openness and inclusiveness as well as exchange and mutual learning and reserving differences among them. As the Chinese philosophers say, “Appreciate the culture of others as do to one’s own, and the world will become a harmonious whole.” Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out at the opening ceremony of 8th FOCAC (Forum on China-Africa Cooperation) Ministerial Conference, that China would work closely with African countries to implement the Nine Programs. One of the Nine Programs is the cultural and people-to-people exchange program, with which we will hold African film festivals in China and Chinese film festivals in Africa.

And in March of this year, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative for the first time. President Xi thus made a sincere appeal to the world, to promote in-depth civilization exchanges and dialogues, and to advance the progress of human civilization through inclusiveness and mutual appreciation. The Global Civilization Initiative has contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the promotion of a higher level of international cooperation.

This year’s China Film Festival in Lagos, Nigeria, aims to practice the Global Civilization Initiative, to implement the China-Africa cultural and people-to-people exchange program. This Film Festival is also to strengthen China-Nigeria cultural exchanges and film-making cooperation, so as to share Chinese harmony and perform Nigeria-China symphony, and enhance the mutual comprehension between our two countries.

Ladies and Gentlemen, an ancient Chinese poem says, “With a glance at the visage of vernal breeze, and I know, A thousand flowers of purple and red set spring aglow.” I hope that, taking the China Film Festival as an opportunity, the flowers of Chinese and Nigerian civilization will blossom in the new era, and that the garden of world civilizations will flourish even better!

I wish the China Film Festival a great success!

Thank you all!