On the evening of the 18th local time, the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held the 2023 Guimao Rabbit Spring Festival reception at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. More than 300 guests, including the Special Representative of the Director-General of UNESCO, the Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Priority and External Relations in Africa, Yang Jin, the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Permanent Representative of all countries to UNESCO and the officials of the UNESCO Secretariat, gathered to celebrate the traditional Chinese festival. In his speech, Yang Jin extended New Year greetings to all guests. He said that at the time when the hopeful bell of the Year of the Rabbit is about to ring, China is fully resuming the momentum of opening up and development, and further fulfilling its commitment to work with the people of all countries to create a better future for mankind. Yang Jin pointed out that China attaches great importance to the close cooperation and friendship established over the years with the permanent missions of all countries to UNESCO and the UNESCO secretariat. China is willing to take the coming of the Year of the Rabbit as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with all parties, better practice true multilateralism, and jointly contribute to the noble cause of UNESCO and the construction of a prosperous world for mankind. Madoga expressed his wishes for the Chinese New Year in Chinese "Happy New Year". He said that with the joint efforts of the two sides, the strategic cooperation between China and UNESCO has reached a new level every year, and conforms to the meaning of Ruitu - longevity, peace, prosperity and goodwill. Madogo particularly thanked China for its support for global education reform, Professor Peng Liyuan, the First Lady of China and UNESCO's Special Envoy for the Promotion of Girls' and Women's Education, for her commitment to global girls' and women's education, and for China's active participation in UNESCO's pioneering projects in response to the COVID-19. He stressed that UNESCO was working with China to promote global education development, protect cultural heritage and mitigate climate change, and hoped that international cooperation and multilateralism would bring more prosperity and hope to the world, UNESCO and China in the new year. That night, Chinese palace lanterns, Chinese New Year couplets, paper-cut characters, Chinese knots and other Chinese elements filled the reception site, which was full of strong New Year flavor. The guests also enjoyed the zither, piano and solo performances together. At the event site, French artists Remy Aron, Mattherine and Natalie Mille also presented Chinese Spring Festival oil paintings to the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (Xinhua News Agency)