PR96159

ZHUHAI, China, May 24, 2022 /Xinhua＝KYODO JBN/--

On May 23, an online concert, themed "Melodies over Seas and Mountains", was

jointly held in both Zhuhai Opera House and the Royal Concertgebouw, to

commemorate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and

the Netherlands. As music danced through continents and oceans, Zhuhai and

Amsterdam were connected more than ever, celebrating deep friendship, and

looking forward to a better future built and shared with each other, according

to Information Office of Zhuhai Municipal People's Government.

There are 13 performances, including jazz, piano solo, wind music, chorus,

fusion music, and many others. The concert featured world-class musicians and

artists from the two countries - Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, Sinfonia

Rotterdam, Zhuhai Golden Jazz Orchestra, Chinese singer Liu Yutong, Chinese

Drama Plum Blossom Award winners Ou Kaiming and Qiong Xia, etc. The organizer

called it "a musical conversation with the most pronounced local

characteristics that transcended time and space".

"Many elements of Lingnan culture and the city of Zhuhai blossomed in the

concert," said Yan Jihong, the chief director of the concert, "We strive to

present Zhuhai, a city of youth and vitality, to the world."

The evening feast for the ears kicked off with Petals Falling from Sky, a

classical Cantonese song. Many original songs composed by Zhuhai musicians were

also introduced, unveiling the charm of the special economic zone that is

modern, coastal, and international.

Sinfonia Rotterdam performed My Motherland, a well-known patriotic song in

China. Zhuhai Golden Jazz Orchestra started in-depth cooperation with Sinfonia

Rotterdam to foster young musical talents in China. Notably, this would be the

first attempt by Nederlands Blazers Ensemble - which enjoys a global reputation

- to extend their prime art education beyond the border of the Netherlands.

As early as 400 years ago, China and the Netherlands had already started

economic, trade, and cultural exchanges through the Maritime Silk Road. The two

countries established diplomatic relations at the Charge d'affaires level in

November 1954, which was upgraded to the ambassadorial level in May 1972. For

the past 50 years, the close relationship - under multilateral frameworks and

systems such as the United Nations - has born plentiful fruits in promoting

economic cooperation, science and technology, sustainable development, and

world peace.

Zhuhai's increasingly close ties with Utrecht, the fourth-largest city in

the Netherlands with a profound historic and cultural heritage, are a

demonstration of the ever-growing China-Netherlands friendship. As a vital

bridge for China to connect with the rest of the world, Zhuhai started the

friendly exchanges with Utrecht in November 2013. In the following years, the

two cities deepened the collaboration in investment, trade, science and

technology, culture, tourism, education, healthcare, etc. Ninestar Corporation

from Zhuhai set up its Europe sales center there. In 2019, The Charm of Zhuhai,

a photo exhibition was held in Utrecht, inviting the locals to appreciate the

city's unique qualities, culture, and history.

Statistics reveal that the volume of bilateral trade and investment between

China and the Netherlands has increased in recent years. It's fair to conclude

that the Netherlands is China's gateway to cooperation with Europe. Looking

forward, Zhuhai and Utrecht are ready to jointly hit a higher note in their

song of friendship. Through cultural and people-to-people exchanges, the

connected hearts of people in the two countries will become the living water of

our bilateral relations, which will make greater contributions to the

development of China-EU and China-Netherlands relations.

Source: Information Office of Zhuhai Municipal People's Government