President of South Africa Attended the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony of Chinese Gateways

Chinese Translation of the Week

On October 11th, South Africa Chinese Community and Police Cooperation Center and Johannesburg Chinatown Management Committee (JCMC) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Chinese Gateways ("Pailou" in Mandarin) of Cyrildene Chinatown in Johannesburg. The South Africa president Jacob Zuma attended the ceremony, and praised the Chinese community for making significant contributions to the economic and cultural exchange between South Africa and China.

新华网约翰内斯堡１０月１１日电（记者郭兴华 于大波） 南非华人警民合作中心和约翰内斯堡唐人街管委会１１日在西罗町唐人街举行了中华牌楼剪彩仪式，南非总统祖马出席仪式，并称赞华人社区为促进南中两国经济、文化交流作出了重要贡献。

This article has been translated from Chinese. Click here to read the original version on Xinhua News.

In his speech, Zuma said that the Chinese population had a rapid growth in the past two decades, and the economy in South Africa also benefited from them. The diligence and hard work of Chinese immigrants has made great contributions to the economic growth in South Arica. The Chinese community is not only an important bond between South Africa and China, but also a great underpinning of further mutual cooperation. The establishment of Chinese Gateway embodies the Chinese spirit of pioneering and striving, as well as their willingness and determination for long-term developments in South Africa.

Wu Shaokang, the director of Chinese CPF, said that the Cyrildene Chinatown had been developing since 1995. So far there are 167 shops and more than 35,000 Chinese living in this area. With unremitting endeavor for seven years, the Chinese community finally established this Gateway as the biggest one in entire Africa. It embodies the Chinese culture getting rooted and merged into the diverse culture of South Africa. He also said that the local Chinese people would continue striving for a better community in the future.

According to Zhu Qin, the Charge d'affaires of Chinese Embassy in South Africa, the local Chinese devote themselves to promoting economic growth of South Africa with years of arduous pioneering. They actively contribute to the community, improve local employment, and achieve the integration of "Chinese dream" and "South African dream." The Gateway is a milestone for China-South Africa friendship, and also represents a brighter future of bilateral relations.

Chen Huanquan, the deputy director of JCMC and the manager of Gateway construction project, introduced that the two Gateways on each end of the street cost nearly $600,000 in total with all key components imported from China. The height of the major Gateway is 21.5 meters, and width 27.5 meters.

Li Xinzhu, the president of the All-Africa Association for Peaceful Reunification of China, said that the government of Johannesburg planned the Cyrildene Chinatown as a featured Chinese cultural and commercial district. It has become the landmark for tourists and citizens to experience Chinese cuisines and cultural heritage.

Article translated by Laiyin Yuan, Staff Intern for the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Wilson Center.

Photo courtesy of World People.