CMG holds 'Prelude to the Spring Festival Gala' event in Egypt

China Media Group (CMG) held the Egypt session of the "Prelude to the Spring Festival Gala: The World Watches the CMG Gala Together" event in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Friday, drawing over 200 guests from political, academic and media sectors from China and Egypt.

Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and president of CMG, delivered a video address underscoring the growing global appreciation of the Spring Festival and related Chinese traditions.

Shen said the Spring Festival is a symbol of China's millennia-old civilization and a spiritual bond connecting Chinese people worldwide. Nowadays, nearly 20 countries and regions officially recognize the Spring Festival as a public holiday, and about one-fifth of the global population celebrates it in various forms. This cultural tradition has drawn people closer to China, allowing them to experience the shared values embodied in it – family harmony, social inclusivity, and the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature.

As the most watched annual cultural event, the CMG Spring Festival Gala has been held for 43 consecutive years and become a "spiritual Spring Festival reunion dinner" resonating with Chinese communities and audiences worldwide, Shen said. The 2026 gala, themed "Galloping Steed, Onward Unstoppable," will fully leverage CMG's advanced capabilities in broadcasting across 82 languages and its cutting-edge technological innovations in "5G+4K/8K+AI" to create an immersive cultural experience for audiences worldwide.

Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang commended CMG for bringing the event to Egypt, which has opened a window for Egyptian and Arab people to experience Chinese culture, and also bridged the peoples of China and Egypt, fostering deeper understanding and closer ties.

In traditional Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes progress and hope. Liao reiterated that China and Egypt will continue to work together, with the same determination and energy as the horse, to advance bilateral relations and contribute to global peace and prosperity.

Ambassador Amr Hamzah, assistant foreign minister for Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, said the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries continues to improve and upgrade, highlighting the fruitful cooperation in political, economic, and cultural fields.

As the year of 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Egypt diplomatic relations, he expressed belief that both countries will deepen collaboration and promote bilateral ties to new heights. The "Prelude to the Spring Festival Gala" event will strongly promote the cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Egypt and China, as well as enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Essam Sharaf, former prime minister of Egypt, said the spirit reflected by the Year of the Horse, which is strength, progress and vitality, aligns with the flourishing growth of China-Egypt relations. He wished that both countries join hands and move toward a brighter future.

The event featured a series of activities. In the segment of exhibiting horse elements, experts from Peking University and Shanghai International Studies University shared the symbolic and cultural significance of horses in both Chinese and Egyptian civilizations. The guests also painted horses, using brush and ink to convey their best wishes for the Year of the Horse.