Yangon，January 22，2023（AseanAll）On January 21,2023,  the Chinese New Year's Eve, Senior General Min Aung Lai, Chairman of the Myanmar National Management Commission, Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Forces, led a number of senior government and military personnel to attend the closing ceremony of 2023 Chinese New Year commemorative friendship basketball matches and Chinese New Year(Spring Festival)celebrations in Yangon.

According to the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, this is the first time for a Myanmar leader to attend Myanmar-China Spring Festival activities.

Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai and other major diplomats attended the event. Lin Wenmeng, President of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce of Myanmar, Lin Baoquan, President of the Basketball Association of Myanmar, Liu Ying, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Chinese Enterprises in Myanmar, and overseas Chinese nationals in Myanmar attended the event.

After the ribbons were cut by the guests from China and Myanmar, Chairman Min Aung Lai and Ambassador Chen Hai jointly pressed the glass ball button to officially launch the New Year celebration. Chen Hai presented the mascot of the 2023 "Happy Spring Festival" Year of the Rabbit and white rabbit candy to Chairman Min Aung Lai. Min Aung Lai paid New Year greetings to the people of the two countries.

The performances of dragon and lion dance, martial arts and stilts in the overseas Chinese community in Myanmar won bursts of applause. The Chinese Zodiac Culture Exhibition presented by the Yangon Chinese Cultural Center focuses on the cultural heritage of the rabbit zodiac. Calligraphers from the Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Association of Myanmar presented Spring Festival couplets and blessing characters on the spot. People from the two countries taste Chinese food in Yangon Chinatown.

Guests from China and Myanmar jointly watched the two friendly matches between the basketball team of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and the top military and former members of the Myanmar basketball team in this basketball match. The matches were brilliant and showed their level and style.

The hot New Year's Eve dinner begins. The dinner kicked off with a lion dance for the New Year and a lion wake-up ceremony.

Chairman Min Aung Lai delivered a speech and said that he was very happy to participate in the celebration of the Chinese New Year in Myanmar. Myanmar and China have a long history of friendly exchanges and profound friendship. Overseas Chinese have taken root in Myanmar and worked together with the people of all ethnic groups in Myanmar. China is an important neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner of Myanmar, which Myanmar cherishes very much. 

"On the occasion of the Chinese New Year , I would like to send my best wishes to the overseas Chinese in Myanmar, all Chinese people and overseas Chinese around the world,"Min Aung Lai said.

Ambassador Chen Hai delivered a speech welcoming Chairman Min Aung Lai and other Myanmar dignitaries to attend the celebration of the Chinese New Year in Myanmar, and sent the blessings of the Chinese Lunar New Year to the overseas Chinese and the people of all ethnic groups in Myanmar. 

Chen said that in the new year, we would like to work with Myanmar to continue to inherit the friendship between Myanmar and Myanmar, deepen exchanges and cooperation in all fields, and continue to promote the construction of a community of shared destiny between China and Myanmar, so as to better benefit the people of both countries.

Lin Wenmeng, President of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce of Myanmar, delivered a speech, wishing the people of Myanmar and China a happy holiday, and wishing the friendship between Myanmar and China everlasting.

The Myanmar Chinese Women's Association and other groups performed the Chinese folk dance "Happy Chinese Year", the Chinese folk music ensemble "Liang Zhu", and the  Chinese Zither（guzheng） solo "Good Spring Light". Myanmar singers sing Chinese songs such as "Sweet Honey". The celebration ended successfully in the chorus "Song of China-Myanmar Friendship" by the three generations of Myanmar-Chinese aged, middle-aged and young.

Overseas Chinese living in Myanmar have a long history and a large number of overseas Chinese living in Myanmar. The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Yunnan Guild Hall, Fujian Association and other large overseas Chinese societies are established. The overseas Chinese community in Myanmar and China has always held Spring Festival celebrations. In recent years, they have held "Splendid Chinatown" to welcome Chinese New Year. This event is the first large-scale Spring Festival celebration held by the overseas Chinese community in Myanmar and China after the COVID-19 epidemic, which has received warm welcome and active support from all walks of life in China and Myanmar.