Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Zheng Zeguang and his wife, Counsellor Hua Mei, hosted a Chinese New Year reception at the embassy in London on Friday, bringing together the Chinese community, business representatives, students and guests from across the UK.

In his keynote address, Ambassador Zheng reviewed China's major accomplishments over the past year and highlighted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent milestone visit to China. He noted that during their meeting, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Starmer reached important consensus on advancing a long-term, stable and comprehensive strategic partnership, lighting the way for the future development of bilateral relations.

Emphasizing mutual respect and the need to rise above differences, the ambassador expressed hope that both sides would show the courage and stamina of the Year of the Horse to open new chapters for cooperation.

He expressed appreciation to overseas Chinese, Chinese enterprises and students in the UK for their efforts in advancing development, cultural exchange and bilateral friendship, encouraging them to continue bringing the two countries closer together.

Among the guests, pianist Xiao Di, a professor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, said she is encouraged by the growing momentum in China–UK relations and the rising interest in Chinese culture in Britain. She sees artistic exchange as a powerful channel for closer ties and plans to organize more exchanges between young piano students from the two countries.

Ending his remarks with New Year greetings, Zheng said the embassy would always be a warm harbour for all Chinese nationals in the UK — a message that resonated with many in the audience.

The evening also featured performances of traditional music, including the erhu and pipa, alongside vocal pieces, creating a lively, gala-like atmosphere and offering a festive taste of the Spring Festival to those celebrating far from home.