Reuters/CCTV. World leaders and heads of international organizations have sent Chinese New Year greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and the Chinese people as the country prepares to usher in the Year of the Horse.
Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that over the past year, the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has maintained sound momentum, and in 2026, the two countries will jointly launch the "Russia-China Year of Education."
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said his country was ready to expand cooperation with China and to work together to build a Brazil-China community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa is willing to work with China to further strengthen cooperation and contribute positively to world peace and development.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud praised the friendly relations between the two countries and expressed willingness to work with China to advance cooperation in all fields.
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan extended sincere congratulations and best wishes to President Xi, wishing China continued development and progress.
General secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith expressed confidence that the Chinese people will successfully embark on a new journey to fulfill the 15th Five-Year Plan.
Cambodian People's Party President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his firm belief that the Year of the Horse will add luster to the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China, injecting strong momentum into deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and advancing the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that under the visionary leadership of President Xi, China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in modernization, innovation, and global cooperation.
He said Pakistan firmly supports the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi and will continue to deepen all-round strategic cooperation between the two countries, jointly advancing toward a bright future of enduring friendship and shared prosperity.
The 2026 Spring Festival Gala hosted and aired by the China Media Group (CMG) delivered a more than four-hour-long feast of captivating cultural performances and entertaining variety acts to audiences tuning in from all around the world as people celebrated the arrival of the Chinese New Year on Tuesday.
Themed "The Steed Gallops, Momentum Unstoppable," the gala opened at 20:00 Monday Beijing time and saw performances being staged at the main venue in Beijing and at four sub-venues set up across the country, as people prepared to welcome the Year of the Horse.
Taking the grand show to a different set of locations each year has now become a tradition for the gala, shining a spotlight on more of China's varied landscapes and cultural traditions.
This year, the gala sub-venues included Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China known as the "ice city," Yiwu in east China's Zhejiang, which has been dubbed "the world's supermarket," Hefei, the provincial capital of the eastern Anhui Province which has emerged as a hub for sci-tech innovation, and Yibin in the southwestern Sichuan Province, known for its ancient architecture and picturesque scenery along the banks of the Yangtze River.
As always, the gala featured a carefully curated line-up of performances, including a host of stirring songs and dazzling dances, enchanting operas, comedic sketches, magic shows and a number of creative fusion performances, all of which highlighted the spirit of the new era, capturing the dynamic beauty of China's future.
This year's gala drew on China's traditional culture and incorporated the spirit of the horse, a symbol of self-improvement and striving forward, into its creative design.
The gala has increasingly taken on a high-tech feel in recent years and among the highlights this year was the appearance of advanced AI-embodied robots, who dazzled audiences with their innovative stage presence and impressive physical abilities, particularly during a highly-energetic Kung Fu performance.
Meanwhile, the CMG's artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) real-scene special effects technology made its debut with its first innovative application as part of this year's show, highlighting China's technological advances.
The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional holiday for the Chinese people, and watching the Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan," on is a cherished part of the celebrations in hundreds of millions of Chinese homes.
Since first being broadcast in 1983, the gala has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.
The Spring Festival itself was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.
