Chinese ambassador Chen Chuandong hosts National Day reception
Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Chen Chuandong hosted a reception at the Phoenicia Hotel marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Lebanon.
Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny attended on behalf of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The ceremony also brought together senior officials, ministers, MPs, security representatives, ambassadors and diplomatic, media and social figures.
Following the Lebanese and Chinese national anthems, Ambassador Chen highlighted China’s economic development and Beijing’s stated approach to Middle East security, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, dialogue-based conflict resolution, regional ownership of security decisions, and linking development to stability. He also reiterated China’s position that the Palestinian issue remains central to achieving lasting regional peace.
Speaking on behalf of Aoun, Salam and the Lebanese Republic, Rasamny congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people, saying the 55-year relationship between Lebanon and China had evolved from friendship into practical cooperation.
Rasamny praised China’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, as well as its contribution to reconstruction and development. He said Lebanon hoped cooperation would expand to recovery efforts in war-affected areas, particularly South Lebanon.
He cited a newly signed development cooperation agreement and China’s donation of 100 buses to Lebanon’s Railway and Public Transport Authority as tangible examples of bilateral cooperation, while also pointing to the National Higher Conservatory of Music as a cultural dimension of the partnership.
Turning to transport and connectivity, Rasamny said Lebanon was working to reactivate Kleyat Airport and advance plans to reconnect Tripoli Port by rail through Akkar to the Syrian network and onward to the Arab hinterland.
Between the north and the south, and between the Mediterranean and the Arab depth, we want Lebanon to recover one of its most important advantages: to be a space of connection, Rasamny said.
He added that Lebanon’s participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, its eastern Mediterranean location and its links to the Arab world could position it as a gateway for broader Asian, regional and Mediterranean connectivity.
The objective is not to restore the routes of the past, but to build together the corridors of the future, he said.
Rasamny concluded by expressing confidence in a more ambitious Lebanese-Chinese partnership capable of opening new opportunities for both countries.
The reception also featured Chinese folkloric performances.
