There is a three-meter-high bronze statue of Rewi Alley, an international friend from New Zealand, on the shore of the Honghu Lake. With a camera in the right hand and a bamboo hat in the left hand, he looks far into the mighty Yangtze River. More than 80 years ago, he disembarked from a pier not far from here to help the people in the Soviet area of Honghu to fight floods, forging deep friendship with locals. 

Rewi Alley is a great international fighter, as well as one of the ten most beloved international friends of the Chinese people. He spent 60 years of his life in China and came to Honghu five times in half a century. He, of one mind with the people of Honghu, is a "migratory bird" that regarded Honghu as his hometown.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand, as well as the 125th anniversary of the birth of Rewi Alley. With the support and engagement of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of New Zealand in China, the Hubei Provincial People's Government and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries jointly hosted a slate of celebrations and commemorative activities during Hubei-New Zealand Week that opened in Wuhan on November 14.

Zhao Haishan, Vice Governor of the Hubei Provincial People's Government, said in his address that Hubei and New Zealand have longstanding relations, and the event was held in memory of Hubei's international friends and deepen the friendship between the two sides. He hoped that, through this event, the two sides would further consolidate and enhance cooperation between Hubei and New Zealand in fields such as agriculture and animal husbandry, further expand economic and trade cooperation, deepen sister city contacts, and strengthen exchanges in education, scientific research, culture, tourism and other fields.

Grahame Morton, Ambassador of New Zealand to China, addresses the opening ceremony

Grahame Morton, Ambassador of New Zealand to China, attended the opening ceremony via video link. She said Hubei-New Zealand Week is a good way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and China. New Zealand and China have made constant progress in a wide range of fields such as trade, investment, education, science and research, climate change, tourism, and especially people-to-people exchanges, and Hubei plays an important place in relations between the two countries.

"Rewi Alley in China" Picture Exhibition

As important part of Hubei-New Zealand Week, a virtual visit will take place concurrently under the theme of "Approaching the Migratory Bird to Honghu, Searching for the Spirit of Internationalism". The event is hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of Hubei Provincial People's Government, and organized by the Hubei Youth Federation, the Jingzhou Youth Federation and the Honghu Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League.