Greece Immigration Focus on Greece: On the afternoon of May 31, at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Greece, the first contestant to take the stage was so young that she did not know how to climb onto the low stage. Seeing this, Zou Xiaoli, the Chinese Ambassador to Greece sitting in the front row, stepped forward and carried the little girl onto the stage.
On the eve of the “June 1” International Children's Day, 121 Chinese children living in Greece and several Greek children learning Chinese came to the Chinese Embassy in Greece to participate in the finals of the first “China Cup” Children's Talent Competition. The vast majority of these children are from the Athens Chinese School and the Greek Overseas Chinese School, with the oldest being 14 years old and the youngest only 3.
Over the course of more than two hours, the children competed in categories including calligraphy, painting, composition, singing, dancing, recitation, and a knowledge quiz. Performances of pieces such as the “Three Character Classic,” “Chile Song,” “Memories of Jiangnan,” “Young China,” “Tomorrow Will Be Better,” “Hug Me If You Love Me,” and “The Little Mushroom Picker” brought the audience's thoughts back to the vast land of China thousands of miles away.
He Weixing, who does business in Greece, brought his three children to participate in the event. He said that while his children attend an international school in the suburbs, he sends them to the Chinese school in the city center every Saturday because their roots are in China, and their future studies and careers will inevitably be linked to China.
Gu Tao and her Greek husband, Konstantinos Zivas, attended the competition with their two sons. Gu Tao said that their 5-year-old eldest son, Stathis, has been attending the Chinese school since he was 3 and has made rapid progress, now able to communicate with her in Chinese. She said she not only wants her two sons to learn Chinese but also intends for them to join the military in China when they grow up. Zivas remarked that while the Greek economy is currently sluggish, China's economic outlook is very broad, and their entire family loves both China and the Chinese language. Gu Tao also revealed a bit of good news that Zivas did not yet know: Stathis's painting won the first prize in the 3-to-8-year-old age group.
Sotiris Papadrou, who brought his two daughters to the dance finals, said the reason he lets them learn Chinese is simple: “Their mother is Chinese, so of course they should learn their mother tongue.” His 9-year-old daughter, Eleni, and 7-year-old daughter, Angela, performed a duet ballet that won the first prize in the dance category.
Ambassador Zou Xiaoli's wife, Counselor Ning Yi, who served as a judge, said: “I was surprised by the high level of the children's Chinese proficiency, and their performances were very engaging. The dance pieces were diverse, including Chinese dance, ballet, and Greek dance. These all left a very deep impression on me.”
In his closing speech, Ambassador Zou Xiaoli stated that caring for the next generation and building overseas livelihood projects is an important task entrusted to the embassy by the Chinese government, adding, “The children of our compatriots are the future of the overseas Chinese community and the future of China-Greece friendship. Caring for them is caring for our own future.”
Zou Xiaoli said to the children: “For many of you, this is the first time you have stepped into the Chinese Embassy in Greece, the first time you have stood facing the Five-Star Red Flag to sing the national anthem, the first time you have stood on such a stage to display your talents, and the first time you have held a golden trophy in your hands. These moments will leave deep and beautiful impressions on your early childhood.”
The first “China Cup” Children's Talent Competition was co-hosted by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Greece, the Athens Chinese School, the Greek Overseas Chinese School, the Hellenic Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Overseas Chinese in Greece, the “China-Greece Times,” and the Zhongxi Net.