"For eternal friendship" - this was the motto of the evening in which H. E. Mr. Dong Xiaojun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Bulgaria, and his wife Mrs. Xia Zhishun said "Goodbye" to Bulgaria and the Bulgarians. On 29 November, in the Opal Hall of the Ramada Hotel in Sofia, ministers, ambassadors, politicians, cultural figures, journalists and all the people who had the chance to be in contact in recent years with this brilliant diplomat and extremely dignified man, were present to honor their farewell reception. For a long time, or rather always, we will remember Ambassador Dong Xiaojun - for the breadth of his ideas, for the foresight of his plans, for the perfect implementation of his projects, for his great and sincere love for Bulgaria.

His Excellency had indeed an impressive mandate in our country, in which, despite the pandemic of COVID-19, he managed to promote China even more and to raise Bulgarian-Chinese relations to an unprecedented high level.

During his years in Bulgaria, our "Diplomatic Spectrum" enjoyed his warm friendship and fruitful cooperation. We have published dozens of articles regarding his more prominent initiatives, as well as two memorable, in-depth interviews on his priorities and activities as Ambassador to our country, which can be read HERE and HERE.

The best idea of what H. E. Mr. Dong Xiaojun has done in Bulgaria can be undestood from his extremely emotional speech, which impressed all the guests at the reception. Here it is:

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends:

Dobur Vecher！Good evening! Thank you for your kind presence at our farewell reception.

My wife and I have spent 4 years and 9 months in Bulgaria -- the beautiful land of roses, which we have also fondly named "the treasure land" since our arrival in February 2019. I want to tell you a secret - so far, I am the longest serving Chinese ambassador to Bulgaria, and I am very proud of it.

I am delighted to see that, with the joint efforts of our two sides, remarkable progress has been made in China-Bulgaria relations. I want to mention specifically His Excellency President Rumen Radev’s successful state visit to China in 2019. I had the privilege to witness the historic moment when the two presidents jointly announced the establishment of strategic partnership between China and Bulgaria, opening a new chapter in our bilateral relations.

Over the past years, I have been exerting my utmost efforts in enhancing friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between China and Bulgaria in every field, which has yielded fruitful results. Here, I just cite a few examples: The Demonstration Zone of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European countries has developed steadily. The Luban Workshop in Bulgaria was successfully inaugurated. The annual trade volume between our two countries has grown from 2.6 billion US Dollars in 2018 to 4.1 billion US Dollars in 2022, an increase of up to 60%.

Over the past years, I have been deeply impressed by the longstanding traditional friendship between our two countries. I was impressed by the enthusiasm of our friends from all walks of life in offering their suggestions and ideas for further exchanges and cooperation in various fields during a meeting organized by the House of China-Bulgaria Friendship. I was impressed by the grand scale of participation in the first Dragon Boat Cultural Festival held in June this year in Pancharevo, with nearly ten thousand people participating in or visiting the two-day event.

Over the past years, I have visited about 20 regions in Bulgaria, for official visit and interesting events. I was twice invited to the Rose Festival in Kazanlak and the Yogurt Festival in Momchilovtsi, and I have also had the pleasure of visiting many other cultural and festive events. I have to mention something very Bulgarian, that is Horo Dance. The rhythm of Horo is so cheerful, and the warm invitation from the Bulgarian people is really irresistible. Although I am all-thumbs when it comes to dancing, I do enjoy joining the dances. My wife often teased me that I was jumping rather than dancing, and she was right. Yes, in the crowd, she danced beautifully and I jumped joyfully. These are just some of the unforgettable memories of our life in Bulgaria.

I am deeply convinced that China-Bulgaria relationship enjoys a strong political foundation and solid popular support. There is a strong desire to further deepen bilateral relations both at the central and the local level, and by both officials and the common people. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to the Government and the people of Bulgaria, as well as to all my friends, partners and colleagues for their strong support to the smooth performance of my duties in Bulgaria.

Next year, we will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bulgaria. We hope that both sides will take this occasion as an important opportunity to further strengthen cooperation, tap into potentials, and will make unremitting efforts to build better China-Bulgaria relations.

As an ancient Chinese poem goes, "Green hills immerse in the same cloud and rain. The same moon lights up towns however far away." No matter where we are, we will always have Bulgaria in our hearts, and we will, as always, support the development of China-Bulgaria relations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

In a few days, my wife and I will be leaving Bulgaria. But there are so many things that we are reluctant to part with. We will miss Bulgaria's time-honored and splendid culture; we will miss the majestic Musala Peak, the beautiful Seven Rila Lakes, as well as all the mountains, rivers and landscapes where we have left our footprints; we will miss the warm and hospitable people in Bulgaria. What we will miss the most is our precious friendship that has been forged over the years.  We will return to China with fond memories of Bulgaria and the deep friendship with all of you. In saying goodbye, we look forward to meeting you again, in China, in Bulgaria, or elsewhere on this planet.

Now, please join us in a toast,

- to the greater prosperity of Bulgaria and well-being of its people,

- to the everlasting friendship between China and Bulgaria,

- and to the health and success of everyone present tonight!

Thank you!

It is a short and powerful summary of the mandate of an ambassador who worked with heart and soul "For the eternal friendship" between Bulgaria and China.

"Diplomatic Spectrum" wishes him and his wife health, happiness and many more professional successes!

The photos were provided by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Above: H. E. Mr. Dong Xiaojun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Bulgaria