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Chairman’s Speech at the Press Conference on the 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games

10, March 21, 2007, at the Minor Auditorium on the fourth floor of the Nanjiao Hotel Club

Huang Zecun:Director of the Publicity Office of the Provincial Party Committee and of the Press Office of the Provincial Government

Huang Zecun:Ladies and gentlemen, and friends,

Huang Zecun:Good morning!

Huang Zecun:There are 55 minority nationalities with a population of about 670,000, distributed in various counties (cities and districts) and various walks of life of the whole province. Both the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government attach great importance to nationalities work and the development of the minority nationalities sports.

Huang Zecun:The minority nationalities traditional sports activities have experienced three phrases---from exploration to arrangement, from promotion to popularization and from popularization to improvement.

Huang Zecun:At present, minority nationalities traditional sports activities are being carried out competitively and the broad masses of people obviously have a greater enthusiasm in participation and more consciousness of health.

Huang Zecun:Minority nationalities traditional sports competitions have become a carrier and platform for carrying forward our national culture, increasing communication between nationalities, and constructing a new socialist ethnic relationship of equality, solidarity, progress and harmony.

Huang Zecun:In order to meet the holding of the 8th National Minority Nationalities Traditional Games, the 43rd governors''''''''working meeting called by the Provincial Government on 25, February, decided the 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games will be held in Dezhou.

Huang Zecun:In order to give a good publicity to the Games, today we have invited Mr Ma Yinping, Deputy Director of the Provincial Nationalities Affairs Committee and Man Chunzhong, Deputy Mayor of Dezhou, to give a briefing on things related and to answer journalists’ questions.

Huang Zecun:Present at the conference are journalists from Shandong branches of the central media, and of Hong Kong media, from the provincial media, from the major media in Jinan and Dezhou.

Huang Zecun:First, we have Mr Ma Yinping, Deputy Director of the Provincial Nationalities Affairs Committee give us a briefing on the 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games, Minority Nationalities Traditional Games in general, and the athletic events.

a Yinping:Guests, friends from the press, and comrades,

Ma Yinping:Good afternoon! I''''''''m glad to have invited you to the press conference on the 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games. The conference is organized by the Press Office of our Provincial Government and hosted by the Provincial Nationalities Affairs Committee and the Provincial Physical Education and Sports Bureau.

Ma Yinping:Now, I''''''''ll give you a briefing on the Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games on behalf of the Provincial Nationalities Affairs Committee and the Provincial Physical Education and Sports Bureau.

Ma Yinping:1. An overview of the National Minority Nationalities Traditional Games

Ma Yinping:The minority nationalities traditional sports have a profound historical and cultural background, rich in ethnic flavor, excellent techniques and unique forms. These sports reflect the history, culture, customs and productive activities of the minority nationalities from different perspectives.

Ma Yinping:The sports also represent the colorful and brilliant culture and the healthy style and features of the minority nationalities. It is not only an essential way to strengthen the body, but also an effective means to exchange feelings and strengthen communication. Among the various nationalities affairs, the Minority Nationalities Games can be regarded as the earliest and most continuous.

Ma Yinping:Up to now, the Minority Nationalities Games have been held seven times and the 8th Games with 15 events will be held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, from 10th to 18th of November, this year.

Ma Yinping:2. The overall situation of the provincial minority nationalities traditional sports

Ma Yinping:The minority traditional sports activities have a long history and an extensive popular foundation with distinctive features. Thanks to the attention of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government, the minority nationalities traditional sports activities have experienced three phrases---from exploration to arrangement, from promotion to popularization and from popularization to improvement.

Ma Yinping:Therefore, both the health condition and the athletic competence of the minority nationalities all over our province have been enhanced steadily. The socialist ethnic relationship of equality, solidarity, mutual help and harmony has been consolidated and developed constantly.

Ma Yinping:3. Some basic information on the 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games

Ma Yinping:With the sanction of the Provincial Government, the 7th Provincial Minority nationalities Traditional Games, hosted by the Provincial Nationalities Affairs Committee and the Provincial Physical Education and Sports Bureau, will be held in Dezhou from 25th to 29th of April, 2007.

The badge of the Games is round in shape. The symbol of the badge is transformed from the two capital letters M and Z in the pinyin Min Zu, meaning "nationalities" in Chinese.

Ma Yinping:These two letters are combined to form the Chinese character mountain in the form of cursive hand, a type of Chinese writing style. Moreover, the Chinese character mountain is written with its first stroke resembling the Arabic number "7", which implies the 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games is a grand meeting of the minority nationalities all over our province. The gradual change of the bright and traditional color is intended to show the mutual prosperity of all nationalities and their unity.  
 
The Games have two programs--- the competition program and the performance program. The competition program contains nine events such as pearl ball, swing, top-playing, archery and martial arts. The performance events are to be recommended by each city and approved by the hosting units.

Ma Yinping:There will be delegations from 17 cities and one delegation from Jinan University participating in the Games, with an estimation of 1700 people including sportsmen, judges and working staff. All the sportsmen should be of minority nationalities except that, in the pearl pall event, each delegation could have two sportsmen of Han nationality.

Ma Yinping:The number of the events and sportsmen of the Games surpass all of the previous ones on an unprecedented scale. During the Games, journalists will be invited for report.

Ma Yinping:At present, the overall scheme of the Games has been finished, with the badge created and the first round of enrollment accomplished. All the cities concerned have been making preparations actively. In a moment, detailed information will be provided by an official of the host unit, Dezhou Municipal People’s Government.

Ma Yinping:To do the publicity work well, we hope that the press media will cooperate with us to increase the coverage of the Games, to report the latest developments, to present the enterprising spirit of the minority sportsmen and to show the level of the minority nationalities athletic sports in a all-round way.

Ma Yinping:We believe that, with the attention of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government, with the efforts of the cities and departments concerned as well as with the great support from all walks of life, particularly through journalists'''''''' interviews and the comprehensive reports of the media, the 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games will be a magnificent sports meet and a grand meeting of the unity of all the minority nationalities.    
   
Ma Yinping:Thank you!

Huang Zecun:Next, we have Mr Man Chunzhong, Deputy Mayor of Dezhou, give us a briefing on the organization and preparation of the Games.

The Speech at the Press Conference
on the 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games

Man Chunzhong, Deputy Mayor of Dezhou

Man Chunzhong:Ladies and gentlemen,

Man Chunzhong:The 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games will be held in Dezhou from 25th to 30th of April and it is hosted by Dezhou Municipal People’s Government.

Man Chunzhong:This is the affirmation of our achievements by the Provincial Nationalities Affairs Committee and the Provincial Physical Education and Sports Bureau, and is also a significant event concerning the nationalities affairs of our city.

Man Chunzhong:Dezhou has an area of 10356 square kilometers and a population of 5.5 million.

Man Chunzhong:It is the north gate of Shandong province with a superior location and convenient communications. It is situated where the Around-Bohai Economic Zone and the Greater Beijing-Jiulong Economic Development Strip, with its unique advantages for economic and social development.

Man Chunzhong:Dezhou has been honored with the titles "the Sun City of China", "the Functional Sugar City of China" and "the Central Air conditioner City of China” and has been awarded the “Residential Environment Prize of China".

Man Chunzhong:As an opening city, Dezhou is developing rapidly to become a regional central city.

Man Chunzhong:Dezhou is one of the main cities in terms of its nationalities work. It has 39 minorities with a population of 76,000, which accounts for one eighth of the total population of the minorities in our province. These minorities live in 186 villages in11 counties (cities or districts), two of which even have a population over 10,000.

Man Chunzhong:It is a great honor that the games will be held in Dezhou and hosted by our Municipal People''''''''s Government. Both the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government attach great importance to it and have organized a "Preparing Committee for the 7th Provincial Minority Nationalities Traditional Games".

Man Chunzhong:This committee is composed of the officials of the departments concerned, with deputy secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and mayor Wu Cuiyun as its director, deputy mayor Man Chunzhong as its deputy director, and deputy secretary-general of the Municipal Government Li Xingjia as its secretary-general. At present, preparations are being made intensely and systematically for the games.

Man Chunzhong:Ladies and gentlemen, holding the games is an important event for the cultural and sports life of the ethnic nationalities in our province. As the host, our government will assure the success of the sports games through our elaborate organization, careful arrangement and zealous service.

Man Chunzhong:Let''''''''s take this chance! Let’s get together in Dezhou!

Man Chunzhong:Thank you! 

Huang Zecun:Now it is the time for your questions. Please make known what news units you are from and make your questions concise and clear.

Huang Zecun:The minority nationalities traditional sports are long in history various in form, and rich in content. The present Minority Nationalities Traditional Games are rich and colorful, with rich ethnic characteristics.

Huang Zecun:We hope that all the media will give the Games a good publicity and pay full attention to, and give enough coverage to, the Games’ opening ceremony and all the important events, for the purpose of creating a good atmosphere of public opinion for the success of the Games.

Huang Zecun:That is the end of today''''''''s conference. Thank you.