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National anthem bears witness to China-Guinea-Bissau friendship

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National anthem bears witness to China-Guinea-Bissau friendship

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© Xinhua News Agency
On July 10, 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Eduardo Embaló, who was on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ding Haitao

Xi Jinping said that this is a beautiful story in the history of China-US exchanges and a testimony to the deep friendship between the two peoples.

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 11 (Reporter Chen Cong) Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcoming ceremony for President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Embalo, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 11th. At the welcoming ceremony, President Xi Jinping played the national anthem of Guinea-Bissau, “This is our dear motherland”. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Chen Cong)

This national anthem was written by Amilcar López Cabral, the founding father of Guinea-Bissau, but the composer is a surprising person – Chinese musician Xiao He.

In the subsequent formal meeting between the two heads of state, Xi Jinping talked about this intriguing detail with a smile. He said: “China and Guinea-Bissau have a special history of friendship. The national anthem of Guinea-Bissau, “This is our beloved motherland” played at the welcome ceremony just now, was created by Amilcar Lopez Cabral, the founding father of Guinea-Bissau, and composed by Chinese musician Xiao He.”

This is a wonderful story in the history of China-U.S. exchanges and a testimony to the profound friendship between the two peoples.”

Embalo, dressed in a dark suit and red tie, responded: “President Xi just mentioned our national anthem, which we sing every day. It was written by our founding fathers and composed by a Chinese friend. This is something we will never forget.”

He also stressed the support China had given to Guinea-Bissau before and after the founding of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, saying that the people of the two countries always stood together.

© Xinhua News Agency
This is a photo taken on July 7, 2024 in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, showing a statue of Amilcar Lopez Cabral, the founding father of Guinea-Bissau, standing in the square. (Xinhua News Agency/Han Xu)

The history of the national anthem dates back to 1963, when a delegation from Portuguese Guinea visited China and heard a piece of music by Xiao He. Cabral, the leader of the independence movement for Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde and a representative, asked Xiao He to compose a piece of music to inspire his people in their fight for independence. Xiao He readily agreed. Drawing inspiration from African music, Xiao He used a 1963 poem by Cabral as the background to create a song that would later become the national anthem of the West African country.

The song has a powerful and heroic melody, fully demonstrating the iron will of the people of Guinea-Bissau in their fight for independence. In 1974, after Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal, the song was designated as the national anthem.

Antonio Serifo Embalo, Guinea-Bissau’s ambassador to China, said: “To this day, this remains the national anthem of Guinea-Bissau. This story bears witness to the enduring friendship between Guinea-Bissau and China.”

The friendship between China and Guinea-Bissau has a long history and is also reflected in practical cooperation in various fields. Over the years, China has provided a lot of support to Guinea-Bissau in the fields of infrastructure, medical care, agriculture, education and so on.

Diamantino Lopez, a sociologist and professor at the University of Lusona in Guinea-Bissau, said: “China truly understands the needs of African countries and is a good partner for them.”

He said that the half-century-long traditional friendship between China and Guinea-Bissau has laid a solid foundation for today’s mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides. China’s support for talent training in education, health, agriculture and other fields is crucial to the development of Guinea-Bissau.

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