Brunei Darussalam is a Malay Islamic Monarchy (Melayu Islam Beraja, MIB). Ramadhan is the most important month for Bruneian people. During Ramadhan, Bruneian Muslims fulfill their religious obligations in various ways. People from different religions, cultures and ethnic backgrounds exchange greetings and good wishes. Traditional Malay culture also gives Brunei Ramadhan a more unique and diverse dimension. Royal Palace opens its doors and celebrates Ramadhan with ordinary people, general public do whatever they can to help others and enjoy giving and donating to the poor and the underprivileged. Ramadhan markets are bustling with life.
China and Brunei are friendly neighbors across the sea. The history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples spans a thousand years. Every year during Ramadhan, the Chinese Embassy in Brunei will organize various activities to strengthen exchanges and interactions, and to enhance friendship with the Bruneian people. During Ramadhan this year, the Embassy overcame the adverse impact of the pandemic, and walked into local communities and schools with a series of activities intended for ordinary Bruneian people, so that more Bruneians could approach China, understand China, and like China.
Passing on Friendship
During Ramadhan last year, H.E. Ambassador Yu Hong walked into the Kampong community in Brunei, and extended loving donations to the orphans in the Subok village together with Head of the village. The innocent and pure smiles of the children deeply moved everyone present.
During Ramadhan this year, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy Mr. Wang Haitao came to the Pai Yuek School, Temburong. Mr. Wang Haitao had cordial conversations with the Muslim children, and gave them gift boxes of basic necessities, T-shirts and pins commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Brunei, passing on the China-Brunei friendship.
As a former enclave of Brunei, Temburong has long faced the difficulties of inconvenient transportation and economic backwardness. After the opening of Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge, co-constructed by a Chinese enterprise, Temburong is embracing opportunities for economic development. The school, which has adhered to promoting Chinese culture for more than 7 decades, hopes that more and more Chinese enterprises and tourists come to Temburong after the pandemic, so that the achievements of the Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries will continue to benefit more ordinary people.
Sharing Stories
Radio Television Brunei (RTB) is the biggest TV and Radio station in Brunei, broadcasting through its three TV channels and five radio channels on a daily basis. During Ramadhan, Bruneian people like to gather together after sungkai with their families, enjoying TV programme and family time.
During Ramadhan this year, with the support of Chinese National Radio and Television Administration, the Embassy cooperated with RTB in the broadcasting of a Chinese TV drama Masa Muda Terindah, during prime time on Channel RTB Aneka. This is the first time that a Chinese TV drama is broadcast in Bahasa Melayu in Brunei. Masa Muda Terindah tells a story about a group of Chinese youngsters who migrated from city to remote desert and turned it into oasis after engaging in tree-planting campaigns for decades. It has won the Best TV Drama of the Chinese prestigious Flying Apsaras Awards for the year 2020. Brunei boasts splendid natural environment and is promoting the coordinated development between green economy and ecological civilization. After watching Masa Muda Terindah, the Bruneian viewers will acquire more in-depth understanding about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s idea of ecological civilization that green mountains and clear water are equal to mountains of gold and silver, which will further inject more momentum to the pragmatic cooperation in all fields between China and Brunei.
Hand in Hand with the Youth
Youth is the future. Youth is the hope. In recent years, the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and Brunei have been flourishing. Many universities of the two countries have established cooperation mechanisms, and more and more young people choose to study in each other’s country. Chinese students could be found in primary, secondary schools and universities in Brunei. For Bruneians, learning Chinese is gradually becoming a trend.
During Ramadhan, the Embassy awarded certificates and prizes to the primary schools which have actively participated in the painting competition commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Brunei, visited Chinese students studying in Universiti Brunei Darussalam and Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali, as well as the volunteer teachers for Chinese language who chose to come to Brunei despite the difficulties during the pandemic. The friendship of the two countries has taken root and started to grow among the young generations.
Taking the opportunity of Ramadhan, the Embassy also had extensive exchanges with colleagues from the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Brunei Darussalam and other departments, posted videos and messages introducing the latest development in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the customs of Muslims in Xinjiang during Ramadan on social media platforms of the Embassy. People from all walks of life in Brunei generally agree with the policies in Xinjiang, and looks forward to visiting Xinjiang after the pandemic to enjoy the beautiful scenery, experience the happy life and have more exchanges with the warm and friendly Chinese people in Xinjiang.
