Group photo including the speakers, Lex Delles, Luxembourg’s Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, and Hua Ning, Chinese Ambassador to Luxembourg; Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu

On Wednesday 11 February 2026, the China-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (ChinaLux) and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office to the European Union (EU) organised their annual Chinese New Year reception, welcoming the Year of the Horse.

The sold-out reception of almost 400 attendees took place at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg-Kirchberg. Held in English, the programme featured keynote speeches, cultural performances and a networking cocktail. Among the attendees was Lex Delles, Luxembourg’s Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism.

Fernand Ernster, President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, opened the evening by welcoming guests and encouraging businesses to seize new opportunities, invest in relationships and continue “building bridges” across regions. “In a fragmented global environment, cooperation remains our strongest asset. Luxembourg continues to stand for dialogue, free trade and innovation, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration with China and Hong Kong,” he noted.

He also underlined the importance of “international dialogue at a time of global uncertainty”. He spoke about geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions and economic pressure on businesses, pointing out the need for resilience and cooperation between Europe and Asia.

Hua Ning, Chinese Ambassador to Luxembourg, continued the opening keynote by congratulating attendees and referencing the Year of the Horse as a symbol of “energy, loyalty and perseverance”.

He also addressed EU competitiveness and compared economic conditions and pricing dynamics between China and Europe, pointing to China’s rapid technological progress. He concluded by calling for stronger cooperation between China, Europe and the United States (US), encouraging all sides to work together and allow further investment flows. Referring to technological development, he said: “China is technologically advanced, if not superior.”

Fiona Li, Deputy Representative of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office to the EU, then took the stage to present Hong Kong’s latest economic figures. She reported 12% growth in merchandise exports, 3.5% real GDP growth and a 28% rise in the Hang Seng Index. She also highlighted $4.5 trillion in assets under management, a 12% rise in bank deposits to over $2.4 trillion and more than 11,000 foreign and mainland companies operating in Hong Kong. She added: “The emergence of nineteen unicorns [start-ups valued at over $1 billion] further illustrates Hong Kong’s strong innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.”

ChinaLux President Jacques Bortuzzo concluded the official programme by outlining two ways to improve relations with China. Firstly, he encouraged the audience to read more about Chinese history, rhetorically asking: “Do we know what China’s share of the world GDP was around 1800? It was above 30%”. Secondly, he urged guests to travel beyond Beijing and Shanghai to lesser-known cities to experience the country’s development, culture and landscapes.

He said: “If we combine reading about China and travelling to China, we will understand China much better.” He added that people are “very much influenced by Western media and Western social media” and emphasised the importance of having different perspectives in order to form one’s own opinion about China and the rest of the world.

The evening continued with three traditional performances from the China Cultural Center in Luxembourg (CCCL), including a dance show, two musical performances featuring a solo erhu Racing Horse piece and a percussion group performance.

The event concluded with an informal cocktail reception.