Prif Weinidog, President Huang, Consul-General Shen, cydweithwyr a chyfeillion.
Croeso cynnes iawn i chi i gyd.
Mae’n bleser mawr i mi eich croesawu i’r lansiad Sefydliad Confucius Prifysgol Bangor heno.
Croeso arbenning i’r Prif Weinidog, Prif Gonswl Shen a Llywydd Huang.
Wanshang hao. Huanying guanglin BanGe kongzi xue yuan kaimushi!
A very warm welcome to this celebration of the establishment of Bangor University Confucius Institute. Please allow me, as Vice Chancellor of the University, to welcome you all very warmly to this magnificent hall on this happy occasion, especially our partners and friends from China University of Political Science and Law, and performers from Yunnan province who will provide some authentic and exotic entertainment tonight.
The Confucius Institute is a major initiative for Bangor University. As we know, China and Chinese culture is playing an increasingly important role in global social and economic development, and is making its presence felt in a variety of international arenas, including here in the Wales.
The University currently welcomes over 600 Chinese students to study on an annual basis and there is a small but vibrant Chinese community in the region. We have recently received a visit from a Chinese State nuclear energy company who could potentially become the major investor and joint developer of the Wylfa B nuclear power station on Anglesey. Bangor scientists are working with Chinese academics and companies to secure R&D projects in China in the areas including Telecommunications, Environmental Technologies and Biosciences. Bangor University is also working towards the establishment of a campus in China which has the ambition to deliver a range of undergraduate programmes to over 2,000 Chinese students in forestry, environmental science, biotechnology and business and finance, all subjects that are among China’s national priorities.
For such collaboration to be productive and successful, it is crucial that we understand each other in language, cultural, customs, policy, law and much more. I am confident that the establishment of the Confucius Institute in Bangor will provide our staff and students and the local community with unprecedented access to many remarkable aspects of Chinese culture, such as Chinese music, cuisine, language, history, calligraphy and other traditions, and make a new contribution to cultural exchange and understanding between our two nations. Indeed tonight is the highlight of a week-long celebration of Chinese culture and traditions beginning with a China Forum tomorrow, involving distinguished speakers from both countries, and continuing with exhibitions throughout the week.
We are delighted to be embarking on this partnership with China University of Political Science & Law. The two Universities have, since the beginning of our partnership, shared the same vision for a Confucius Institute focused on the discipline and practice of Law and I am delighted that the Right Honourable Sir John Thomas, President of the Queen's Bench, has joined us tonight and will speak at our forum tomorrow. May I finish by thanking three people who have worked very hard to make the Institute a reality, Professor Dermot Cahill and Dr Wei Shi of Bangor Law School and Professor Zhang of the China University of Political Science and Law.
Diolch yn fawr.
· I would now like to invite Consul-General Shen from the Chinese Embassy in London to say a few words.
· President Huang, China University of Political Science and Law.
· First Minister Carwyn Jones, a Barrister by profession, helped to secure the Confucius Institute for Bangor during his visit to China in October 2011.
