CRI听力: London Warms up for the Chinese Year of the Tiger

London is embracing the Chinese New Year of the Tiger. Though there is still more than three weeks to go, the mayor of London can't wait to deliver his greetings to the Chinese people both in the UK and in China.

CRI's London correspondent Tu Yun reports.

It's a normal day for many Chinese who've been working here in Chinatown in central London. Busy but orderly. What makes it a bit different in the cold winter morning is the arrival of a somewhat special citizen—

"(517)Hi folks. It's Boris Johnson here. I'm the mayor of London."

Riding his bicycle around as usual, Johnson comes to the heart of Chinatown to deliver a message.

"(523) A Happy Prosperous New Year to everybody in the Chinese community in London and of course hundreds of millions in China as well. Kong hei fat choi! (550) Xin Nian Kuai Le."

The coming year will be the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac. Johnson says he has no doubt that it'll be a great year for London.

"London was very lucky in the last year or so. We've seen a fantastic number of people coming from China partly because of the very competitive exchange rate. And I have no doubt it's going to continue in the year ahead. I really hope we'll continue to attract a great deal of Chinese interests and investment. I look forward to a fruitful relationship with Beijing, with China, in the years to come."

There are currently some six hundred thousand Chinese living in the UK. In 2008, over two hundred thousand visitors from China traveled to Britain and the British tourist authority says the number is growing by double-digit percentages annually.

As London will succeed Beijing to host the Olympic Games in 2012 and more and more Chinese come to visit and study in the UK, Johnson's wish list seems to be reasonably achievable.

Leslie Ng, President of the London Chinatown Chinese Association, gives an example.

"During the Chinese New Year celebration, we will have performances promoting the London Games. The London municipal government also gives great support to our activities."

And that, to both sides, is a win-win they're looking for.

A small-scale lion-dancing will be held in Chinatown on February 14th, the lunar New Year's Day of this coming year of the Tiger. And central London will be transformed a week later for the celebrations, the largest of its kind outside Asia.

Tu Yun, CRI news, London.