At the 2026 Graduation Ceremony of  Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT), Chinese Ambassador to Israel Xiao Junzheng delivered a speech through video.

The translation of the address

It is a great pleasure to join you once again at the GTIIT graduation ceremony. Since assuming the role of Chinese Ambassador to Israel, I have always paid close attention to and supported the growth of GTIIT. I feel heartened for every milestone the institute has achieved, and every bit of progress the students have made. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Israel, I extend my warmest congratulations to all graduates! I would also like to pay high tribute to the dedicated faculty and parents, as well as to the leaders and friends who have devoted themselves to the development of GTIIT.

The year 2026 has witnessed a steady stream of good news for GTIIT — a new undergraduate program in Environmental Engineering, the launch of the first National Key Science and Technology Project with funding exceeding ten million yuan, and the arrival of the new chancellor. I am confident that under Chancellor Mao Junfa's leadership, GTIIT will continue to cleave the waves and sail steadily toward a brighter future.

This year is the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. To act on its call to "encourage first-rate foreign universities of science and engineering to develop partner schools and programs in China," we must make GTIIT a model of excellence. Not long ago, the official website and Weixin Official Accounts Platform of the Chinese Embassy in Israel published an article entitled "A Blossom of Sino-Israeli Educational Cooperation — Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology," which quickly became the most-viewed post on the Embassy's Weixin account recently. This speaks to the enormous attention GTIIT has garnered. The Chinese Embassy in Israel will conscientiously implement the provisions of the Plan and, as always, provide GTIIT with its full support and assistance.

Though China and Israel are separated by thousands of miles, innovation and education have forged a close bond between our two nations. In 2017, GTIIT enrolled its inaugural cohort of students — the very same year that China and Israel established an innovative comprehensive partnership. Since then, GTIIT has witnessed and underpinned the deepening of bilateral relations. Today, dozens of Israeli scholars are teaching at GTIIT, bringing Israel's premier academic resources to Shantou and integrating Israel's innovative and scientific spirits into the university. Every year, many GTIIT students visit the Technion for study or further research, while others choose the Hebrew University, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and other Israeli institutions of higher education. This has not only enhanced academic exchanges between the two sides, but also fostered greater mutual understanding between our peoples. It has also served as a solid foundation for Sino-Israeli innovation cooperation and contributed significantly to the sound and steady growth of bilateral relations. We look forward to seeing GTIIT, in advancing practical cooperation between China and Israel, remain true to its founding mission, strive for excellence, seize opportunities, forge ahead with resolve, and scale new heights.

This year marks the 105th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). President Xi Jinping stressed at the grand assembly recently, "The youth are a vital force for realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Dear students, as you are about to leave campus for the world to study and chase your dreams, please always bear in mind President Xi’s expectations, “Young Chinese in the new era should unswervingly follow the Party and its guidance, set lofty goals and shoulder responsibilities of the times, integrate personal aspirations into the cause of the Party and the country, cherish every minute, carry the baton of history forward on the new journey, blaze a path with their zeal, and illuminate the journey with aspirations!”

In closing, may all of you enjoy a promising future! May GTIIT flourish and reach new heights! Thank you!