On 24th January, 2025, Chinese Consulate General in Melbourne and China Media Group (CMG) co-held the Prelude to the Spring Festival Gala，the China-Australia Celebrity Tennis Friendship Match and Reception to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. Chinese Ambassador to Australia H.E.Xiao Qian and CMG President Mr Shen Haixiong delivered video speeches respectively. Nearly 200 people including Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria,Chinese Consul General Xinwen Fang , Deputy Chief of CMG Asia-Pacific Li Liao, Mr. Paul Hamer MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Jobs, representing Hon. Premier Jacinta Allan, Mr. James Newbury, Shadow Treasurer, representing the Opposition, Ms.Vicki Reid, Director of Government, Social Impact and Stakeholde Relations of Tennis Australia, Mr.Liu Miao, Chairman of the Board of Luzhou Laojiao Group & Co., Ltd,, Chinese tennis player Zhang Shuai, Members of Federal and Victorian Parliament, Mayors and City Councillors, sports, business, media and academic representatives attended the event. 

Ambassador Xiao Qian expressed Chinese New Year's greetings to people from all walks of life in China and Australia, saying that the Spring Festival has become an international festival celebrated by all parts of Australia and an indispensable part of Australia's multiculturism , which has promoted social harmony in Australia and enhanced the mutual learning between Chinese and Australian civilizations and the closeness of the people. In the Year of the Snake, China looks forward to working with Australia to firmly implement the strategic consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, promote steady progress in China-Australia relations, and continuously achieve new and greater development.

President Shen Haixiong said that the Spring Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals of the Chinese nation and a grand event of the diverse integration of Chinese culture. The Spring Festival has not only become a United Nations holiday, but was also listed in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last year. From the "Chinese New Year" to the "World Year", the Spring Festival has blossomed with a unique charm among the flowers of world civilization. As the first CCTV Spring Festival Gala after the successful application of Spring Festival for the World Heritage, this year's Spring Festival Gala will present a "happy, auspicious and joyous" cultural feast to audiences at home and abroad.

Consul General Fang Xinwen said in his speech that the Spring Festival is the oldest and most important traditional festival in China, and watching the Spring Festival Gala is an important part of the Chinese people's celebration of the Spring Festival. This year's Australian Open is close to the Spring Festival, and both have gone global and complement each other. The Consulate General is willing to work with all sectors of the consular district to carry forward the spirit of perseverance and hard work in sports and jointly promote greater development of China-Australia relations.

In her speech, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC,Governor of Victoria said that the history of celebrating the Spring Festival in Victoria is as old as the history of Victoria itself. Local Chinese have played an important role in the development history of Victoria. The snake is a symbol of wisdom and mystery. I look forward to Victoria and China making common progress and sharing development opportunities in the new year.

Other guests said in their speeches that the Spring Festival is not only a festival for the Chinese people, but also an important part of Australia's multiculturalism. At present, the Spring Festival celebrations and the Australian Open in Australia are in full swing, and the two complement each other. We look forward to more achievements in practical cooperation between Australia and China in the new year. 

At the China-Australia Celebrity Tennis Friendship Match, the guests sweated passionately and immersed themselves in the Match. At the Prelude to the Spring Festival Gala and Spring Festival reception, Chinese folk music and Australian Aboriginal music and complemented each other, and the familiar Chinese and English songs won warm applause from the audience. The calligraphers wrote spring couplets full of joy, auspiciousness and blessings, which were warmly welcomed by the guests.