Enter the Year of the Dragon
Welcome back from your festive break and Happy New Year in 2012!
The new year began with news of the Queens New Year honours with two MBEs awarded to Dr Stephen Ng and Mr PingNam Lee. Many congratulations to these gentlemen for their contributions to the Chinese community in London and Cambridge respectively!
According to the lunar calendar, we will be entering the Year of the Dragon on 23rd January. To celebrate, Chinese Lib Dems will be holding our Chinese New Year dinner on 2 Feb at the Tuli Restaurant with our special guests Sir Graham Watson MEP and Lord Tim Clement-Jones.
Sir Graham Watson is Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for South West England and also leader of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. Prior to his election in 1999, Sir Graham worked for HSBC in their London and Hong Kong offices and he continues to take a keen interest in Chinese affairs. Lord Clement-Jones has taken long standing interest in China, particularly trading relations with China, and is Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary China Group.
Tickets are now on sale and are open to both members and non members of CLDs. To book email philip.ling@chineselibdems.org.uk
In Chinese astrology, the dragon is considered to be a mysterious and unpredictable animal. There is much in politics that is unpredictable - so perhaps with hard work and determination, Liberal Democrats may yet defy commentators and pull off some surprises during 2012.
Merlene Emerson, Chair of CLDs and Candidate for the London Assembly elections in May 2012 was recently asked by the UK Chinese Times to share her thoughts on the year gone by and for 2012. Below is a copy of the article published on 6 Jan.
May we wish everyone a healthy, prosperous and successful 2012!