Is it not a real delight to have friends come to visit you from afar?

This is the opening line in The Analects of Confucius, expressing one's delight with like-minded people coming from different places. The ancient Chinese believed that to achieve great success one must have friends who cherish the same ideals, and that working with kindred souls is a valuable, happy thing.

Xi Jinping began his remarks by saying "What a joy to have friends coming from afar!" to welcome the guests, scholars and experts attending the International Conference Commemorating the 2,565th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth, held in September 2014. This expressed the Chinese people's delight in greeting visitors from afar, and also showed their hospitality to friends around the world.

有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎

“有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎”是《論語》的開篇之語，意為那些志同道合的人，從各個方向、從各個地方聚到自己身旁，難道不是一件非常高興的事嗎？中國古人認為，要做成一件事，特別是要做成一件大事，必須要有志同道合的人。只有志趣相投的朋友在一起，做起事情來才是幸福的，做的事情才是有價值的。

2014年9月，習近平在參加紀念孔子誕辰2565周年國際學術研討會時，引用“有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎”這句古語作為歡迎來自世界各國嘉賓及專家學者的開場白，表達了中國人民對朋友到來的愉悅，體現了中國人民廣交天下朋友的胸懷與熱情。