On September 27, the Chinese Embassy in India held a virtual event to celebrate the 73rd Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China. Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong delivered a keynote speech. The full text is as follows:
Dear friends,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon! It is my pleasure to meet you all at this online event to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. First, I would like to extend my warm welcome to all the guests. I also take this opportunity to express my sincere greetings and heartfelt thanks to Indian friends from all walks of life who have longstanding interest in China’s development and supported China-India friendship.
This year 2022 is a truly remarkable one for the Chinese people. This October, the Communist Party of China (CPC) will convene its 20th National Congress in Beijing. It will be an important meeting to be held at a critical time. At this national congress, the CPC will fully review the major achievements and valuable experiences. It will also formulate programs of action and overarching policies to meet China’s new development goals on the new journey ahead and the new expectations of the people. It will set out a blueprint for the next phase of China’s development.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people have united to strive. We marched forward successfully the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and achieved the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. Since the 18th National Congress, socialism with Chinese characteristics entered a new era. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the Chinese people in realizing the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Now we are embarking on the new journey toward the second centenary goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects.
In the past decade, China’s economic strength leaped to new heights. We have grounded our efforts in the new development stage, applied the new development philosophy, fostered a new development paradigm and pursued high-quality development. China’s economy has reached new levels. In 2021, China’s economy accounted for 18.5% of the world’s total, up by 7.2 percentage points from 2012. During the past decade, the average annual growth rate of China's economy has reached 6.5%. China’s average contribution to global economic growth exceeded 30 percent. China’s per capita GDP has exceeded US$10,000 for three consecutive years. We have held high-level exhibitions such as China International Import Expo, China International Fair for Trade in Services, International Consumer Goods Fair, etc. We have further eased market access and improved business environment. China opens its door even wider to the outside world. Against the backdrop of a global downturn in cross-border investment, China’s inbound foreign investment continued to expand, and outbound investment has been growing steadily. In 2021, the actual use of foreign capital was 173.5 billion US dollars, an increase of 53.1% from 2012, and outbound direct investment reached US$145.2 billion. China’s development has brought more opportunities to the world and more momentum to the world economy.
In the past decade, China has made outstanding achievements in the development of political civilization. We actively developed whole-process people’s democracy. People have participated in the management of state affairs covering all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society, and they are truly the masters of the country. China’s 56 ethnic groups are tightly united as seeds within a pomegranate fruit. Autonomous regions such as Xinjiang and Xizang are enjoying social harmony and stability, with the people there living and working in peace and joy. The regions are experiencing the most auspicious period of development. The system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics has constantly been improved, solid progress has been made in advancing the rule of law in China. We have given top priority to safeguarding the people’s rights to subsistence and development, ensured human rights enjoyed by all people on an equal basis, and worked to promote human rights in all areas.
In the past decade, China has continuously improved its people’s lives. President Xi Jinping pointed out that our goal is both big and simple. It is essentially about delivering a better life to all Chinese. The CPC’s mission is to serve the people and to improve their lives. China has scored a complete victory in its fight against absolute poverty. Nearly 100 million people in rural areas were lifted out of poverty defined by the existing standard. We have put in place the world’s largest social security system and health-care system. Over 1.36 billion people are covered by basic medical insurance, and nearly 1 billion people are covered by basic old-age insurance. People are having a greater sense of benefit, happiness and security. In the face of the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, we have spared no effort to prevent both inbound cases and domestic resurgence, and adhered to dynamic zero-COVID policy. Our efforts have protected the lives and health of 1.4 billion Chinese people to the greatest possible extent . This is truely a remarkable thing!
In the past decade, we have firmly upheld China’s sovereignty, security and development interests. We take the people’s security as our ultimate goal, political security as our fundamental task, economic security as our foundation. We safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, guard and defuse major security risks, and provide strong safeguards for realizing our national rejuvenation. We have taken steps to ensure law-based governance in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, stopped and prevented interference in the affairs of the two special administrative regions by external forces. Hong Kong and Macao SARs have maintained prosperity and stability. The practice of “one country, two systems” has achieved a globally-recognized success. We resolutely advance the process of peaceful reunification of China, foil the attempts made by the external and separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence”. The international community’s commitment to the one-China principle is consolidated. We will never allow any person, any force, or any country to separate the Taiwan region from China！
In the past decade, China has been pushing forward to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Faced with changes unseen in a century, China is committed to a new approach to developing state-to-state relations with communication, not confrontation, and with partnership, not alliance. We expanded friends all over the world, achieved solid and significant outcomes in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. China firmly upholds the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, upholds true multilateralism. China stays actively engaged in reforming the global governance system, and deeply participates in international cooperation in the fields of tackling climate change, countering terrorism, poverty reduction, and cybersecurity, injecting more stability and positive energy into a world of fast change and uncertainty.
To solve the deficits of peace, development, trust and governance faced by the international community, President Xi Jinping has proposed two major initiatives, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. He advocated for fostering global development partnership, and achieving a stronger, greener and healthier global development. He called on all countries to stay true to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture. These propositions provide the international community with Chinese solutions and important international public goods to address the challenges of the times.
In retrospect of the glorious journey over the past 73 years since the founding of the PRC, especially during the last decade, we can draw a conclusion that the leadership of the CPC is chosen by history and its people. The Party has established Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and defined the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which is of decisive significance. General Secretary Xi Jinping is the Party's leader who is supported by the entire Party, loved and respected by the people. The Chinese people are fully confident in realizing the Second Centenary Goal. China will follow the Chinese path to modernization to achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Dear Friends,
Not long ago, President Xi Jinping attended the 22nd Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand. Being the first overseas visit by President Xi Jinping since COVID-19, it took place at a time when the 20th National Congress of the CPC is soon to be held. It is an important landmark visit undertaken at a crucial and historic juncture.
President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the Samarkand Summit. He gave an insightful review of the success of the SCO, attributing it to the Organization’s commitment to political trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, equality, openness and inclusiveness, and equity and justice. As for the future development of the SCO, President Xi Jinping emphasized that we need to enhance mutual support, expand security cooperation, deepen practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and uphold multilateralism. These suggestions show the path for the further progress of the SCO.
This Summit set a new record in three aspects. First, it adopted 44 outcome documents, the highest number recorded. Second, it saw the broadest participation, with the attendance of leaders of 14 countries including SCO member states, observer states and the Presidency’s guests, and heads of nine international organizations and institutions such as the UN. Third, it marked the largest round of expansion for the SCO. A memorandum of obligations on Iran’s membership was signed, and the procedure for Belarus’s accession was started, granted Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar the status of SCO dialogue partners, and reached agreement on admitting Bahrain, the Maldives, the UAE, Kuwait and Myanmar as new dialogue partners.
Under the initiative of the Chinese side, heads of state of the SCO member states adopted four major statements including international energy security, tackling climate change. The Chinese side also announced that it is ready to establish a China-SCO base for training counter-terrorism personnel, host a forum on industrial and supply chains, set up a China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center. China will provide developing countries in need with emergency humanitarian assistance of grain and other supplies worth 1.5 billion RMB yuan. These tangible measures show that China not only presented the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, but also carried out the initiatives with concrete actions.
Dear Friends,
China and India are ancient oriental civilizations living side by side for thousands of years, and the only two major developing countries in the world with a population of more than one billion. We are major emerging economies with broad prospects. We share the tradition of upholding independence, and have jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which has become the basic norms guiding the bilateral and international relations. China-India relations have not only significance for the two countries and our peoples, but also have great bearing on the region and the world at large.
This year, China-India relations have made new progress and shown positive momentum. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to President Droupadi Murmu on her inauguration. Both of our leaders attended the BRICS and SCO Summits. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a working visit to India, and the two foreign ministers exchanged in-depth views on improving bilateral relations several times. According to the consensus reached in the 16th Round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting, the Chinese and Indian troops in the area of Jianan Daban have completed disengagement. We optimized the visa application process for Indian citizens to travel to China and resumed processing visa applications for students pursuing long-term study, and people conducting business, work and family visits. We have arranged 2 charter flights in the past two months carrying 235 Indian businessmen back to Zhejiang Province of China.
Next step, we should maintain the recovery momentum of bilateral relations, look forward and move ahead, so as to promote China-India relations back to the right track and ensure a long-term and steady relationship. I would like to put forward the following four proposals:
The first proposal is to promote mutual understanding and trust. President Xi Jinping pointed out that mutual trust is the foundation for the stability and development of China-India relations. This speaks to the essence of China-India relations. We must stick to the important consensus between our leaders, namely “China and India are not each other’s threats, but cooperation partners and development opportunities”. We should strengthen dialogue and communication, enhance mutual understanding and trust. We should read each other’s strategic intentions correctly by developing proper perception. We should treat each other as partners and friends instead of rivals or even adversaries, so that we can make correct judgement and act accordingly to ensure the bilateral relations move further along the right track.
The people of all countries have the rights to choose their own development path according to their own national conditions. The people of China and India both deserve a better life and no other country has the right to interfere. We should respect each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, respect each other’s social system and development path, respect each other’s cultural traditions, values and strategic autonomy. We should jointly work for the well-being of the 2.8 billion people and forge a new path for the neighboring countries to coexist in harmony and develop hand in hand.
The second proposal is to promote win-win cooperation. We should focus on getting our own things done well, finding convergence of interests in our most important task which is development. We should help each other succeed and achieve mutual win-win through cooperation, instead of undercutting each other meaninglessly. Last year, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bilateral trade volume exceeded 120 billion US dollars. It fully shows that the bilateral cooperation reflects market rules, benefits enterprises and consumers of the two countries and is in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples. The investments by Chinese enterprises in India has created a large number of jobs for the local people, and contributed to the economic development of India. It is hoped that the Indian side can provide an open, inclusive, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises. We believe that only when the roti is bigger, can it be shared with more people. Only when the plate is bigger, can it hold more rice. We should joint hands to bake a bigger roti and make a bigger plate, to let more people benefit from it, rather than make the roti smaller or break the plate.
China is always open to bilateral cooperation of mutual benefits. As the two largest developing countries, China and India enjoy broad cooperation potential in many fields like poverty alleviation, environmental protection, agriculture, disaster reduction, energy and food security, and digital economy. The 5th China International Import Expo will open in Shanghai in November this year. We welcome Indian companies to actively participate the Expo and develop the Chinese market. The Chinese side is also willing to resume direct flights between the two countries at an early date to facilitate personnel exchanges. We are willing to work with the Indian side to explore more ways of cooperation.
The third proposal is to properly handle differences and sensitive issues. Neighboring countries can not move away. It is normal for neighboring countries to have differences, what matters is how we see and deal with it. As in China’s perspective, our two countries’ common interests far outweigh differences. We should not seek minor gains at great cost, or let the differences to define bilateral relationship. As two ancient oriental civilizations, China and India have the wisdom and capability to respect each other, seek common grounds while reserving differences, refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs, and properly handle the differences. For issues that can be resolved, we should actively seek solutions; for issues that cannot be resolved at the moment, we should put them in a proper place and manage them in a proper way, without allowing them to disturb the overall development of the bilateral relations.
The current border situation is overall stable. The phase of emergency response since the Galwan Valley incident has basically come to an end, and the border situation is now switching to normalized management and control. The Chinese side is willing to maintain dialogues via diplomatic and military channels with the Indian side, and together seek solution to the border issues in a peaceful manner through dialogue and consultation. It is hoped that the Indian side can properly handle issues related to China’s core interests including Taiwan question and Xizang-related issues.
The forth proposal is to strengthen coordination and collaboration. 34 years ago, H.E. Mr. Deng Xiaoping made a profound prophecy of an “Asian Century”. Recently, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar also mentioned this concept in many occasions. The “Asian Century” can only be fulfilled through joint development and mutually beneficial cooperation of China and India, as well as through strengthening solidarity and cooperation among China, India and other Asian countries. In this year and next year, a series of multilateral meetings will be held in Asia and we will witness "Asia Moment" in global governance. China and India should uphold the vision of peace, development, autonomy and inclusiveness. We should oppose geopolitical conflicts, bloc confrontation and exclusive “small circles”. We should jointly safeguard stability and prosperity in Asia. The two countries can promote the common values of humanity featuring peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom on international stage. We can stick to the principle of addressing issues that matter to all through consultation, uphold the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, oppose hegemony and power politics, push forward building a community with a shared future for mankind. Next year, India will assume the presidency of SCO and G20, and China will support India in its related works together with other member states.
Lastly, I would like to say that I have visited several Indian states this year, renewed friendship with many old friends and made lots of new friends, many of whom are attending today’s event. Your smiling faces reminds me that China-India friendship is the common expectation of the two peoples, and China-India relations have a broad social foundation. Public opinion cannot be defied, and wills of the people are priceless. We should continue to encourage all circles of society in the two countries to strengthen communications and exchanges, join hands to support the development of China-India relationship. The cause we are engaged is lofty, and the future is bright. The Chinese Embassy in India are always open, and we welcome friends from all walks of life in India. Let us work together to promote China-India relations moving towards the direction of good-neighbourliness, mutual respect and trust, and win-win cooperation for the benefit of our two countries and our two great peoples!
Thank you!
