Distinguished Guests,

Dear Friends, Ladies and Gentleman,

Good afternoon！Namaste！

Today, we gather here for the seminar on China's 15th Five-Year Plan, with the aim of presenting to Indian friends a new blueprint for China's future development and exploring fresh opportunities for China-India cooperation. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the guests here, and express my sincere thanks to the co-host of the forum, CNN-News 18.

Last month, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully convened in Beijing. The most significant outcome was the adoption of "The Recommendations of the Central Committee of CPC for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development", which outlines the blueprint for China's economic and social development over the next five years.

While the five-year plan is neither a Chinese invention nor exclusive to China, China stands among the few countries that have consistently formulated and implemented such plans. These five-year plans have played an indispensable role in China's remarkable transformation into the world's second-largest economy.

First of all, let us briefly review the achievements in China's economic and social development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period:

China's GDP is expected to reach 20 trillion US dollars in 2025, with per capita GDP exceeding 13,000 US dollars. Its average annual contribution to global economic growth has remained around 30 percent. China has made full efforts to consolidate the achievements in lifting nearly 100 million people out of extreme poverty. The annual per capita disposable income of rural residents in counties emerged from poverty has increased from 1,700 US dollars in 2020 to 2,400 US dollars in 2024. The retention rate of the nine-year compulsory education, along with the coverage rates of basic old-age insurance and basic medical insurance, have all exceeded 95% nationwide. China has become a leading trade partner for more than 150 countries and regions, with its overall tariff level reduced to 7.3%. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's total imports of goods and services are projected to surpass 15 trillion US dollars. China is now among the world's top three investors, contributing over 300 billion US dollars in tax revenue to host countries, generating substantial local employment.

Next year marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan. The Chinese government will remain committed to pursuing high-quality economic development, with the fundamental goal of meeting the people's aspirations for a better life and with reform and innovation as the primary drivers. This will enable us to take solid strides toward achieving common prosperity for all.

Ladies, gentlemen, friends,

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. Over the past 75 years, despite the ups and downs, the bilateral relationship is defined by friendly cooperation. Since the meeting between the two leaders in Kazan in October last year, China-India relations have continued to improve. The two foreign ministers have exchanged visits, and the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question have met twice. Bilateral trade in the first nine months of this year reached 115.2 billion US dollars, up by 11 percent year on year. Since April this year, India's exports to China have increased by more than 10% year-on-year each month, with increases reaching 42% in October. China has resumed the pilgrimage for Indian to Kangrínboqê Fēng and Mapam Yuco (Kailash Manasarovar Yatra) in Xizang Autonomous Region. India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens. Direct flights between Chinese mainland and India have been restored. These measures have been warmly welcome by the peoples of both countries. The meeting between the two leaders in Tianjin this year charted the course for the further improvement and development of bilateral relations.

China stands ready to work with the Indian side to follow the guidance of the important consensus between the two leaders and advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development.

Firstly, China is willing to be India’s partner in the pursuit of modernization. Both China and India are ancient eastern civilizations and major developing countries, standing at a critical juncture of national modernization. Development is the “greatest common denominator” between the two nations. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China will advance Chinese modernization on all fronts through high-quality development, and basically realize socialist modernization by 2035. India is also making progress toward its vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. There is much potential for China and India to synergize our development strategies and jointly advance modernization. We should approach our bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, always bear in mind that China and India are each other’s partners and development opportunities, rather than threats or rivals, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, and resolve differences through dialogue. We should be good neighbors helping each other and good partners working for win-win cooperation.

Secondly, China is ready to work with India as a doer in high-level practical cooperation. In the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will continue to strengthen the foundation of the real economy, accelerate high-level sci-tech self-reliance, and expand high-standard opening-up. This will create more cooperation opportunities for all countries, including India. We will upgrade traditional industries such as chemical and machinery, which is expected to unlock about 1.4 trillion US dollars of new market space in the next five years. We will foster emerging industries such as new energy and new materials, which is expected to give rise to several trillion-dollar new growth engines. We will strategically invest in future industries such as biomanufacturing and sixth-generation mobile communication, with the scale added over the next decade equivalent to building an entirely new high-tech industrial ecosystem for China.

Currently, India is advancing major strategies such as “Make in India.” China is ready to deepen practical cooperation with India to make a bigger pie of common interests , so that people in both countries will benefit more from the outcomes of development. We welcome more premium Indian goods to export to China and more Indian companies to invest and do business in China. We also hope that India will provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.

Thirdly, China is ready to work with India as a defender of multilateralism. Multilateralism represents the overarching trend of human history and reflects the shared aspirations of people worldwide. At present, some major countries, in pursuit of unilateral hegemony, have frequently waged trade wars and applied international rules in a selective way, posing severe challenges to developing countries. The Proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan clearly state that "upholding opening up and cooperation for win-win progress is an essential requirement of Chinese modernization." In the face of the profound changes unseen in a century and the countercurrent of unilateralism, China and India should, more than ever, stand shoulder to shoulder, resolutely say no to hegemony, jointly steer multipolarity and economic globalization toward the right direction as expected by the whole world, and make global governance more just and equitable.

Friends, Ladies and Gentleman,

Achieving modernization is a shared dream of the Chinese and Indian peoples, and mutually beneficial cooperation will inject strong impetus into the modernization of the two countries. It is hoped that visionary people from all walks of life participating in the cause of China-India friendship, and work together to build a brighter future for the "Dragon-Elephant tango".

Finally, I wish this seminar a complete success.

Thank you all! Dhanyawad!