Remarks by Ambassador Qin Gang at the Online Reception Marking the 73rd Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China
2022/09/28 20:27


(27 September 2022)

Distinguished guests,

Compatriots, students,

Ladies and gentlemen,

    Hello everyone!

    It is a great pleasure to gather with you online to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Over the past 73 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese people have overcome all difficulties and strived together with unity and fortitude, delivering rapid economic development and long-term social stability, miracles rarely seen in the world. In particular, in the past 10 years, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and China's development has made historic achievements and undergone historic changes.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we have advanced the five-dimensional integrated plan in a balanced manner and the four-pronged strategic plan in a coordinated manner, and continued to modernize the country's governance system and governance capabilities. The 19th CPC National Congress made a two-step strategic plan for fully building a great modern socialist country: from 2020 to 2035, basically realizing socialist modernization; and from 2035 to the middle of this century, developing China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. The upcoming 20th National Congress of the CPC will formulate a guideline of action and major policies for the next five years or even longer.

To meet the people's desire for a better life is our goal. The theoretical and practical innovations of the CPC not only benefit hundreds of millions of Chinese, but also provide answers to the questions of the world and the times in the cause of human progress.

—We have followed the people-centered development philosophy. In the past 10 years, we have on average lifted 12.37 million people out of poverty every year, equivalent to the population of a medium-sized country; China's per capita disposable income has made an actual annual growth of 6.6%, making possible the world's largest and most promising middle-income group with over 400 million people. China's basic old-age insurance and basic medical insurance cover 1.03 billion and 1.36 billion people respectively. China also has the lowest COVID-19 incidence rate and death toll among the world's major countries. The over 1.4 billion Chinese people are striving for common prosperity with their hard work and ingenuity.

—We have ensured that the people are the master of the country. Over the past 10 years, we have kept improving the system of socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics and truly practiced the whole-process people's democracy. According to a poll conducted by Harvard Kennedy School in China for 10 consecutive years, the Chinese people's satisfaction with the CPC as the governing party has remained above 90% every year. We never cease to make progress, and never export our own political system. Instead, we believe that one should not do unto others what he does not want himself. We object to the narrative of democracy versus authoritarianism, and advocate the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom for all mankind.

—We have strived for harmonious coexistence of man and nature. Over the past 10 years, we have vigorously promoted green, low-carbon and circular development. To ensure the return of blue sky, we have altogether phased out one billion tons of excess coal capacity; to protect the clear rivers, we have increased the daily sewage treatment capacity by 40.88 million tons; to address climate change, we have announced that we will strive to achieve carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060, and cumulatively lower energy intensity by 26.2%, equivalent to a reduction of about 2.94 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

—We have continuously promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Over the past 10 years, we have actively worked for a new type of international relations, put forward the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, and shared development opportunities by high-quality "Belt and Road Initiative" cooperation. We have contributed an average of over 30% to global growth every year, provided more than 2.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines for more than 120 countries and international organizations, and contributed greater Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength to the reform and development of the international system and international governance.

Friends,

Both China and the US are great countries, and the China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. President Xi Jinping pointed out, whether China and the US can handle their relationship well bears on the future of the world. It is a question of the century to which the two countries must provide a good answer. 

Currently, China-US relations are facing severe challenges. The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and concerns China's core interests. It is the most important and sensitive issue in China-US relations. The US side must abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques, respect the common will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, unequivocally oppose and stop "Taiwan independence", support the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and China's peaceful reunification with real actions, and earnestly uphold the overall China-US relations and peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

In the world today, the trends of turbulence and transformation are evolving, and deficits in development and security are looming large. China and the United States have huge common interests and common responsibilities, and cooperation is the only correct choice. Regarding China as a threat and challenge, and defining China-US relations as strategic competition are serious strategic mistakes, and will only push China and the United States into confrontation and conflict and the world into division and turmoil. It will be a political tragedy between major countries that no one is the winner. 

The three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping are the correct way for China and the United States to get along. It is hoped that the US will work with China, strengthen dialogue, reduce misunderstandings, manage differences, expand cooperation, and bring China-US relations back to the track of healthy and stable development at an early date. This serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and also meets the general expectation of the international community.

Friends,

I would like to take this opportunity to express heartfelt thanks to people from various sectors who have long cared about and supported the development of China-US relations. I wish our great country prosperity and the people health and happiness. I wish China-US relations continuous improvement and progress, to the benefit of the people of the two countries and the world. I wish you all a happy holiday and all the best! Thank you all!


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