On October 8, 2023, the Chinese Embassy in the Maldives held a reception to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. H.E. Ambassador Wang Lixin delivered remarks at the reception as follows:
Honorable Dr Mohamed Muizzu, President-elect of the Maldives,
Honorable Dr. Ibrahim Hassan, Minister of Higher Education of the Maldives,
Honorable Mr. Uz Ahmed Muthasim Adnan, Chief Justice of the Maldives,
Honorable Mr. Hussain Mohamed Latheef, Vice President-elect of the Maldives,
Honorable Ministers, MPs and senior officials,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Dear friends,
Good evening! It is indeed a great honor for me to extend a warm welcome to all the distinguished guests to attend this auspicious function today.
October 1st marks the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Recently, the Maldivian leaders, major parties and friends from all walks of life have extended congratulatory messages to the Chinese leaders, our Embassy, and myself, expressing warm greetings to China and Chinese people as well as common wishes to enhance cooperation with China. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy, I’d like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you!
Over the past 74 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have successfully embarked on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We have made great achievements of completing building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and eliminating absolute poverty in a historic way. We are now taking great strides towards the realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Last year, the 20th CPC National Congress was successfully concluded. It mapped out a grand blueprint to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, which anchored the direction, provided impetus to China’s development in the new era, and injected stability and positive energy into the world fraught with uncertainty and instability.
At the new starting point, China continues to promote high-quality development and high-standard opening-up unswervingly. Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese economy has maintained a continued recovery and upturn. It achieved a year-on-year growth of 5.5% in the first half of the year, taking the lead among major economies in the world. The IMF predicted that China's economy will grow by 5.2% this year and contribute one-third to the world's economic growth. The Chinese economy has strong resilience, enormous potential and great vitality, and its long-term positive fundamentals will not change. China still remains an important engine of world economic growth and will continue to provide a steady flow of impetus for the world economic recovery. The growth of the Chinese economy will provide more opportunities and even more dividends for all the countries including the Maldives.
This year marks the 10th anniversary since President Xi Jinping put forth the idea of a community with shared future for mankind. The idea takes the common values of all mankind as the value pursued, building a new type of international relations as the fundamental path, joint building the Belt and Road as the practical platform, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative as the major support. The idea points out the right direction for world development at a turning point in history, forges a strong consensus for international cooperation at a time of transformation and uncertainties. This is China’s contribution of wisdom and power to tackle global challenges and improve global governance.
This year also marks the 10th anniversary since President Xi Jinping put forth the Belt and Road Initiative. This initiative holds the spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. It aims at common development, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. It originates from China, but its chances and outcomes belong to the whole world. Over the past 10 years, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents on joint building "the Belt and Road" with more than 150 countries, including the Maldives, as well as more than 30 international organizations. The two-way investment with countries along the Belt and Road has totaled more than 270 billion US dollars with more than 3000 cooperation projects and created 421,000 jobs for those partner countries. Indeed, the Belt and Road has become the road of development, happiness and prosperity. I am very happy to see that the key projects of China-Maldives joint building "the Belt and Road" such as China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, Velana International Airport, Laamu Link Road and Social Housing Projects have brought tremendous benefits to the Maldivian people. China will hold the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing this month. China is ready to take this opportunity to work with all countries for greater cooperation and development.
Dear friends,
China and the Maldives are friendly neighbors. Our friendly exchanges date back to ancient times. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, China and the Maldives are not only sincere friends of mutual trust and mutual assistance, but also good partners for common development and prosperity. Since China and the Maldives established diplomatic relations 51 years ago, we have always respected and supported each other, which has set a good example of equal treatment and win-win cooperation for countries of different sizes. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of our two countries, our bilateral relationship has maintained a good momentum of healthy and steady development. Since the beginning of this year, we have pressed together the "fast forward button" for the post-pandemic recovery of China-Maldives relations. We have resumed direct flights, which helped speed up China-Maldives tourism cooperation. The China-Maldives Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement has officially come into effect, which further facilitated people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The China-Maldives Ophthalmic Center Assistance Cooperation Project has been officially launched, starting a new model of assistance cooperation between the two countries. Friends from all walks of life including senior government officials as well as representatives from political parties, media and local governments have successively visited China, enhancing people-to-people friendship between the two countries. Our relations are greatly accelerated and will have a bright prospect of greater progress.
Looking into the future, the Chinese side is ready to stride forward hand-in-hand with the Maldivian government and friends from all walks of life on the fast track to carry forward traditional friendship and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly writing a new chapter for the future-oriented all-round friendly and cooperative partnership between our two countries!
May I wish our great motherland a happy birthday and prosperity, and the great Chinese people happiness and well-being!
May I wish China-Maldives relations more progress and achievements!