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Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Pan Hejun at the Reception Celebrating the 62nd National Day Of the People's Republic of China

2011-09-30

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for joining us tonight in this celebration of the 62nd National Day of the People’s Republic of China.

In 1949, the Chinese people led by the Communist Party of China achieved national independence and liberation after long time armed struggles, and founded the People’s Republic of China.

Thanks to the wise leadership of the Communist Party of China and the hard work of the Chinese people, China has undergone profound changes in the past 62 years. The transformation from a poor and backward country to a prosperous and promising one has been achieved. The Chinese people, once lacking of food and clothes, are now enjoying a comfortable life.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Founded in 1921, the CPC has grown from a 50 member small party to the largest political party in the world with over 80 million members. While leading the Chinese people on the way to achieve national development, the CPC has kept pace with the times and never stopped innovating itself. What has not changed is the purpose of the CPC, which is to serve the people wholeheartedly.

This year is also the beginning year of China’s 12th Five-Year Plan. In China, the Government drafts a development plan for every five years after seeking advices from all walks of life. The plan, once approved by the National People’s Congress, the Parliament of China, will act as a blueprint and a guideline for the social and economic development of China in the coming five years. And the whole country will work together to achieve the objectives set by the plan.

The current 12th Five-Year Plan period is a critical stage in China’s efforts to build a moderately well-off and harmonious society. In the plan, there are two main tasks.

The first one is to shift the growth model. The economy growth of China will move from heavy reliance on investment and export to balanced growth driven by domestic consumption, investment and export. We will also speed up the establishment of an innovation system, and enhance the role of science and technology in motivating social and economic development.

The second one is to improve people’s living standard. To this end, the Chinese Government will take effective measures to increase people’s income and provide better public service. We will make steady progress towards providing all our citizens with good education, good jobs, quality health care, an old age pension and suitable housing. 36 million apartments will be built for low-income families, and more than 45 million new jobs will be created in the five years. This will ensure that the fruits of development will be shared by the people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since China became the second largest economy in the world in 2010, there have been worries about China’s future development. What development path has China chosen? What will China’s development bring to the rest of the world?

The answer is China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development. This is our strategic choice and the promise we have made to the world. We will achieve development through our own efforts and by carrying out reform and innovation. At the same time, we will open ourselves to the outside and learn from other countries. We will seek mutual benefit and common development with other countries, and work together with other countries to build a harmonious world of durable peace and common prosperity.

China with fast development will be a new opportunity to the rest of the world. China has been making important contributions to the stable development of world economy. Since its entry into the WTO in 2001, China has imported goods worth nearly 750 billion US dollars every year, and created over 14 million jobs for those exporting countries and regions.

China with fast development means it has more capacity to help other countries. By the end of 2009, China had given assistance worth RMB 256 billion to other countries, and sent 21,000 medical personnel to help other countries. To encourage the least developed countries to expand their export to China, China has pledged zero tariff treatment to over 95 % of their export to China. Recently, China provided emergency food aid worth about 84 million US dollars to some famine plagued African countries.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

China’s stable and peaceful development has added momentum to the development of China-Malawi friendly relations. In the past three or so years, our bilateral relations have experienced a rapid and comprehensive development, featuring with fruitful results.

By the end of this year, the International Conference Center and Five-Star Hotel will be completed, 10 months ahead of the schedule. In the south, the Malawi University of Science and Technology is under construction. A modern university with advanced facilities will be set up by early 2013. In the north, the Karonga-Chitipa Road is expected to be completed next year. Seeing is believing, within a short period of time, Malawian people have seen the fruits of China-Malawi relations.

The economic and trade cooperation between our two countries has been expanding. In 2010, the two-way trade volume was 112 million US dollars, an increase of 36% compared to the previous year. The Chinese investment to Malawi reached 59 million US dollars, and has created many jobs for local people.

The people-to-people exchange is vigorous. Each year, more than 1000 Malawian people visit China, and the number is increasing very fast. In order to support the education development and human resources capacity building of Malawi, the Chinese government has provided more than 120 scholarships to Malawi for the last three years. And we invite more than 200 professionals from all walks of life of Malawi to China for short-term training every year.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Both China and Malawi belong to developing countries and are facing the same task of national development. The relations between our two countries are built on the principle of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. China is a development partner of Malawi. The assistance China provides to Malawi is mutual help between developing countries, and is aimed at helping Malawi embark on the road of self-reliance and sustainable development.

Next year, the China-Malawi friendly relationship will celebrate its fifth anniversary. We will join hands with the Malawian Government and people, continue to deepen the friendly cooperation in various fields, and promote the development of China-Malawi relations to a new stage.

Now, I propose to raise our glasses,

For the good health of H.E. President Bingu wa Mutharika!

For the everlasting friendship between China and Malawi!

For the wellbeing and happiness of the peoples of our two countries!

Cheers!

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