—- on the 72nd anniversary of the People’s Republic of China
By Chinese Ambassador H.E. Chao Xiaoliang
This year 2021 marks the 72nd birthday of People’s Republic of China. In the past 72 years, the world has witnessed a new China emerging, becoming more prosperous and stronger. Through the joint efforts of the Chinese nation, China has realized its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and brought about a historic resolution to absolute poverty, living up to the expectations of both history and the people.
For 72 years, China maintains robust momentum in economic growth. From 1952 to 2019, China’s GDP soared from 67.9 billion yuan to 98.65 trillion yuan, propelling the nation to become the world’s second largest economy. China has managed to become the first major country to gain economic recovery during the pandemic, with its GDP expanding 2.3% on a year-on-year basis and exceeding 100 trillion yuan in 2020. In the first half of 2021, its GDP increases at an annual rate of 12.7%. China has now become a global economic powerhouse with the largest trade volume in goods and the second largest amount of foreign direct investment, hosting international events like China International Import Expo, China International Fair for Trade in Services and China Import and Export Fair to inject strong momentum in promoting world economic recovery and growth.
For 72 years, people’s prosperity and well-being are always of vital importance to China. With its achievements in social and economic comprehensive development, China has reached its goal of eradicating absolute poverty and lifted all of 98.99 million rural residents out of poverty. Meanwhile, China is committed to making huge progress in ensuring people’s accessibility to its social security system ranging from childcare, education, employment, housing to elderly care and social assistance, covering nearly 1 billion people under its old-age insurance system and 1.36 billion people under the medical insurance system. The enrollment rate of compulsory education reached 100%. China has now turned out to be an example for the world in reducing poverty and improving people’s livelihood.
Faced with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, China pulled through unprecedented difficulties and took the strictest measures to contain local transmission. Meanwhile, China has joined the global anti-pandemic efforts by sharing experience of prevention and strengthening vaccine cooperation. So far, China has provided more than one billion doses of finished and bulk vaccines to over 100 countries and international organizations and will strive to provide a total of two billion doses by the end of this year. At the 13th BRICS Summit on September 9th, 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced that on top of the 100 million U.S. dollars donation to COVAX, China will donate an additional 100 million doses of vaccines to fellow developing countries within this year. China has also been actively promoting international cooperation on origin-tracing of the virus. Based on the principle of science, objectivity and impartiality, China has received WHO experts twice and co-released with WHO the joint mission report on origin-tracing, making positive contributions to the global response and gaining worldwide recognition.
The road ahead is long, and striving assiduously is the only way forward. China have broken through brambles and thorns to great accomplishments. We will continue to march ahead with courage. This year witnesses the delivery of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development. The Chinese nation will endeavor to accelerate our pace to set up a new pattern for development and forge towards building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.
Peace, concord, and harmony are ideas that Chinese nation has pursued and carried forward for more than 5,000 years. The Communist Party of China cares about the future of humanity and wishes to move forward in tandem with all progressive forces around the world. China has always worked to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and preserve international order.
Nowadays, mutual endeavor of international community is the key to counter the ongoing global changes and COVID-19 pandemic. China is willing to take its responsibilities as world’s largest developing country, embrace the vision of mankind living in a community with a shared future, uphold the common values of humanity of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, and pursue joint progress in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual learning. China insists on practicing true multilateralism, safeguarding the international system centered on the UN and the international order based on international law, and seeking common prosperity through equal-footed and mutually beneficial cooperation. China will adhere steadfastly to the Belt and Road Initiative and accelerate the establishment of a “dual circulation” development pattern in which domestic economic cycle plays a leading role while international economic cycle remains its extension and supplement, so that the fruits of development will benefit all countries in the world.
2021 also marks the 46th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Samoa. In the past 46 years, the two countries have constantly deepened political mutual trust, increasingly expanded practical cooperation, and further intensified people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
China and Samoa are good friends sharing weal and woe as well as good partners with mutual respect and benefit. Even facing with challenges like pandemic and climate change, our mutual trust and joint efforts will never fade. While Prime Minister, Her Honorable Fiame has expressed Samoa’s determination of responding to climate change, promoting economy recovery through digital innovation and embracing technology and knowledge sharing for Samoan people, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the General Debate of the 76th Session of UNGA that China will work with the world in revitalizing the economy and pursuing more robust, greener and more balanced global development, with steadfast commitments to share development benefits for all, maintain harmony between man and nature, promote innovation-driven development and strengthen mutual respect and win-win cooperation in conducting international relations.
Deeds accord with words. China and Samoa share fruitful results in win-win cooperation, with mutual goals to promote economic and social development and tangible benefits to the peoples. It is witnessed by the past 46 years that, China has provided aids in building more than 20 infrastructure projects in Samoa, including Government Building, Parliament Building, Aquatic Centre, Tuanaimato Sports Complex, Apia Park, Faleolo International Airport, Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital and Maritime Academy. By now, China has conducted 5 phases of China-Samoa Agricultural Technical Cooperation Program, which has trained more than 10,000 Samoan farmers. Beyond 130 medical experts have been dispatched to Samoa for 19 phases of medical assistant program, bringing hope to more than 80,000 patients. The total number of Samoan people who has been trained or educated in China has exceeded 5,000.
Since the outbreak of pandemic, China and Samoa have worked together and gained fruitful results in information sharing, experience exchange, and financial and medical assistance. Medical supplies with worth of $1.53 million were provided by China to support Samoan people to counter coronavirus. In the meantime, pandemic failed to stop our pace to advance the resumption work of aid projects like Cultural and Art Center, Friendship Park, Police Academy and three primary schools to ensure that Samoan people will soon benefit from those projects.
As an old Samoan proverb goes, “Na tagisia La’ulu o se va’a ia goto.” Meet challenges with confidence and courage and the success will soon arrive. The long-standing China-Samoa friendship will provide us with courage to go through the test of global challenges. China will continuously embrace the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith to push forwards China-Samoa Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a higher level. I believe, with two peoples standing together hand in hand, China and Samoa will generate stronger mutual trust, closer cooperation and deeper friendship and build a brighter future for our two peoples.