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Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the Reception Marking the 67th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China
2016-09-27 06:18

(The Langham Hotel, London, 27 September 2016)

Chancellor Hammond,

Secretary Hunt,

Baroness Neville-Rolfe,

General Sir Christopher Deverell,

My Lords and MPs,

Your Excellencies, members of the diplomatic corps,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

A very warm welcome to the Chinese National Day Reception! We are delighted to have you all with us this evening to celebrate the 67th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

This is the seventh national day reception I have hosted in London. Chancellor Hammond and Secretary Hunt, your presence today reminds me of the first national day reception I hosted six years ago. At that time you were both attending for the first time as cabinet secretaries.

Time flies! Over the past six years, Chancellor, you have been successively Secretary for Transport, Secretary for Defence, Foreign Secretary and now Chancellor of Exchequer. Secretary Hunt, you switched the role from then Culture Secretary to now Health Secretary, and from a newly-wed to a father-of-three.

At the Embassy during the past six years, I have worked with five Deputy Heads of Mission. Today, I want to take this opportunity to bid farewell to Minister Ni Jian and welcome the new Minister Zhu Qin.

Minister Ni has worked in London for over two years. With his dedication, hard work and attention to details, he has greatly contributed to advancing China-UK relations. Minister Ni, it is sad to see you leave and I wish you every success in your new post. We'll miss you!

The new and young minister, Zhu Qin, has long been engaged in China-UK relations. He is a "UK expert" in China's foreign service. Minister Zhu, welcome back to London and welcome on board! I sincerely hope that Minister Zhu will enjoy the kind support of our British friends from all sectors.

Indeed, a great deal can happen in six years, and a great deal can be achieved.

Over the past six years, China has made tremendous progress both at home and in its ties with the world:

· We have put forward the "two centenary goals" aimed at building the "Chinese Dream".

· The first centenary goal is to build China into a moderately prosperous society by 2021. That will be the year when the Communist Party of China marks its 100th anniversary.

· The second centenary goal is to build China into a modern, socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious. The aim is to achieve this target by 2049. That is the time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.

· In order to achieve these goals, we have laid out the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy. This includes:

o building moderate prosperity in all respects;

o deepening all-round reform;

o advancing the rule of law in every aspect

o and strengthening all-round Party discipline.

· We have launched the 13th Five Year Plan, which is highlighted by five key development concepts, namely:

o innovation;

o balanced growth;

o a green economy;

o continued opening-up;

o and inclusive development.

· Implementation of the 13th Five Year Plan will ensure the continued strong growth of China's economy.

In addition to what we have accomplished at home, much has been done in the field of external relations:

· China has remained committed to an opening and win-win strategy.

· We look to deepen our integration into the process of economic globalisation and support the multi-lateral trade regime.

· We have lowered the threshold for foreign investment. This will create a business-friendly environment and a level-playing field.

· We have put forward the "One Belt One Road Initiative" and established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

· This is a move to advance regional infrastructure building and to provide new public goods and development opportunities to the world.

· We have committed ourselves to the path of peaceful development.

· We have been active in providing Chinese solutions to global issues.

· All in all, we have been dedicating our efforts to building a new type of international relations that feature win-win cooperation.

Earlier this month, China successfully hosted the G20 Summit in Hangzhou:

· The summit focused on moving towards "An Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy".

· This was the latest example of a Chinese solution and Chinese wisdom for addressing the challenges in the global economy.

· This was China's contribution to the global efforts aimed at a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy.

In the past six years, remarkable achievements have also been made in China-UK relations. The ties between our two great nations have been constantly upgraded:

· The "Super State Visit" to the UK by President Xi Jinping last October marked a significant milestone.

· During that visit, our two countries decided to jointly build a global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century.

· Together we unveiled a "Golden Era" of China-UK relations.

· Despite the unexpected changes following the Brexit referendum and British government reshuffle, the vital interests that bond our two countries together, and the fundamentals of China-UK relations, have remained unchanged.

· I am pleased to see that Prime Minister May attended the G20 Summit in Hangzhou and had a successful bilateral meeting with President Xi.

· The leaders of our two countries reaffirmed the "Golden Era" for China-UK relationship and reiterated the shared commitment to bringing our global comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level.

· I am also glad that just days ago the British government approved the Hinkley Point project and reaffirmed its welcome to Chinese investment in the UK.

· I am equally glad that Chinese businesses have maintained enthusiasm to do business here in the UK despite the Brexit referendum. They have cast their "vote of confidence" with continued investments and contracts.

· This year also saw a series of advances in China-UK relations:

· The first China-UK high-level security dialogue, the 12th meeting of the China-UK Joint Economic and Trade Commission, as well as the first China-UK Regional Leaders Summit were held.

· The Chinese government issued the first RMB sovereign bond here in London.

· China and the UK co-hosted a series of joint commemoration activities to mark the 400th anniversary of the passing of Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare.

· And, last week, the China-UK Leadership Forum was successfully held in Ditchley Park.

China and the UK have also maintained the frequency of high-level contacts:

· Chancellor Hammond, you yourself have so far made four visits to China this year as Foreign Secretary and as Chancellor.

· China's Foreign Minister, Supervision Minister and Defence Minister have come to the UK for the Syria Donors Conference, the International Anti-Corruption Summit and the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial respectively.

· And, last week, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Foreign Secretary Johnson held a bilateral meeting during the UN General Assembly.

These successful interactions give me every reason to have high expectations of a number of important bilateral meetings that will be held in the coming months:

· Chancellor Hammond will co-host with Vice Premier Ma Kai the eighth China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue.

· State Councilor Yang Jiechi will come here for China-UK Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Secretary Johnson.

· And Secretary Hunt will head to China to co-host with Vice Premier Liu Yandong the fourth meeting of China-UK High Level People to People Dialogue.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

"If two people are of the same mind, their strength can cut through metal, and their consensus-based argument is as appealing as the fragrance of orchid flowers."

This is an ancient Chinese quote praising the power of cooperation and concerted efforts.

As President Xi said, China and the UK are permanent members of the UN Security Council and important members of the G20 and other international organizations. Stronger and closer cooperation between our two countries not only benefits our two peoples, but also serves the interests of world peace and development.

Next year will mark the 45th anniversary of the establishment of ambassadorial-level diplomatic ties between China and the UK. This will be a time to review the past experience. This will also be an opportunity to create even deeper foundations upon which the future of our relations will be built.

China stands ready to work with Britain:

· To further increase our political mutual trust;

· To deepen our exchanges and cooperation across the board;

· To consolidate China-UK global comprehensive strategic partnership in the "Golden Era".

· And together, we can make a success of it!

Now, please join me in a toast:

· To the 67th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

· To the "Golden Era" of China-UK relations.

· To the health and success of everyone present tonight!

Cheers!

(Secretary Hunt and Chancellor Hammond)

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