Sending a strong signal of China-SA solidarity
Remarks on celebration of the 71st Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China
Dear South African friends, My Fellow Chinese from our consular districts of Gauteng and Free State, Ladies and gentlemen.
October 1 is China’s National Day. This year marks the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. First I would like to thank Free State Premier Hon Ms Sisi Ntombela and Gauteng Premier Hon Mr David Makhura, who have kindly sent us congratulatory messages on the occasion of China’s National Day.
In 2020, the world and China have faced many difficulties and challenges, of which the Covid19 pandemic is the fastest spreading, most extensive and most challenging public health emergency China has yet encountered since 1949. Due to the pandemic and other elements, the prospect of world economic growth was weak, international trade frictions were intensified and downward pressure on the domestic economies was increasing. Faced with the sudden strike of Covd-19, China made pandemic prevention and control the absolute priority. General Secretary and President Xi Jinping personally took charge of directing and planning the response and put the health and safety of the people first as he led the party, the military and people of all ethnic groups in China in an all-out people’s war to curb the spread of the virus. We made difficult but determined decision to temporarily lock down the epicentre, Wuhan city, on January 23. Under the leadership of CPC, with the great efforts across China, positive results were secured both in tackling pandemic and advancing economic and social development.
Of course, these successes were hard-won — the Chinese economy had negative growth in the first quarter, and people’s daily lives and employment were greatly affected.
The impact of Covid-19 and consequential global economic recession on the Chinese economy was unprecedented. While continuing the pandemic response, the Chinese government lost no time in resuming work and production. A number of major reform and opening-up initiatives have been outlined to enhance the endogenous engines for growth and stimulate market vitality. The central government has adopted, firstly, the principles of stabilising the six fronts in employment — finance, foreign trade, foreign inbound investment, domestic investment, and market expectations — secondly, guaranteeing the security of six priorities in jobs — daily living needs, the interests of market players, food and energy, industrial and supply chains and the smooth functioning of primacy-level governments — thirdly, developing the policy of “dual circulation” New Development Pattern in which the domestic economic cycle plays a leading role while international economic cycle remains its extension and supplement.
These principles and policies have helped to ensure the stability of supplies and prices and the resumption of work and production in a timely and effective way and have brought tangible outcomes.
The Chinese economy has shown great resilience and enormous potential, remaining stable overall. In the second quarter of this year, China’s gross domestic product expanded by 3.2% year on year, reversing the 6.8% contraction in the first quarter. China’s fiscal revenue marked the first expansion this year by gaining 3.2% year on year in June. China’s economic rebound is expected to further consolidate in the third and fourth quarters with a 2.5% to 3% year-end growth with more stabilising measures and policy incentives. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, China has actively conducted antipandemic international cooperation by offering aid including goods and money to more than 150 countries and international organisations as strong support to their pandemic response. We have fully advanced resumption of work and production, making positive contributions to stabilise global industrial and supply chains. We have continued to expand opening up and promoted external trade and co-operation.
In June, China's total trade in goods registered 5.1% growth year on year, with imports up by 6.2%, which has boosted the total demand of the world and promoted international development. Some authoritative international institutions are optimistic about the prospect of China's economic growth that China would be the only major economy to maintain positive growth for this year. Such expectation will certainly inject confidence and driving force into the recovery of global economy.
At present, the pandemic is not yet behind us. We must redouble our efforts to fulfil the targets and tasks for economic and social development. We are ready to work with all parties to strengthen macroeconomic policy co-ordination, step up co-operation on pandemic prevention and resumption of work, production, school and markets, jointly build an open and inclusive world economy and make unremitting efforts to help the world economy overcome recession and achieve steady recovery. Covid-19 knows no borders, nationality or skin colour. Solidarity and co-operation are the most powerful weapons available to the international community in the war against the virus. China is committed to strengthening international cooperation in this global battle. We will work together with all nations to stand in unity and engage in co-operation and multilateralism to fend off a deepening global recession and to build a global community with a shared future.
What we do today determines our future.
Even while facing the tremendous pressure that has arisen from Covid-19, China swiftly carried out exchanges and co-operation with the international community and WHO from the beginning, contributing ingenuity and strength to the global fight, especially providing as much assistance as we could to African countries.
China will continue to help African countries by donating supplies, dispatching medical expert teams and facilitating Africa’s procurement of medical supplies in China, working with the global community to give African countries greater support, by such means as further extending the period of debt suspension, and encourage Chinese financial institutions to respond to the G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).
China has also pledged that once the development and deployment of Covid-19 vaccines are completed in China, African countries will be among the first to benefit. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, US politicians have been peddling lies that discredit China’s antipandemic efforts and shift the blame to China. The novel coronavirus is the common enemy of mankind. China believes countries should join hands to fight the virus instead of politicising and pinning a label to the virus. China’s policy towards the US remains consistent and stable.
In the meantime, China is also prepared for possible bumps and storms ahead.
China urges certain US politicians to redress their mistakes, return to reasonable, correct views and handle ChinaUS relations and bring bilateral ties back to the right track at an early date. Smearing and shifting the blame to other countries is doomed to fail. Globalisation is the reality of our times and the path to greater globe social progress. In particular, as the world enters the post-Covid-19 era, countries are all confronted with the tasks of resuming work and production, reviving the economy and keeping domestic industrial and supply chains stable. No country can do this alone. Only by sticking together and lending each other a helping hand can we get through the hard times.
We will always remember the support and assistance from the ANC and other South African parties, governments and people of all circles at the critical moment of China’s battle against Covid-19. President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote to and called each other on many occasions to exchange views and reach important consensus on ChinaSA and China-Africa cooperation in the fight against Covid-19.
We are happy to see that SA’s great efforts in the battle with Covid-19 have paid off. Over the past several weeks, the number of new confirmed cases has dropped dramatically from a peak of more than 10,000 a day. This would not be possible without the good and effective governance of South African governments, the dedication and professionalism of health personnel, all front-line workers and the sacrifices made by the people of SA.
The Consulate General of China in Johannesburg has also extended our helping hand in SA’s fight against the Covid-19. We shared Chinese experience to the governments in our consular districts and we donated prevention materials and encouraged Chinese communities to make contributions to the local communities. It is worth mentioning that charitable donations from China, this Consulate and the Chinese communities are still ongoing. As a Chinese saying goes: when brothers come together, there is nothing they cannot achieve. China and SA are implementing their commitments with practical actions, sending a strong signal of China-SA solidarity and cooperation to the world. We share a common destiny and move forward hand in hand on the path of common development, and will surely make new and greater contributions to the cause of peace and development of mankind.
This year is a key milestone in the course of China’s national rejuvenation. China will accomplish the 13th Five-Year Plan, achieve the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects, win the battle of elimination of the population living below the current poverty line in all poor counties, and formulate the 14th Five-Year Plan, thus drawing the blueprint for China to embark on a new journey toward the second Centenary Goal.
This Consulate General will continue to work closely with governments at all levels in Gauteng and Free State, to enhance our economic, cultural co-operation and people to people links. We will try our best to deliver good visa and consular services to the South African and Chinese communities. And we will continue to help the Chinese companies and enterprises which have invested in, or are going to invest in, SA to boost business development and increase local employment. We are so happy that this year the National Day of China happens to be overlapped with China’s Mid-Autumn Day, which is one of the most important festivities in China. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Day, the moon will be at its roundest and brightest, symbolising a spiritual feeling of love and togetherness.
We wish everyone of you all the best. Happy Birthday, China! Thank you all.
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Celebrating the 71st Anniversary of the Founding of The People’s Republic of China (1949-2020) Celebrating the 71st Anniversary of the Founding of The People’s Republic of China (1949-2020)