Barbados Today

October 1st is the National Day of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. On October 1st, 2019, H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the PRC, delivered a keynote speech at the grand rally in central Beijing to celebrate and commemorate this historic moment. In his speech, President Xi reflected on the PRC’s past 70 years’ history of all Chinese people’s hard work to achieve a happy life and looked forward to an even brighter future for China and the whole world. The following are the highlights of President Xi’s keynote speech:

Expressing Appreciation

“We gathered here today for a grand rally to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC,” President Xi said. “At this very moment, Chinese people of all ethnic groups and all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad take pride in and joyfully give our best wishes to our great motherland.”

President Xi extended warm National Day congratulations to Chinese people of all ethnic groups and all compatriots at home and abroad and expressed heartfelt gratitude to friends around the world for their support for China’s development.

Reviewing the Past

President Xi recalled the endeavours and feats of Chinese revolutionary forefathers and martyrs in pursuing national independence and liberation, a stronger and more prosperous country and the improvement of the people’s well-being over the past years.

“Seventy years ago on this day, Comrade Mao Zedong solemnly declared here to the world that the PRC was founded and the Chinese people had stood up,” President Xi said on Tian’anmen Rostrum. “This great event completely reversed China’s miserable fate born from poverty and weakness and being bullied and humiliated over more than 100 years since the advent of modern times,” Xi said, adding that the Chinese nation has since then embarked on the path of realizing national rejuvenation.

Over the past seven decades, Chinese people of all ethnic groups have made great achievements that amazed the world through concerted efforts and arduous struggle, he said.

In the New Journey

President Xi stressed the importance of upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China, ensuring the principal status of the people, staying on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and fully implement the Party’s basic theory, line and policy.

President Xi stressed that the principles of “peaceful reunification” and “one country, two systems” should be upheld. He demanded efforts to maintain lasting prosperity and stability in Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, to promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, to unite all Chinese sons and daughters, and to continue to strive for China’s complete reunification.

President Xi pledged that China will stay on the path of peaceful development and pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up.”We will continue to work with people from all countries to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind,” he said.

President Xi also said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police Force should always preserve their nature, purpose and character as the forces of the people, resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development interests, and firmly uphold world peace.

Finally, President Xi called for efforts to constantly meet people’s aspirations for a better life and make new historic achievements. “China’s yesterday has been inscribed in human history while China’s today is being created in the hands of hundreds of millions of Chinese people,” Xi said. “China will surely have an even brighter future.”

“All Party members, armed forces and people of all ethnic groups should unite closer together, stay true to the founding mission, build on existing achievements and continue to develop our People’s Republic,” he said, adding that continued efforts should be made to achieve the two centenary goals and national rejuvenation.

Over the 70 years’ development and interaction with the world, China today is more than a country itself. It is one of the responsible members of the international community. China will hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, and keep firmly to the path of peaceful development.

China will stay committed to opening-up and work with people from all countries, including our friends from Barbados, to build a community with a shared future for mankind and to let the sunshine of peace and development warm the entire world.

H.E. Yan Xiusheng is the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Barbados