THE People’s Republic of China [PRC] marked its 71st Anniversary of the founding of modern China – the first official event being held in Honiara since its Embassy was opened in the Solomon Islands on 21st September this year.
And the PRC’s first envoy to Solomon Islands, Ambassador Li Ming, did not hold back on his country’s unparalleled achievement over the last seven decades.
“The People’s Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. Over the past 71 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have forged ahead along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and achieved a tremendous transformation: it has stood up, grown rich, and is becoming strong.
“The Chinese people,” he said, “have mastered their own destiny.”
Ambassador Li said the founding of the PRC has “completely changed the fate of China, which had been poor and weak for more than 100 years since modern eras.”
He also spoke of improved basic political systems such as the system of People’s Congresses and the multi cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
On the economy, Ambassador Li said China’s economy “has developed by leaps and bounds.
“China’s GDP rose from 60 billion yuan in 1949 to 99 trillion yuan (about USD14.4 trillion in 2019, with per capita GDP exceeding USD10, 000. China has built the most complete modern industrial system in the world, with 5G networks, manned spaceflight, supercomputers, high-speed railways and e-commerce, mobile payments, and the sharing economy, the largest trader of goods, the largest manufacturer, and the largest holder of foreign exchange reserves in the world.”
He told the gathering that the well-being of the Chinese people has been “greatly improved.”
“More than 740 million Chinese have been lifted out of poverty and more than 400 million have entered the middle-income bracket. China has established the world’s largest social security net, covering 1.4 billion people.
“This year marks the victory of China’s efforts to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and a decisive year in the fight against poverty,” Ambassador Li said.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare also spoke at the gathering attended by some 300 guests, including Government Ministers, senior officials, and members of the Chinese community in Honiara.
Mr. Sogavare said the Anniversary marked an important event “in the making of the great Nation of the People’s Republic of China.
“That being, the Martyrs’ Day which is celebrated in China on September 30, the eve of the National Day, to commemorate those who lost their lives for the national and territorial integrity of the people of China.
“That speaks volume of the driving force behind the attitude towards ‘success and achieving goals’, of your great nation and the entrepreneurial spirit of your people under the leadership of great leaders of the Chinese Communist Party over seven decades, to face the challenges of nation-building head-on, and to present to the world, the China we know and admire today. It is an expensive and challenging journey. It is worth celebrating!,” Mr. Sogavare said.
“This spirit,” he said; “is summarised by President Xi Jinping in a written interview with reporters in Trinidad and Tobago in 2013, during which His Excellency said, “The Chinese nation has emerged resilien(t) from trials and tribulations, and it never gave up the pursuit of its beautiful dreams – Realizing the Chinese Dream of the rejuvenation of the Chinese people since the advent of modern times”.
He said President also said in the statement that, “The Chinese Dream will benefit not only the people of China but also of other countries.
“That prophetic statement is fulfilling in our very eyes, across the continents and regions of the world.
“We also note with great admiration China’s commitment to eradicating poverty since the adoption of the reform and opening-up policy. … The country saw the number of impoverished rural residents decline from nearly 800 million in late 1978 to 5.51 million by the end of 2019, as shown by data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics.
“The evidence of this great achievement is, you can hardly see beggars on the streets of Beijing and other major cities in China,” Mr. Sogavare said.
By Alfred Sasako
Newsroom, Honiara
