Geneva, 30 September 2021

Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear friends,

Good evening!

I am very glad to host this online eventtogether with Ambassador Li Chenggang to the World Trade Organization, Ambassador Li Song for Disarmament Affairs, to celebrate the 72ndanniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

This year marks the centenaryof the Communist Party of China. Looking back on the great historical journey, the Chinese nation has achieved tremendous progress from standing up to growing prosperous and becoming stronger, presenting a vibrant and energetic China to the world.

China today is forging ahead on the road where a moderately prosperous society in all respects has been built and people are enjoying a better life. Achieving fruitful results after tenacious struggle and arduous efforts over the past 72 years, China expanded its GDP, which was only 30 billion US dollars in the early days of the PRC, to 14.7 trillion US dollarsin 2020. China has become the world's second largest economy, largest manufacturer, largest trader in goods, second largest consumer of commodities, second largest recipient of foreign direct investment, and largest holder of foreign exchange reserves. In 2021, China has realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and has brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty. More than 850 million people in China have been lifted out of poverty, contributing more than 70% to the global poverty reduction endeavor, and these remarkable achievements will figure prominently in the history of mankind's fight against poverty. China has coordinatedpandemic prevention and control with economic and social development, fostered a new development pattern, promoted positive interplay between domestic and international circulation, and ensured a good start for the country's development during the 14thFive-Year Plan period.

China today is forging ahead on the road where people live and work in peace and happiness. Reaping bountiful harvests after hard work and passing down from generation to generation over the past 72 years, China has persisted in ensuring and enhancing public well-being through development, comprehensively promoting people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, elderly care, housing, and social assistance, and improving people's living standards. Profound changes have taken place in terms of people's lives in China, where the average life expectancy has increased from 35 to 77, and the per capita GDP has increased from 27 US dollars to more than 10,000US dollars. China has established the world's largest social security system, and completed the historic transformation of lifting almost 1.4 billion people out from poverty to secured access to food and clothing, and finally to moderate prosperity. Looking forward to the future, China will adhere to the people-centered development, achieve common prosperity for all while pursuing high-quality development, and move towards the great goal of common prosperity on the basis of consolidating moderate prosperity.

China today is forging ahead under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China. The key to China's achievements that have attracted worldwide attention lies in the fact that we uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Blazing its way forward through all the difficulties and pioneering a glorious journey over the past 100 years, the Communist Party of China, since the very day of its founding, has followed historical trends, and courageously shouldered its historical responsibilities. It has fully exerted its core role in providing overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all sides, united and led the Chinese people in fighting bloody battles, working with perseverance and strenuous efforts, freeing the mind, and keeping to the right path while pursuing innovations. It has achieved great success in the new-democratic revolution , socialist revolution and construction, reform and opening up to the outside world, socialist modernization, and for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Today, with more than 95 million members in a country of more than 1.4 billion people, the Communist Party of China is the largest governing party in the world and enjoys tremendous international influence. Looking forward to the future, the Communist Party of China will unite and lead the Chinese people to march in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, and realize the national rejuvenation.

China today is forging ahead in the pursuit of the rejuvenation for the Chinese nation and the common good for the world. Trying the best to make the trip with great momentum over the past 72 years, China has remained committed to the independent foreign policy of peace, to the path of peaceful development, building a new type of international relations, contributing Chinese wisdom, approach, and strength to world peace and development, and joining hands with other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind. China has actively developed friendly relations with other countries, historically transformed itself from a largely closed country to one that is open to the world on all fronts, actively participated in the process of economic globalization, promoted an open world economy, advanced high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative with its partners, jointly tackled climate change and other challenges, and made due contributions to the common development of mankind. Facing the COVID-19 outbreak, China has worked with all to overcome various difficulties, carried out international cooperation to build a global community of health for all and contributed Chinese wisdom and strength to the global fight against the pandemic. China is more than ever closer to the world's center stage, and has been acknowledged by the international community as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of thelawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations. Over the past 50 years, China has firmly safeguarded the UN-centered international system, upheld the international order underpinned by international law, and joined almost all universal inter-governmental organizations. China has become the top contributor of peacekeepers among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. China has actively participated in the political settlement of international hotspot issues, making active contributions to world peace and security. China has continuously opened up to the world, injecting impetus into global economic growth. China has actively engaged in South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue, making efforts for the world sustainable development. Looking forward to the future, no matter how the international landscape evolves, China will resolutely promote UN's core role in international arena, participate more actively in UN affairs, and make continued efforts for the noble cause of world peace and development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

As one of the most dynamic centers of multilateral diplomacy, Geneva is also where the Chinese multilateral diplomacy started. In 1954, Premier Zhou Enlai led a Chinese delegation to the Geneva Conference, and worked with other countries to seek political settlement of the Korean issue and a ceasefire in Indo-China, contributing Chinese wisdom to world peace. In 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the United Nations Office at Geneva and delivered an important speech, advocating for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and putting forward Chinese proposal for the future of human society, which kept shining with ideological charm and practical significance. In January 2021, at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda, President Xi Jinping delivered a special address titled "Let the Torch of Multilateralism Light up Humanity's Way Forward", which pointed the way for enriching and developing multilateralism in the new era. In the face of profound changes in the world unseen in a century, China will firmly support and safeguard multilateralism, strengthen friendly cooperation with the United Nations and other international organizations on the stage of multilateral diplomacy here in Geneva, explore new opportunities for cooperation, work with all parties to maintain world peace, promote common development, strengthen multilateral cooperation, improve global governance,and make concerted effortswith other member states to build a community with a shared future and a better world for mankind!

Thank you.