Ni Sa Bula ! Good evening to you all!

Welcome everyone to attend today’s reception. We are extremely pleased to gather together with all the distinguished guests present to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

70 years ago, on October 1st,1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded. Over the past 70 years, China has created an unprecedented development miracle in the history of mankind and completely changed the future and the fate of the Chinese nation. China’s total economic output has increased by more than 450 times from 30 billion U.S. dollars at the beginning of the founding of New China to 13.6 trillion U.S. dollars in 2018. China has become the world’s second largest economy, the largest country of manufacturing, trade in goods, energy production, and foreign exchange reserves, and the only country that has all the industrial categories listed in the UN industry classification. In 2018, China's poor rural population fell from 770 million in 1978 to 16.6 million, making it the first developing country to achieve the UN's poverty reduction goals, contributing more than 70% to global poverty reduction. In recent years, China has made major achievements in manned space flight, lunar exploration, quantum science, deep-sea exploration, supercomputing, satellite navigation and many other fields, and our innovation-driven development strategy has made steady progress. The "One Belt and One Road" Initiative put forward by China has become a popular international public product. 126 countries and 29 international organizations have signed various cooperation documents with China. China's total trade in goods with countries along the “One Belt and One Road” route has exceeded 6 trillion US dollars, and Chinese enterprises have invested more than 90 billion US dollars directly in countries along the Belt and Road route. The above miracles have greatly changed the face of China, Chinese nation, Chinese people and the Communist Party of China, and have gathered into a magnificent scene of the realization of the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

The advances in China over the past 70 years did not fall from the sky, not to mention the gift of others. Instead, they are the result of continued exploration, hard struggle and innovation with diligence and wisdom based on the national condition of China by the Chinese people, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China. Today, China has reached a new historical starting point. We know very well that despite of what we have achieved, there are other peaks ahead that need to be climbed and dangerous shoals waiting to trek. We will continue to advance along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, deepen sweeping reforms, pursue quality development, and expand opening-up. “A single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden”. China is willing to work together with other countries for a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity and justice, and win-win cooperation; practice the development vision that features innovative, coordinated, green, and open development that is for everyone; follow the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, work toward an open world economy and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

In recent years, under the guidance of the leaders of our two countries, China-Fiji relations have maintained a sound momentum of development. Last November, President Xi Jinping met with the leaders of the South Pacific Island countries, during which leaders of both countries agreed to lift the bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development, and cooperation agreements on the Belt and Road, education and tourism were signed, opening a new chapter in the development of bilateral relations. Since the beginning of this year, many cabinet ministers of Fiji visited China. Meanwhile, Minister of Finance and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China also came to Fiji. Party Secretaries of the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee and Guangzhou Municipal Committee paid successful visits to Fiji. In 2018, trade volume between China and Fiji has reached 482 million USD, increased by 26% compared to the year of 2017. The Rewa River Water Supply Scheme undertaken by Chinese contractor was successfully contracted. The construction of Valelevu Stadium, which is funded by Guangdong Province, will start this year. The Agricultural Ministers Meeting of China and Pacific Island Countries and the China-Fiji Tourism Symposium have been held successfully in Fiji. 32 Fijian students and 3 Fijian police officers received Chinese government scholarships and went to China for academic education. Above all, the friendly and mutual-beneficial cooperation between our two countries has been further developed.

China is ready to, together with the Fijian side, constantly enhance mutual trust, continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning respective core interests, strengthen the synergy of development strategies to jointly facilitate cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges including tourism, reinforce communication and coordination on issues such as climate change under multilateral mechanisms, and make joint efforts to safeguard free trade and multilateralism, so as to continuously push forward our comprehensive strategic partnership.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

At the UN Climate Action Summit held two days ago in New York, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping, H.E.Wang Yi called for joint response to climate change with unwavering commitment and unrelenting efforts. As a responsible country, China is pursuing high-quality growth and following a path of green, low-carbon and sustainable development. In 2018, China's CO2 emissions per unit of GDP dropped by 45.8 percent from the 2005 level, or a reduction of around 5.26 billion tons of CO2 emissions, exceeding the target set for the year; the share of non-fossil fuel in primary energy consumption reached 14.3 percent; forest stock increased by 4.56 billion cubic meters from 2005, as a result of new afforestation in China since 2000, which accounts for 25 percent of the global total; and a total of 1.25 million electric vehicles were sold in China, far more than in any other country. China will continue to promote joint building of a green Belt and Road and support the call of Fiji and other South Pacific island countries on tackling climate change under the South-South Cooperation framework.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

The cooperation between China and the South Pacific Island Countries aims to promote the well-being of local people and bilateral friendship. Our circle of friends is getting bigger and bigger. We will continue to expand and deepen our relations with the South Pacific Island Countries on the basis of One-China policy, to fulfill our commitments, provide assistance to the best of our ability, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. I believe that with the joint efforts of China and Fiji, we will achieve more and more fruits in our exchange and cooperation, and China-Fiji relations will become a model of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Thank you. Vinaka Vakalevu !