October 1st is the National Day of China, a most memorable and significant day for the whole Chinese people.
60 years ago on the day in 1949, a new China, the People's Republic of China (PRC), was born. The Chinese people finally stood up after long heroic and courageous struggle for freedom, democracy and liberation. They have since then been redoubling their efforts in their modernization drive to bring the country out of poverty, weakness and backwardness.
China is a great country with a history over 5000 years and a brilliant civilization with 56 nationalities harmoniously living together. The Chinese people are peace-loving, brave and hardworking people. We have always believed that by our own efforts and by learning from propels around the world, our country can be rebuilt into a richer, stronger and greater one. We will also surely make greater contribution for world peace, security and common prosperity.
Over the past 60 years, great achievements have been obtained in our reconstruction. By this year, China is able to rank first in the world in terms of export, second in terms of trade and third in terms of GDP. The Chinese average life expectancy, for instance, has jumped to 73 years from about 35 years before the foundation of PRC; the maternal mortality rate has dropped from 1,500 to 34.2 per 100,000 and the infant mortality rate from 20 to 1.49 percent. The Chinese people are leading a better and happier life than ever.
China however has yet a long way to go as the largest developing country for fully realizing her modernization goal. Our per capita income stays below 100th in the world. Tens of millions of people are living only on or under one dollar a day. Medical and health-care services and social security system are calling for fresh efforts to amend and enhance. Millions of jobs need to be created every year. China wants more than anyone long term stable development at home and lasting world peace and security in the world.
We must march on and move forward. China's active participation in external affairs and steady expansion of relations with the rest of the world have made significant contributions to safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development as well as promoting world peace, common prosperity and cooperation. By adhering to an independent and peaceful foreign policy based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, China has continued to strengthen partnership and cooperation with other countries. The number of countries with which China has diplomatic ties has increased to 171. China has played an active role in international arena with remarkable achievements. Following the outbreak of the global financial crisis, China has tried best to boost confidence of the international community to overcome crisis and made significant contributions to promote recovery of the world economy and safeguard international financial stability.
China has been and will continue to be a responsible country in international society and make her contribution for world peace and common development. We will stick to the path of peaceful development and observe a mutually beneficial opening-up policy in a bid to promote development of a harmonious world with lasting peace and common prosperity.
The China-Arab friendship and cooperation have been developing steadily and rapidly in all those decades and seeing greater growth in recent years. Top level dialogues and exchanges are increasing with mutual beneficial bilateral cooperation widening. The newly established China-Arab Cooperation Forum has provided an excellent platform to deepen our partnership. The dialogue and cooperation between China and the GCC countries, Qatar included, has also been growing with each past year. With joint efforts, I believe, Sino-Qatari as well as Sino-Arab ties and cooperation as a whole will see an even brighter future ahead.
Chinese Embassy
(Source: National Day supplement of Gulf Times)