This year marks the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. After more than three decades of high-speed growth, China is now the world’s second largest economy. Huge changes have taken place in China and in the lives of its ordinary citizens. Hundreds of millions of people were lifted out of poverty and China has largely shifted from a low-income country to a middle-income one. In 2013, China’s GDP grew by 7.7 per cent and the figure for the first half of 2014 stood at 7.4 per cent.
This has been achieved through the vigorous implementation of a series of reform measures despite domestic and international difficulties.
At present, the Chinese people are making great efforts towards the realisation of the ‘Chinese Dream’, the dream that features national and individual prosperity and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
China will become a moderately prosperous country by the end of this decade and a developed nation by the middle of this century. These are lofty and exciting goals which require relentless and hard efforts. With a population of 1.3 billion, China is still faced with a lot of challenges and will remain a developing country for a long time.
But we are confident that we will rise to the occasion and do a great job. Our recipe is to continue the deepening of the reform and opening up.
Over the last year, a new round of comprehensive and historic reform was initiated, touching almost every aspect of Chinese society. Central to this reform was the simplification of administration and the devolvement of power. Last year, over 600 administrative approval items were either cancelled or delegated to lower levels. This has injected great vitality into the market and unleashed huge potential for business and employment. A new era of grassroots entrepreneurship has been ushered in.
In the meantime, we have also kick-started important reform in many other sectors, such as the household registration system, finance and taxation, healthcare etc.
Important headway was made in Malta-China relations over the past year
All these reforms are aimed to make China a better place and bring its people greater benefit and welfare.
As China grows stronger, its relations with the world have become more intertwined than ever. Late this year, the APEC summit will be held in Beijing.
It provides a major forum for world leaders to discuss important global issues. It also testifies to China’s increasing role as an indispensable backer of world peace, stability and prosperity.
In 2013, China contributed to almost 30 per cent of the world’s economic growth.
Of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China sends the most peacekeeping troops. We have played an increasingly positive role in dealing with hot international issues. Take the recent outbreak of Ebola, for example. China was among the first to announce support measures for Western African countries to fight the disease. During his recent state visit to India, President Xi Jinping announced that China would make a third aid package of 200 million RMB including cash, food and materials, to several stricken countries to combat the virus.
On the bilateral front, we are pleased to note important headway has been made during the last year.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat visited China for the second time in less than a year. He attended an international eco-forum in Guiyang and met Premier Li Keqiang and Vice President Li Yuanchao.
The two sides signed an MOU for medium-term cooperation for the first time in China-Malta history. This paved the way for more future bilateral cooperation in many sectors, such as infrastructure, the energy, education, tourism, etc. It encourages and facilitates more links to be fostered between the two countries.
This is definitely good news to bilateral relations and should be highly welcomed. In the spirit of the MOU, major cooperation is already underway between Enemalta and Shanghai Electric. It will become a landmark project in China-Malta commercial relations and a win-win situation for both countries.
Our people-to-people exchanges have also become more robust. Last month, the first China-Malta Culture and Media Forum was convened in Malta to discuss strengthening the cultural, historic and touristic relations between the two countries. The forum also coincided with the 11th anniversary of the China Cultural Centre in Valletta, which is getting busier by the day.
Events organised by the centre, such as Happy Chinese New Year and World Taiji Day, are drawing more Maltese people to have a taste of Chinese culture.
The Confucius Institute at the University of Malta is doing equally well, introducing Chinese lessons to more primary schools as requested. The Chinese Garden in Santa Luċija has been entirely renovated and now takes on a brand new look, attracting more and more local and foreign visitors to marvel the beauty of traditional Chinese gardens. I heard that some Maltese couples even chose to spend their wedding day there. For many, a visit to the Chinese Garden may well serve as a substitute for an actual trip to China.
Indeed, I wish to encourage more of our Maltese friends to travel to China and experience the country first hand. I’ve heard so many stories of astonishment and excitement from those who went to China and found the country completely different from what they had in mind before. This also illustrates the fact that there is still a considerable misconception about China. On the other hand, it also proves that communication is the best way to dissipate myths and generate mutual goodwill.
Seeing is believing. Those who have been to China are more likely to establish a truer and broader picture of the country than those who haven’t. The same is true for Chinese people visiting Malta.
I hope more Chinese tourists, students and businessmen would come here, explore the country, feel it, love it and sow seeds of friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations. This is of vital importance to our relations and both sides should work hard together to make such exchanges and visits easier and more frequent.
Malta is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its independence. In the span of half a century, this beautiful island nation was transformed from a former British colony to a centre of excellence in the Mediterranean, a gem in the EU.
While congratulating Malta on its achievements, we are pleased to see that relations with China, almost as old, have also always maintained an upward trajectory, moving from strength to strength. On the basis of our historical bond of friendship, we are very confident of an even brighter future for our two countries.
Cai Jinbiao is the Chinese Ambassador to Malta.