Dear friends,

Good evening.

It is my great pleasure to be with you here to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. My warmest welcome to you all. My heartfelt thanks and tribute to all the friends who have been supporting the development of China-US relationship. My greetings and best wishes to the Chinese communities, Chinese students and Chinese enterprise employees in the consular district.

Over the past 75 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have embarked on a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We have witnessed remarkable transformations and achievements in all fields including economy, politics, culture, society, and ecological civilization. The founding of the People’s Republic of China is a milestone in the history of China. It proclaimed the independence of the Chinese nation and the liberation of the Chinese people. The reform and opening up has enabled China to make a great leap from being poor and weak to becoming one of the top economies in the world. Entering the new era, China has won the biggest poverty alleviation battle in human history, and built a moderately prosperous society. China has created the twin miracles of rapid economic growth and enduring social stability. With the aspirations for a better life, the Chinese people are making great efforts for the goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and the great rejuvenation.

Dear friends,

This year is significant in China’s reform and modernization. The Resolution adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sent out a strong and clear message, that China will never stop in our pursuit of reform and opening-up. I would like to share four keywords with you:

First, REFORM. In the Resolution, “reform” as a keyword appeared 145 times. Over 300 reform measures were rolled out, all involving reforms of systems, mechanisms, and institutions. China will complete all these reforms by the time the People’s Republic of China celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2029. It’s a strong expression of our determination and confidence in carrying out reforms to the end.

Second, SYSTEM. China will endeavor to promote high-level institutional openness and create a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment. In recent years, China’s global ranking for business environment has risen from 96th to 31st. We will further ease foreign investment access, fully remove restrictions on foreign capital in the manufacturing sector, and promote orderly opening in sectors such as telecommunications, internet, education, culture, and health-care.

Third, LIVELIHOOD. Our primary goal is to meet people’s aspiration for a better life. To that end, we will promote high-quality population development, and to expand Chinese people’s access to childcare, education, employment, elderly care, housing, medical services, etc.

Fourth, MODERNIZATION. Chinese modernization is not for China alone. We are ready to work with all countries to advance global modernization. It will be featured with peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity. We will stay committed to the common values of all humanity, and call for an equal and orderly multi-polar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. In this process, more opportunities will be generated for the rest of the world.

Turn to China’s economy, it is generally stable with steady growth. In the first half of this year, China’s GDP increased 5% year-on-year, making China one of the fastest growing major economies. Over 26,000 foreign-invested companies were set up in China. More than 14.6 million foreigners traveled to China, up nearly 153% year-on-year. To name a few good examples, Tesla is building a energy storage super factory in China. Apple is expanding its research centers in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Goldman Sachs, Starbucks, Qualcomm, Boeing and many other US companies have sent delegations to China. This is a vote of confidence on China’s market. With its super-sized market, China stands ready to pursue high-level opening up. We are making traditional industries higher-end, smarter and greener. We are promoting the integration of real economy and digital economy. We welcome more American businesses to invest in China and benefit from the new opportunities created by China’s development.

Dear friends,

This year also marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US. Over the past 45 years, the China-U.S. relationship kept forging ahead despite twists and turns, growing into the most important bilateral relationship in the world. How to define and handle our relationship, cooperation or confrontation, bears on the well-being of the Chinese and American peoples as well as the future of humanity. It is always clear and fact-based that China’s commitment to fostering a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged; its principle in handling the relationship based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation remains unchanged; its position of firmly safeguarding China’s sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged; and its efforts to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American people remain unchanged.

Under the strategic guidance of our two heads of state, the two countries have carried out a series of dialogues and cooperation in political affairs and foreign policy, global governance, economy and trade, climate change, counternarcotics and other areas. The friendly exchanges between the two peoples are on the rise. The progress has not come easy. Let’s cherish and maintain the sound momentum.

President Xi Jinping pointed out that the hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at the subnational levels. During the past year, I visited various areas in the consular district and met with many friends. I am greatly encouraged by the progress in our exchange and cooperation. I am also impressed by your aspirations for more exchanges and mutual understandings between the two countries. The China-California Business Forum, the return of China’s giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to San Diego Zoo, the building of green shipping corridors between the Port of Shanghai and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach highlight the achievements of our hand-in-hand efforts. It is also encouraging that more than 1,000 young people in our district have visited China for study or tours, immersing themselves in a real China. Every one of them is a bridge between our two peoples. To implement a diplomacy for the people, we will continue to promote our consular service for our district, including the states of Utah and Colorado, the two new destinations of our service. They are most welcome.

Dear friends,

The Chinese community has been the natural bridge for China-U.S. relations, as expressed by their support to the development of their hometowns and China-US friendship. They have been carrying forward the traditional virtues of diligence, kindness and perseverance, living in harmony with other ethnicities, and promoting the mutually beneficial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between our two countries.

As a Chinese proverb puts it, nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision. We are ready to work with all the friends in our consular district, and spare no effort to enhance our dialogues, sub-national cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, promote the sound, stable and sustainable development of China-US relationship, and bring more well-beings to our two peoples.

Please allow me to propose a toast,

To the prosperity of the People’s Republic of China, 

To the friendship between Chinese and American people,

To the happiness, health and success of all the friends in this room!

Cheers!