Hon. Mayor Garcetti,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for joining us this afternoon at the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Our sincere appreciation goes to Hon. Mayor Garcetti, to all of you for your friendship with China and for your contributions to the Sino-U.S. relationship over the years.

65 years ago, Chairman Mao Zedong announced to the world the founding of the People's Republic of China. He famously stated that the Chinese people had stood up. The country at that time was still in a state of poverty and dire need.

65 years on, China has gone through a historic transformation. It is not an easy journey though. We have gone through all kinds of difficulties, trying to find a right path to progress and prosperity.

Now we've succeeded, through reform and opening-up and by embarking on a road of enduring economic and social progress. Our 1.3 billion people are advancing towards "Xiaokang", the Chinese word for "prosperous life".

Today China's reform and opening-up is undergoing a historic process of transformation and upgrading. Our aim is to give everyone in China a chance to realize their own Chinese Dream.

Ladies and gentlemen,

A stable and prosperous China contributes hugely to the peace, stability and development of the world. The U.S. is an important international partner of ours. We share extensive common views on contemporary issues and we are both devoted to closer bilateral cooperation. We have also been able to handle differences through candid dialogues. Given the new opportunities, the two sides should work together to bring our relations to a new high.

California, Los Angeles in particular can play an important role in the development of China and U.S. relations. As we know, Los Angeles is an important commercial, cultural and financial hub in America's West. One third of the Sino-U.S. trade is conducted through Los Angeles Customs District. Los Angeles has the largest overseas Chinese population in the U.S. and holds particular appeal for Chinese investors, students and tourists. Mayor Garcetti will pay a visit to China this November, and I believe his visit will further enhance the friendship and cooperation between Los Angeles and China. I wish his China trip a full success.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today we live in a world changing and evolving at a faster pace than humanity has ever seen. It creates huge challenges but more opportunities for all the countries. As the largest developing country and the most developed country in the world, China and the U.S. together have an important role to play in serving peace, stability and prosperity of the world. As Chinese President Xi Jinping says that the vast Pacific Ocean has ample space to accommodate our two great nations. This is a time to build on our achievements and this is a time to aspire for new goals.

The healthy and steady growth of China-U.S. relations wouldn't have been possible without your dedication and support. I wish to thank you all for your valuable efforts, input and wisdom in this great cause, and I promise that we will continue to work closely with you to carry out our two Presidents' great vision for future Sino-U.S. relations and together we can make vast Pacific Ocean the joiner of our two great nations.

With these words, I would like to propose a toast:

To China,

To the United States,

To our friendship,

and to the cooperation between China and Los Angeles,

Thank you.