Seventy-four years ago, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese people put an end to a century of wars and humiliation after decades of heroic struggles. The 5,000-year-old ancient civilization thus embarked on a new and promising journey of realizing its great rejuvenation. Over the past 74 years, the CPC has led the entire Chinese nation overcome all kinds of challenges one after another, and achieved a great transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. We had successfully found the Chinese path to modernization. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, CPC is leading 1.4 billion Chinese people marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. National rejuvenation is now entering into an irreversible course.

The Chinese modernization means better life for the people. Despite sluggish global growth, China has navigated economic headwinds with an effective policy mix. In the first half of this year, China’s GDP has grown by 5.5% year-on-year, significantly faster than most economies in the world. New growth momentum is building amid the country’s transition to innovation-driven growth, with progress reported in many major sci-tech projects. Several international organizations and institutions have revised their forecasts for China's economic growth this year upwards. The Chinese economy’s strong resilience, ample potential and strong vitality and the fundamentals sustaining its sound growth in the long run stay unchanged.

The Chinese modernization means better opportunities for the world. China’s development in the past 74 years have not only changed the outlook of China itself, but also contributed significantly to peace and development of the world as a whole. China has contributed more than 30% to the world economic growth, and has become one of the main engines of global development. China’s development won’t be possible without international peace and stability, and that a growing China should contribute more to the peace and prosperity of mankind. Through wider opening up, China will embrace the world with an ultra-large consumer market and consistent resolve to boost common development for all, thus inject confidence and certainty into the global economy.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative. BRI is a solution to boosting common development in the world. Over the past decade, China has been dedicated to building a community with a shared future for mankind and pursuing shared and win-win development with concrete actions. As friendly neighbors, China-Nepal practical cooperation in various fields have achieved fruitful results under the framework of BRI. China has been the largest source of foreign investment in Nepal for 7 consecutive years, and Chinese investment has created over 100,000 job opportunities for Nepal. And more Chinese people are now coming back to Nepal together with their friendship and investments.

I’m very pleased to see that China’s economic development has also brought tangible benefits to Nepali people. Recently, the first batch of Nepali haylage has been successfully exported to China, and the first batch of transit import goods via China arrived at Nepal. As the trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network has gradually taken shape, Nepal’s dream to be a land-linked country is coming true. Rt. Hon’ble Prime Minister Prachanda will attend the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games and pay an official visit to China soon, the leaders of the two countries will draw the blueprint for the development of bilateral relations and this visit will certainly inject new impetus into our cooperation.

There is a proverb popular in China, “If you work hard enough, gold will grow out of the land.” We will continue to make every effort to help Nepal promote industrial upgrading, accelerate poverty alleviation, and enhance self-generated development capability. I am convinced that as long as our two countries carry forward our tradition of friendship and keep increasing our exchanges and cooperation, we will together achieve common prosperity and take our friendship across the Himalayas to a new height.

Chen Song is a Chinese Ambassador to Nepal. Excerpts of the statement delivered at a reception organized to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.