Join hands to promote China-Bahrain ties

I am honoured to have all of you with us to celebrate the 67th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

This year also marks the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Under the firm leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and great support of the international friends and community, over the past 67 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially since the country embarked on reform and opening-up in 1978, China has made remarkable and universally acknowledged achievements in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, by relying on the unremitting efforts and hard work of the Chinese people. We have succeeded in turning China into the world’s second biggest economy, the biggest trader of goods and the third largest direct overseas investor, and lifted China’s GDP to nearly 11 trillion U.S. Dollars totally and per capita GDP to close to 8000 U.S. Dollars.

But we soberly aware that China, with large population, weak economic foundation, fragile ecological environment and imbalances in development, is still in the primary stage of socialism and will long remain so. This basic condition of China has not changed; nor has the principal problem in our society, that is, how we can meet the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people with backward social production; nor has China’s international position as the largest developing country in the world. 

Today, the Chinese people are working hard to carry out the five development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, opening up and inclusiveness. These concepts and together with the four comprehensive strategic plan have provided us with a theoretical and practical guideline for realizing the “Two Centenary Goals” and the Chinese dream of great national rejuvenation.

Chinese people are fully aware that China’s development has benefited from the support of the international community, and we are ready to deliver more development to the world by ensuring our own development. 

Friendship between China and Bahrain dates back to ancient times. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, under the guidance of the leaders of our two countries and the joint efforts of our two peoples, we have become a friendly partner of mutual understanding and trust, a cooperative partner of win-win result and a respectable partner of learning from each other and mutual benefit.

Currently, the complex and profound changes have been taking place in the Gulf and Middle East. At the beginning of this year, the Chinese President Xi Jinping had paid historically and successfully state visit to the region. The Chinese government has also issued the first China’s Arab Policy Paper. It systematically stipulates the guiding principle for developing China-Arab relations, reiterates firmly to support Arab countries’ struggle to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity, pursue and safeguard national interests and combat external interference and aggression, announces a series of important cooperative initiatives, formulates the blueprint for China-Arab mutually beneficial cooperation. I do believe under this big picture, the comprehensive cooperation between China and Bahrain is bound to face great and historical opportunity, especially with the integration and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030. I firmly believe that our bilateral relations will have more beautiful prospects.