Skopje, Aleksandar Palace, September 24, 2019

Your Excellency President Stevo Pendarovski,

Your Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear friends,

Welcome to joining us today to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. First of all, I would like to express my deep appreciation to Your Excellency Mr. President and all guests for your presence at this reception.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded with solemn declaration. Since then, the Chinese people have stood up!

For the past 70 years, China has written a brilliant chapter of national development. Under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people started from widespread poverty and illiteracy and achieved a historical transformation through self-reliance, hard work, and enterprise. The Chinese nation has stood up, grown rich, and is becoming strong. The "Oriental Sleeping Lion" has risen from awakening and is moving closer to center stage, thus playing a more constructive role for the common development and prosperity of mankind.

For the past 70 years, China has created a miracle of development in world history. It took 70 years for China to complete the development course that developed countries have gone through for over one hundred years. As its result, China established a relatively complete national economic system and became the world's second largest economy.

China’s GDP per capita has grown from less than 20 USD in 1952 to over 9,700 USD in 2018. In 1949, China could not even make one automobile. In 2019, China has launched 5G commercial services nationwide. A Chinese lunar rover is exploring the dark side of the moon. A Chinese deep submersible is delving into the oceans 10,000-meter deep. The Beidou Satellite Navigation System is providing service to global users. China's development has not only benefited the Chinese people, but also made significant contributions to the lofty cause of peace and development of mankind.

For the past 70 years, China has opened up a unique development path. In the face of changes in the international situation, we have neither “imported” foreign models nor “exported” the Chinese model, but forged ahead successfully on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and has achieved transformation from isolation and semi-isolation to all-round opening up, making due contributions to the common development of mankind. Since the international financial crisis in 2008, China has contributed over 30% of global economic growth. The Chinese path has enriched the treasure house of institutions and governance, inspiring people to yearn for the future world.

For the past 70 years, China has promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. New China put forward "Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence" from its early days. In 2013 President Xi Jinping called on the people of all countries to work together to " build a community with a shared future for mankind". Those concepts have received positive response and warm welcome from the international community. China firmly adheres to an independent foreign policy of peace, always stays on the path of peaceful development, and vigorously advocates multilateralism and win-win cooperation.

The China-Central and Eastern European Countries Cooperation, namely “17+1 Cooperation”, has provided a platform for open, inclusive and shared cooperation for 18 countries including China and North Macedonia, and complemented the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and the EU. The “Belt and Road” Initiative and “17+1 Cooperation” provide a realistic path for materializing the concept of “Building a community with a shared future for mankind”.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

At present, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core, the Chinese people are firmly advancing toward the goal of realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We will build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eliminate absolute poverty in 2020. We have the ability and the confidence to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035 and to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful in the middle of this century, and realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We have the ability and the confidence to work with all peace-loving countries and people in the world to maintain fairness and justice and to achieve common development.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and North Macedonia, nearly 26 years have passed. The mutual political trust between us is deepening. Economic cooperation and trade is expanding. Exchanges in various fields are growing more and more active. For the past 26 years, China has within its capacity provided North Macedonia with aid, including medical equipments, education network, school buildings and others.

Within the “17+1 Cooperation” platform, China and North Macedonia along with regional countries have carried out comprehensive cooperation in various fields. This year, with the concerted efforts of our two countries as well as preferential loans under the “17+1 Cooperation”, the MS（Miladinovce-Stip）Motorway has been opened to traffic, and the toughest tunnel of the KO（Kicevo-Ohrid）motorway has been bored through. The Fourth “17+1” Ministerial Forum on Cultural Cooperation will be held in Skopje in November.

Facts have proved that the close cooperation between China and North Macedonia will benefit our two countries and peoples, and promote the interconnectivity and common development of Southeast Europe.

President Xi Jinping said“the 21st century will be a century of cooperation”. With the "17+1 Cooperation" constantly growing, as the reform processes of China and North Macedonia get deeper and deeper, cooperation between our two countries will continue to gain new momentum. Despite the fact that we are far apart geographically, as long as we treat each other as equals and keep opening up and cooperating, we will embark on the right path of mutual benefit and win-win. Let us unite and work together to build a world that enjoys lasting peace and common prosperity, a community with a shared future for mankind.

At last, may I propose a toast:

For the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China,

For the friendship and cooperation between China and North Macedonia,

For the health and happiness of all our friends,

Cheers!

Thank you all.