Together for a Shared Future
Chinese Consul General Long Dingbin
Tomorrow marks half a year of my arrival in Perth to assume office as the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China. The natural beauty and hospitality of Western Australians feast my eyes and heart during the daytime and at night, the enchanting lights of the Optus Stadium and Martagarup bridge always have me mesmerized. For me, Perth and Western Australia is just like those colorful lights shining with great dynamism and lighting up the Indian Ocean. With roars and cheers of the AFL Grand Final barely subsiding, Chinese people all over the world are celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which rests upon 1 October.
This 1 July is the centenary of the Communist Party of China. Ever since its founding, the CPC has made happiness for the Chinese people and the revival of the Chinese nation its ultimate goals. Between 1921 and 1949, the CPC led the Chinese people in fighting as armed revolutionaries through the Northern Expedition, the Agrarian Revolutionary War, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation and defeated the counterrevolutionaries, shattered the three mountains of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism, and founded the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, which secured the independence of the nation, liberated the Chinese people, and put their future in their own hands.
After the founding of the new China, Chinese people, under the strong leadership of the CPC, have made tenacious efforts and transformed China from a poor, backward and populous country in the East into a modern socialist one, which has shown the world that only socialism could save China and that socialism could deliver development to China.
During the past 72 years, China has created a miracle of human progress with its own development and has served as an important builder of world peace, the biggest contributor to global development, a firm defender of international order and a significant provider of public goods. As President Xi Jinping proudly announced at the Ceremony Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China, China’s national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability.
From having the world’s largest poverty-stricken population to eliminating overall and extreme poverty for the first time in its history of thousands of years and attaining the poverty reduction target under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ten years ahead of schedule, China has lifted 850 million people out of poverty and contributed to over 70 percent of global poverty reduction and set a stellar example for this international endeavor.
From being the world’s biggest recipient of aid to an active contributor to global development, China has implemented several thousand complete projects and programs of in-kind assistance, over 10,000 projects of technological cooperation and human resources development, and provided more than 400,000 training opportunities, benefiting over 160 fellow developing countries. China has launched the Belt and Road Initiative, creating the world’s largest cooperation platform and a Belt and Road family of 141 countries and 32 international organizations. This has greatly cemented and expanded gains in the common development of the world.
To address the paramount development difficulties facing developing nations hard hit by COVID-19, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative about two weeks ago at the General Debate of the 76th Session of The United Nations General Assembly, which aims to speed up implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development so as to build a global community of development with a shared future. President Xi also pledged an additional three billion US dollars of international assistance in the next three years to support developing countries in responding to COVID-19 and promoting economic and social recovery.
From lacking medical and health resources to a pillar in tackling global public health challenges, China has engaged actively in international cooperation against COVID-19, honored its commitment of making Chinese vaccines a global public goods and given a strong boost to building the global immunization shield.
China has provided vaccines and necessary technical support for countries in need, and has made active contribution to promoting the equitable distribution of vaccines and global cooperation against COVID-19. To date, China has provided 1.2 billion doses of finished and bulk vaccines to over 100 countries and international organizations, and will strive to provide a total of two billion doses by the end of this year. On top of the US$100 million donation to COVAX, China will donate an additional 100 million doses of vaccines to fellow developing countries within this year. China will continue to support and engage in global science-based origins tracing, and stands firmly opposed to political maneuvering in whatever form.
From inefficient development to actively leading global environmental and climate governance, China has earnestly implemented the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, worked for harmony between man and nature, and set forth targets on carbon emission peak, carbon neutrality and new measures for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). All these efforts have actively contributed to global cooperation on addressing climate change and protecting the eco-environment.
China advocates actively responding to climate change by accelerating transition to a green and low-carbon economy and achieving green recovery and development. China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad.
2021 marks the 50th anniversary of restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations.
From once being excluded from the UN to being a member of almost all universal inter-governmental organizations and shouldering important responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has all along committed to the UN Charter, spoken up and acted for justice, and played a key role in upholding international equity and justice.
As the world’s largest developing country, China pays 15 percent of the UN peacekeeping budget and 12 percent of the UN regular budget, making it the second largest contributor of all member states. China is the top contributor of peacekeepers among the P5 and has made outstanding contribution to safeguarding international peace and security.
2021 heralds China’ s 14th Five-Year Plan and China has embarked on a new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country. As China enters a new development stage, we will follow a new development philosophy and foster a new development paradigm. We will build a new system of open economy of higher standards and create a more attractive business environment, providing more investment and growth opportunities to our cooperation partners and welcoming all parties to actively integrate into the Chinese market so as to achieve common development and deliver benefits to the people of all countries.
As an important destination for foreign investment, China attracted 4.5% more FDI last year despite the 40% drop in foreign investment globally. During the first half of 2021, FDI into the Chinese mainland in actual use surged 28.7% year-on-year. Foreign investors stay optimistic about the prospects of the Chinese market.
2021 marks the 30th anniversary of China’s participation in APEC, the most important forum on economic cooperation in Asia Pacific, which was proposed by former Australian Prime Minister Hawk. To join APEC is a major event in the history of China’s reform and opening-up and the past 30 years has seen China deeply involved in APEC cooperation, closely integrated its own development with regional development and made its contributions to promoting economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Asia Pacific is a major engine for global economic growth. As important members of APEC, China and Australia both have defeating COVID-19 and restoring growth at an early date as our top priorities. At the 2020 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, President Xi Jinping comprehensively explained the philosophy and profound connotation of building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future. Under the current circumstances, China and Australia must enhance solidarity and cooperation to overcome the impact of the pandemic and boost global economic recovery. We have other common challenges such as climate change as well.
China and Western Australia have very close trade and investment ties as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges. During the past 6 months, I have met with many State Government and local government officials, law enforcement officers, business leaders, intellectuals and heads of Chinese associations, and I have spoken with Sandgropers from various walks of life. The shared aspiration and belief among all of us is that China and Australia should and can maintain a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship and our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership can withstand tests and keep thriving.
2022 China will host Winter Olympics in Beijing between February 4 and 20, making the Chinese capital the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games. Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics are a grand event for all countries and a stage of fair competition for all athletes. China is ready to work with the IOC and the international community to ensure that the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics be a simple, safe and wonderful Olympic event.
2022 will not only see Chinese and Australian as well as athletes from all other countries play together under the Beijing Winter Olympics motto “ Together for a Shared Future”, it also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Australia. Boasting highly complementary economies and free from burdens of historical feuds or enmity, our two countries have every reason to join hands and march together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
Together for a shared future, you may say I am a dreamer. But I am not the only one. I hope someday you will join us. And the world will live as one.