In Celebration of the 73rd Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China
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By Sun Weidong,
Acting Head of Post & Consul
Consulate of the People's Republic of China in Laoag
October 1st,
2022 is China’s National Day, the 73rd anniversary of the founding
of the People's Republic of China. Over the past 73 years, China has made great
achievements in the development of various undertakings and China-Philippines
cooperation has achieved fruitful results.
On behalf of the Chinese Consulate in Laoag, I would like to take
this opportunity to extend our warm greetings and good wishes to people from
all walks of life, overseas Chinese, Chinese-funded enterprise personnel,
Chinese students and Chinese communities in the consular district.
New achievements in China's development
In 2022, with the
complex and ever-changing international situation, the human society has faced
challenges continuously and consistently. Even so, under the strong leadership
of the Communist Party of China and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping’s
“Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” China has
based itself on a new stage of development, implemented new development
concepts, accelerated the construction of a new development pattern, promoted
high-quality development, and made new achievements in modernization.
China's economy is making steady progress. In 2021, the total
economic volume reached 114.4 trillion-yuan (US$17.7 Trillion), accounting for
more than 18% of the world economy. In the first half of this year, China
overcame multiple difficulties such as the global economic downturn and
repeated pandemics. Nonetheless, its gross domestic product (GDP) still
increased by 2.5% year-on-year, and its import and export trade continued to
maintain rapid growth, with an increase of 9.5% in the first eight months. This
fully proves that China's economy is resilient and has great potential, and
will continue to maintain steady growth.
The people's living standards likewise continued to improve. The
average annual increase of employment in urban areas has exceeded 13 million,
the consolidation rate of nine-year compulsory education has reached 95.4%, and
the basic medical insurance has covered 96.3% of the population.
The 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics were successfully held
in China, and garnered high praise from the international community. Its
aerospace industry reaches newer heights, the modernized high-speed rail
network is further improved, and more than 1.854 million fifth-generation
mobile communication base stations have built, accounting for more than 60% of
the global total.
The world has also seen new progress in the joint construction of
the "Belt and Road Initiative." A total of more than 50,000
China-Europe freight trains have been operated, the China-Laos railway has been
completed and opened to transport, and the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway
has been steadily advanced—all of which significantly benefiting the people's
livelihood and injecting a new momentum into the global economy.
More importantly, China resolutely safeguarded its sovereignty
and territorial integrity. There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is
an inalienable part of China's territory. This is echoed by more than 170
countries and international organizations expressing their strong support to
the one-China principle.
This coming golden autumn of October, the Communist Party of
China will hold its 20th National Congress to elect a new leadership and draw a
new blueprint for China's development in the next five years. The 20th National
Congress of the Communist Party of China will be a successful conference that
inherits the past and ushers in the future!
China-Philippines cooperation reaches a new level
In recent years,
China-Philippines relations have continued to improve. Both sides have adhered
to good-neighborliness and friendship, have worked together for common
development, and this cooperation achieved fruitful results.
In the past six years, the bilateral trade volume between China
and the Philippines has doubled. China has become the Philippines' largest
trading partner for six consecutive years and has become the Philippines' main
source of foreign investment.
China's "Belt and Road" initiative and the Philippines'
"Build, Build, Build" program have also been deeply aligned. And so
far, nearly 40 cooperation projects have been carried out, covering various
fields such as anti-pandemic, disaster relief, roads and bridges construction,
agricultural cooperation, and other fields notably contributing in the
improvement of people's livelihood.
This year also marked the 47th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines. With a
new Philippine administration, China expresses its willingness to work with the
Philippines to earnestly implement the consensus reached by President Xi
Jinping and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Among which is to focus on
cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, education, energy and other fields,
as well as to further develop the "three-good relationship" of good
neighbors, good relatives and good partners, and usher in a new "Golden
Era" of China-Philippines relations.
New progress in the cooperation between China and Northern
Luzon
In the past years,
under the guidance of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and the support of
people from all walks of life, the Chinese Consulate in Laoag has actively
promoted friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation among China and
the provinces and cities in Northern Luzon; and has strived hard to serve Chinese
citizens, Chinese-funded enterprises, Chinese students, and Chinese communities
within its consular district.
The Chinese Consulate actively participated in the earthquake
relief operations and post-disaster reconstruction of the Magnitude 7.0
earthquake, and tried its best to join the efforts of the local government for
the economic recovery of the northern region.
Further, the Consulate cooperated with various relevant
provincial and municipal governments within its Consular District to carry out
a number of small donation projects aimed at improving people's livelihood
which in turn achieved good results.
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines joined by the Consulate,
organized Chinese-funded enterprises in the Philippines to hold counterpart
cooperation talks with the provincial government and local business community
in Ilocos Norte to advance the local business scene.
The Consulate also promoted educational collaborations including
cooperation between China's Shandong Academic of Agricultural Sciences and
Mariano Marcos State University.
It has also produced new symbols of China-Philippines friendship
with the unveiling of the Chinese Garden and a successful conduct of a
Chinese-Filipino Friendship Forest tree planting activity in the Chinese
Garden, along with the completion of Baguio Chinese-Filipino Friendship Garden
View Deck.
Looking ahead, China has a bright future for development and the
great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will surely be realized.
Looking forward to the future, China-Philippines cooperation has
huge potential, and the new "Golden Era" of China-Philippines
relations will surely achieve greater results!
The Chinese Consulate in Laoag will continue to work together
with overseas Chinese, Chinese-funded institutions, Chinese students, Chinese
communities and friends from all walks of life in the consular area in
deepening friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Let us wish the People's Republic of China peace and prosperity!
Let us wish for greater achievements in the friendly cooperation
between China and the Philippines!
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