Honourable Amb. Liberata Mulamula, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation,
Friends, compatriots,
Ladies and gentlemen,
This October 1st marks the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). I am pleased to celebrate China’s National Day online together with Tanzanian friends from all walks of life and the Chinese compatriots in Tanzania. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, I would like to convey festival greetings to you all, and express our sincere gratitude to the friends who have been promoting China-Tanzania friendship for long.
October is the autumn season. It’s also a pleasant time for harvest. In this year, China jauntily embarked on a new journey to fully build a modern and strong socialist country. With the pursuit of high-quality development and high-standard opening-up, China has continued contributing to the world peace, stability and sustainable development.
Faced with changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, China has forged ahead and made remarkable achievements in development. Putting people’s life and safety first as always, China has successfully safeguarded the hard-won achievements in epidemic prevention and control. China’s economy has braved the headwinds and continued to grow. In the first half of this year, China’s GDP reached 8.68 trillion US dollars, and the country’s foreign trade increased by 9.4 percent year on year. China’s enhanced efforts in building a new development pattern have brought strong impetus to the world economic recovery. We have also successfully held a streamlined, safe and splendid Winter Olympic Games, presenting to the world once again a prosperous, confident and open China. The Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship has successfully completed its missions. China has continued to promote scientific and technological advancements to benefit all mankind.
Faced with the world which has entered a period of turbulence and transformation, China has taken on its responsibility in diplomacy, and upheld the banner of peace, development and cooperation. This year has witnessed proposing of the Global Security Initiative (GSI) by President Xi Jinping, and promoting of the implementation of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) by President Xi in person, which aim at adding “two wings” to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China continues to be the mainstay of the international anti-pandemic cooperation. By June this year, China has provided more than 2.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 120 countries and international organizations. From Beijing Winter Olympics to BRICS Summit, from High-level Dialogue on Global Development to Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit recently held in Samarkand, we can feel strongly the firm determination of the international community in defending multilateralism, and its fervent hope for China to play a larger role on the world stage.
Faced with constant changes in the international situation, China-Tanzania relations have been progressing steadily and reaching new levels. President Xi Jinping and President Samia Suluhu Hassan care about and guide the development of China-Tanzania relations in person. In February this year, the China-aided Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School has been handed over to Tanzania. In this year, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Chinese State Councilor and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe, held video talks with their Tanzanian counterparts Foreign Minister Amb. Liberata Mulamula and Defence Minister Dr. Stergomena Tax respectively. The multi-layer political dialogues between China and Tanzania have gone deeper. The two sides have been conducting active communications on the follow-up actions of FOCAC’s Eighth Ministerial Conference, and implementation of the “nine programs” of China-Africa cooperation has yielded an early harvest in Tanzania. In the first half of this year, the trade volume between China and Tanzania reached 3.558 billion US dollars, registering a year-on-year growth of 31.5 percent. Tanzania has signed the documents with China which grant zero tariff treatment to products under 98 percent of taxable items originating from Tanzania. A large number of China-Tanzania cooperation projects, such as Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station and Kagera Regional Vocational Training and Service Centre, are making steady progress. Moreover, China has actively fulfilled its commitment of assisting Tanzania to fight against COVID-19. Up to now, China has donated 5.61 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Tanzania.
It is worth mentioning that China and Tanzania continue to understand and support each other on issues relating to each other’s core interests and major concerns, and work together to safeguard international fairness and justice. Not long ago, Foreign Minister Liberata Mulamula, on behalf of the Tanzanian Government, reiterated publicly Tanzania’s position on the Taiwan question, saying that Tanzania remains committed to the one-China principle and support China’s righteous stance on the Taiwan question. This was a vivid example of the all-weather friendship between China and Tanzania, to which we highly appreciate.
In October this year, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will be held. China will strive for its national rejuvenation from a new starting point in history, and China-Africa, China-Tanzania cooperation will be blessed with new historic opportunities. China is ready to enhance alignment of development strategies and policy communication with Tanzania, continue to incorporate China’s development into the common development of the two countries, support Tanzania’s efforts to achieve independent and sustainable development, and constantly consolidate and develop the China-Tanzania comprehensive cooperative partnership.
I wish the great motherland a happy birthday and prosperity!
Long live China-Tanzania friendship!
祝伟大的祖国生日快乐，繁荣昌盛！
中坦友谊万古长青！