Join Hands Together on the Right Path, Usher in a Brighter Prospect for Humanity —In Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China

Blossoms in spring turn into fruits in autumn, and a bumper harvest is the reward of hard work. In this golden season, we are embracing the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Over the past 75 years, holding high the banner of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, China has been unswervingly staying on the path of peaceful development, pursuing a mutually beneficial policy of opening-up and striving to seek its own development by safeguarding world peace and development.

We have stayed committed to open development. After 75 years of unremitting efforts, China has become the world’s second largest economy, as well as the largest manufacturer, merchandise trader, and holder of foreign exchange reserves. In the current context of weak global economic recovery when some countries are manipulating “decoupling and breaking chains” and “building walls and barriers”, China’s GDP and the number of new foreign-invested enterprises increased by 5% and 14.2% year-on-year in the first half of 2024, respectively, thus fully demonstrating the strong resilience of the Chinese economy and the strong confidence of the world in the Chinese market. From 2013 to 2023, China’s economic contribution to world economic growth has exceeded 30% for ten consecutive years. According to an analysis of International Monetary Fund, one percentage point increase in Chinese growth leads to around 0.3 percentage points increase in other economies. We believe that the Chinese economy will further unleash greater vitality, and a prosperous China will continue to serve as a powerful engine of global recovery.

We have stayed committed to world peace and prosperity. China has always adhered to the independent foreign policy of peace. It is the only country around the world that includes in its Constitution the commitment to the path of peaceful development and the only country among the major nuclear-weapon states that is committed to no-first-use of nuclear weapons. China’s development has never been at the expense of the interests of other countries. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. 70 years ago, joining hands with India and Myanmar, China advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, namely, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. Today, these Five Principles have become open, inclusive, and universally applicable basic norms for international relations and fundamental principles of international law. As a responsible major country, China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order.

We have stayed committed to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, generations of the Chinese people have worked hard and dedicated themselves in forging the path of the great rejuvenation. In July this year, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was successfully held. During the Plenary Session, systematic reform plans for further deepening reform and promoting Chinese modernization were made, and over 300 important reform measures were adopted. In light of the new era and new circumstances, it was also decided that the fundamental national policy of opening up will be upheld and new institutions for a higher-standard open economy will be developed. The Plenary Session has opened an epoch-making new chapter in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, providing solid guarantee for Chinese modernization, while at the same time bringing more benefits to investors and partners from across the world and new opportunities for the common development of all countries. We sincerely welcome friends from all over the world to visit China to experience the sincerity, friendliness, enthusiasm and entrepreneurship of the Chinese people, and experience China’s vigor and vitality in the new era.

This year also marks the 74th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Finland. Finland was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China. Over the past 74 years, based on the principles of mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation, our bilateral relations have always maintained a sound momentum and fruitful results of cooperation have been achieved in various fields. As of 2023, China had been Finland’s largest trading partner in Asia for 21 consecutive years.

In the more than two years since I arrived in Finland, I have enjoyed the beauty of forests, lakes and snow in Finland, visited schools, enterprises and local towns, and experienced the friendliness and simplicity of the Finnish people. As a Chinese saying goes, “No mountain or ocean can distance people who have shared aspirations.” Although Finland is located in Northern Europe, thousands of miles away from China, China and Finland have continued to carry out pragmatic cooperation despite the distance. When communicating with friends from various sectors in Finland, I always feel their warm expectations for the development of China-Finland relations and our bilateral cooperation in various fields. Aa a Finnish saying goes: “Ystävyys on kuin viini, se paranee vanhetessaan.” We stand ready to promote our traditional friendship with Finland, expand our exchanges at all levels, and deepen our pragmatic cooperation in fields such as forest industry, agricultural and food products, information and communications, energy and environmental protection, science, technology and education, and winter sports, so as to deliver more benefits to our peoples.

At present, our world is living through accelerating major changes unseen in a century, and humanity are confronted by unprecedented opportunities and challenges. Countries in the world have long become a community with a shared future where we rise and fall together. China is willing to work with all countries, including Finland, in pooling the strength of friendship and cooperation, in joining hands on the right path of peaceful development, openness and mutual benefit, so as to build a more prosperous and brighter prospect together.

Notes: The Author is the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Finland. It is a collaborating publication by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, Finland.