On the evening of September 28, 2023, a reception to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was held at the Great Hall of the People. General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping attended the reception and delivered an important speech. He stressed that China embraces a bright future on the new journey. Unity is strength, and confidence is more valuable than gold. He called for maintaining firm confidence, boosting morale, and striving in unity to continue to overcome difficulties and obstacles and march forward unswervingly toward the grand goal of building a strong country and revitalizing the nation.
Li Qiang presided over the reception. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Han Zheng were present at the reception which was attended by about 800 guests from home and abroad to celebrate the birthday of the PRC.
The banquet hall of the Great Hall of the People was adorned with dazzling lights and blooming flowers, permeating with a cheerful festive atmosphere. Hung above the rostrum was the solemn national emblem, with large digits “1949-2023” prominently displayed against the bright red flags.
At about 17:30, accompanied by the cheerful Tune of Welcome, Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders walked into the banquet hall and waved to the attendees. The hall burst into applause.
The reception began. All stood up and sang the national anthem of the PRC. The magnificent March of the Volunteers echoed in the hall.
Xi Jinping delivered an important speech. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, he first paid high tribute to the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, to the commanders and soldiers of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police Force, and to other political parties and personages without party affiliation. He extended sincere greetings to compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), the Macao SAR, Taiwan as well as overseas Chinese. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to friendly countries and international friends who care about and support China’s modernization drive.
In his speech, Xi Jinping pointed out that over the past 74 years since the founding of the PRC, the country has moved from poverty and backwardness to moderate prosperity in all respects, and has embarked on a new journey to build a strong nation and advance national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. The CPC has united and led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to make such great achievements through hard work. This year is the first year to implement the major resolutions of the 20th CPC National Congress. China has coordinated the COVID-19 response with economic and social development, and worked to ensure both development and security. China has actively promoted sustained economic recovery while moving forward with the reform of the CPC and state institutions in an orderly manner, and effectively responded to floodings in some localities. China has proactively promoted opening up, scientific and technological innovation and green development, and resolutely safeguarded national sovereignty, security and development interests. The economic recovery is generally picking up pace, and solid progress has been made in high-quality development. A bumper harvest is to be expected. People’s standard of living continues to improve, and the overall national situation is stable. Chinese athletes have achieved remarkable, hard-earned and heartening results in Chengdu Universiade and Hangzhou Asian Games.
Xi Jinping stressed that changes unseen in a century are evolving at an accelerating pace and profound changes have taken place in the international landscape. China is facing many risks and challenges on the way forward. To achieve high-quality development, China must fully and faithfully implement the new development philosophy in all aspects, and foster a new development paradigm at a faster pace. China should strengthen macroeconomic regulation, expand effective demand domestically, and stimulate the vitality of market players. China should continuously promote sustained economic recovery, strengthen the internal momentum for development, and raise public expectations. China must effectively forestall and mitigate major risks, and strive to achieve the annual goals of economic and social development. To advance high-standard opening up, it is important to continue deepening reforms across the board, steadily expand institutional opening up in terms of rules, regulations, management, and standards, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, facilitate domestic and international economic circulations, and make the economy more resilient and dynamic. To meet the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life, China should strengthen social security, prioritize the creation of jobs, address the people’s pressing concerns, and increase support for vulnerable groups. China should consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation, comprehensively promote rural revitalization, and steadily advance common prosperity, so as to further increase the people’s sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security.
Xi Jinping pointed out that China must continue to fully, faithfully and unswervingly implement the policy of One Country, Two Systems, follow through on the principle that Hong Kong and Macao are administered by patriots, and support the two regions in growing economies, improving people’s well-being, and participating in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area by bringing into full play their features and strengths, so as to maintain long-term prosperity and stability of the two regions. China must uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, advance the integrated development across the Taiwan Strait, safeguard the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and improve the well-being of Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Strait. Realizing China’s complete reunification is what the Chinese people aspire for, the trend of the times and an irresistible historic development that can never be stopped by any force.
Xi Jinping stressed that China must adhere to peaceful development, pursue a win-win strategy of opening up, defend international fairness and justice, and practice true multilateralism. China will work for the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, promote the building of a human community with a shared future, and work hand in hand with people from all countries to address all types of global challenges and jointly create a bright future for humanity.
Amid joyful melody, guests from home and abroad toasted the 74th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. They wished China prosperity, the Chinese people well-being, and the friendship between the Chinese people and people of all other countries last forever.
Those who attended the reception include members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in Beijing, members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, vice premiers of the State Council, state councilors, director of the National Commission of Supervision, president of the Supreme People’s Court, procurator-general of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, vice chairpersons of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, comrades who have retired from leadership positions, and incumbent and former members of the Central Military Commission.
Those who attended the reception also include leaders of relevant departments of the CPC Central Committee, the central government, the military and people’s organizations, leading officials of Beijing Municipal Government, leaders of the central committees of other political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, representatives of personages without party affiliation, representatives of winners of medals of honor in Beijing, representatives of national model workers and advanced figures, representatives of the Chinese sports delegations to the Chengdu Universiade, Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games, representatives of ethnic minorities who have made important contributions to the stability, development and unity of ethnic minority areas, personages from the Hong Kong SAR and the Macao SAR in Beijing, representatives of Taiwan compatriots, overseas Chinese nationals and foreign citizens of Chinese origin, diplomatic envoys of various countries to China, representatives of international organizations in China, and some foreign experts.
