Your Excellency Ms Patricia de Lille, Minister of Tourism, and official representative of the government of the Republic of South Africa, 

Your Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities,

Your Excellency Ms Nomvula Mokonyane, First Deputy Secretary-General of the African National Congress,

Distinguished officials from the South African government, especially from Dirco, and the China Desk, which is such a warm home for us at the Chinese Embassy, 

Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and High Commissioners, distinguished members of the Diplomatic corps, 

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon!

Welcome to this grand celebration of the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. This event is an occasion to celebrate and reaffirm the close collaboration between China and South Africa. It’s especially so as it comes shortly after President Xi Jinping attended the 15th BRICS Summit and paid a state visit to South Africa from 21st to 24th August. In light of that, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to those who contributed to the success of this visit, and of course, to those who have contributed to starting and strengthening our relations since the late Honorable Walter Sisulu visited Beijing in 1953. 

At this happy moment, if I may, I would like to share some of my observations with you with regard to China, to Brics, to China-Africa, and to China-South Africa. 

First, Chinese modernization has witnessed new progress. This year is the opening year for us to fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). That is, to better coordinate domestic and international imperatives, to better integrate development and security, and to make steady and solid strides toward our second centenary goal.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

In the past 74 years since the founding of New China, especially in the 40-plus years of reform and opening-up, the CPC has led Chinese people of all ethnic groups to work hard in unity, achieving long-term social stability and rapid economic growth. The reason behind this “miracle” is that we’ve carefully handled the relationship between reform, development and stability. The world is in constant change. As the Chinese Classics, the Great Learning pointed out: " If you can improve yourself in a day, do so each day, forever building on improvement". Therefore, reform and opening-up is the choice we have made to improve ourselves. And China’s improvement has in itself proved to be a contribution to the well-being of the whole world. 

Currently, China is pursuing high-quality development that is innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared by all.

Innovative development stimulates vitality. Last year, China's total investment in R&D exceeded 7.7 trillion Rand, an increase of 10.1% over the previous year. In the first half of this year, investment in high-tech industries grew by 12.5% year-on-year, and the added value of the manufacturing industry for aircraft, spacecraft, equipment and lithium battery went up by more than 20% year-on-year.

Coordinated development advances progress. From 2012 to 2022, China's urbanization rate increased from 53 percent to 65 percent. The ratio of per capita disposable income for urban residents over rural residents dropped from 2.88 to 2.5. In recent years, China stepped up efforts to build a unified national market. I would like to draw your attention to the progresses made around three particular areas, namely, Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The integrated development in the vicinity of the former economic powerhouses is creating new miracles under way.  

Green development serves to address humanity’s common challenges. In July alone, China witnessed its amount of new energy vehicles, installed wind power capacity and charging stations rise by a quarter. China's installed renewable energy capacity has already surpassed that of coal, of which the installed capacity of wind power has ranked first in the world for 13 years in a row and solar PV power 8 years in a row.

Open development brings mutual benefits. Even when global cross-border investment is faced with headwinds, foreign capital is actively expanding their China blueprint. In the first half of this year, a total of 24,000 new foreign-invested companies were set up in China, a year-on-year increase of 35.7 percent. Last year, half of Tesla's global deliveries came from its Shanghai Super Factory, which on average produces one electric car every 40 seconds.

Shared development delivers justice and opportunity for the people. The proportion of China’s middle-income group has risen from about one quarter to around one third of the population. Over 400 million Chinese people are now in this group and the number is expected to exceed 800 million by 2035.

Second, BRICS cooperation has started a new journey. In 2011, in China’s tropical Hainan Province, South Africa made the formal debut as a member of the BRICS family. Twelve years later, six developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America knock open the BRICS door together in South Africa. Congratulations to South Africa for making history, again!

While global development faces mounting challenges, BRICS expansion is the biggest highlight of this year's BRICS Summit and a historic moment in the development of the BRICS mechanism. It follows the trend of history and echoes the general wishes of developing countries. China is ready to work with fellow BRICS partners to act on the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, build consensus on important issues, carry forward the tradition of  independence, and resolutely uphold international equity and justice. We will urge the international community to refocus on development issues, promote a greater role by the BRICS mechanism in global governance, and make the voice of BRICS stronger.

Third, China-Africa cooperation has taken new steps. This year marks the 10th anniversary since President Xi proposed the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith for China's Africa policy. Over the past decade, China has stayed committed to this principle. We have taken part in the construction of over 6,000 kilometers of railroads, over 6,000 kilometers of highways and over 80 large-scale power facilities on the continent. During the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue on August 24th, President Xi announced that China will launch the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, together, we are bent on working with Africa to fast-track Africa's integration and modernization. 

China firmly supports the AU's accession to the G20, and warmly congratulates the AU on becoming a full member of the G20 at the recent New Delhi Summit. Next year, China will host the 9th FOCAC meeting, and it will be another opportunity to plan together, for the future development of China and Africa.

Fourth, China-South Africa relations have reached new heights. Over the past 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, our relationship has achieved leapfrog development, with increasing political mutual trust, continuous expansion of pragmatic cooperation and closer international collaboration. Our relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and has increasingly carried global connotations and strategic influence. As President Xi said on August 22nd, the key to the good relations between China and South Africa and their deep friendship lies in the fact that the two countries share weal and woe on their respective development paths and have forged a profound friendship of Comrades plus Brothers. China is ready to work with South Africa as strategic partners with a high degree of mutual trust, development partners making progress together, friendly partners enjoying mutual understanding, and global partners with a commitment to justice. Together, we will build a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary since President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. South Africa was the first African country to sign the Belt and Road cooperation document with China. It has been China's biggest trading partner in Africa for 13 years in a row, as well as one of the African countries with the largest stock of Chinese investment. South Africa's wines, rooibos tea, and aloe vera gels are trending products in China. Over 200 Chinese-funded enterprises have created more than 400,000 jobs in South Africa, and automobiles and home appliances with Chinese brands made in South Africa are now owned by numerous Southern African households.

President Xi has pointed out that China-South Africa relations have entered a "golden era". This cannot have been possible without a solid public and social foundation. In recent years, China and South Africa have witnessed booming exchanges and cooperation in culture, tourism, education, sports, media, universities, provinces, women and youth. South Africa has become the sub-Saharan African country that attracts the most Chinese tourists, owns the most sister provinces and cities with China, and sets up the most Confucius Institutes. Ten years ago, President Xi witnessed the establishment of the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology (DUT), it has since trained nearly 10,000 students. Not long ago, President Xi replied to a letter from the faculty and students of the DUT Confucius Institute, encouraging them to carry forward the friendship between the two countries and make new contribution to strengthening China-South Africa and China-Africa friendship and cooperation. It’s the people that have kept the spirit of friendship and cooperation solid and strong.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

On September 13, Sinovuyo Mkula, a final-year student from the University of the Western Cape, attended the Tiangong Dialogue and had a close interaction with Chinese taikonauts. Her painting is now soaring high on China's Tiangong space station. The theme of her painting is “different, but harmonious”.  Though we are 12 hours apart from each other by flight, as long as we work together, we can promote the “Golden Era” to bear more golden fruits to the benefit of our two countries and our two peoples.

Looking ahead into the next 25 years, China is ready to work with South Africa to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state. Our two countries will continue to be fellow companions sharing the same ideals, pacesetters for solidarity and cooperation, inheritors of China-Africa friendship, and champions of our common interests, and indeed the common interests of the global south and the whole world. 

Finally, I would like to propose a toast to the prosperity of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa! May our friendship last forever! I wish all the guests good health! Thank you!