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Deliver a brighter future for China-Jamaica relationship and the world

H.E. CHEN Daojiang is the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Jamaica 

It’s a great pleasure to take this opportunity to share the joy with Jamaican friends to celebrate the 74^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Jamaica and the Chinese Permanent Mission to the International Seabed Authority, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to every friend who has long been committed to China-Jamaica friendship and partnership!

Over the past 74 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the heroic Chinese people have joined forces and created two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, getting a magnificent new historical chapter written.

Since the 18^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. China’s development has made historic achievements and undergone historic changes. We have realized the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled.

The successful convening of the 20^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly outlined a grand blueprint for building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation. The Chinese people have embarked on a new journey with high spirits to achieve the Second Centenary Goal of fully building a modern and powerful socialist country.

Since the beginning of this year, China’s economy has rebounded as a whole. In H1 2023, Chinese economy grew by 5.5% year-on-year. The speed of economic recovery plays a leading role among major economies. The results of high-level opening up continue to show. In H1 2023, the import and export scale exceeded 20 trillion yuan (approx. 2.8 trillion US dollars) for the first time, a year-on-year increase of 2.1%. The number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises in China increased by 35.7%. The total import and export volume with countries along the “Belt and Road” increased by 9.8%. The World Bank predicts that China’s economic growth is to reach 5.6% this year, and the International Monetary Fund believes that China’s contribution to global economic growth will reach about one-third. Facts have once again proven that China’s economic fundamentals of strong resilience, great potential, vitality, and long-term positive trends have not changed and will not change. China’s development will continue to provide strong impetus for global economic recovery and sustainable development.

Despite decades of challenges, China has stridden a long way on the route of development. At present, China is unswervingly deepening reforms and expanding the level of opening up, and high-quality development in various fields has been solidly advanced with numerous highlights. The Chinese people is pursuing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

The Chinese modernization benefits the world. 

China has deeply implemented the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind in the process of promoting modernization. China recently released for the first time the white paper “A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions”, which comprehensively summarizes the vivid practices and fruitful results of various countries in building a community with a shared future for mankind. China has signed documents on Belt and Road cooperation with more than 150 countries, including Jamaica, and more than 30 international organizations. According to the research report by the World Bank, the Belt and Road Initiative, since it was proposed 10 years ago has produced 42,000 jobs for partner countries, lifted nearly 40 million people out of poverty, and raised the share of emerging and developing economies in the global economy by 3.6 percentage point. 2023 marks the 10^th anniversary of the proposal of the “Belt and Road” initiative, and the Third “Belt and Road” Forum for International Cooperation will be held soon. China will take this opportunity to review its achievements and draw up a blueprint to make this “development belt” that benefits the world more prosperous and the “happiness road” that benefits mankind broader.

The Chinese modernization leaves no one behind

President Xi has proposed to build a community of shared development, and make sure that in the process of global modernization, no country is left behind. Prosperity is not real until it’s common prosperity, and development is true only when it’s development of all countries. While marching toward modernization, China will increase its input to global development cooperation, provide more opportunities for the world, and let the development fruits be shared more widely and fairly. China is willing to work with other countries to jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi, and work together to build a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, cleanness and beauty, so as to benefit all of us and future generations.

The Chinese modernization pursues peaceful development

As the only country whose Constitution says it “keeps to a path of peaceful development” and the second largest economy, China is developing itself by unleashing its internal dynamism and peacefully utilizing external resources. It does not oppress any other nation in any form or rob others of resources and wealth; instead, it goes all out to help and support fellow developing countries. The Chinese path to modernization via peaceful development will bring new hope to people of all countries who yearn for peace and development, and contribute even more to world peace, tranquility, prosperity and development.

China and Jamaica are good friends and partners. Equality, mutual trust and win-win are the firm foundation of China-Jamaica relations. Next month marks the 51^st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Jamaica. China has always attached great importance to China-Jamaica relations from strategic and long-term perspectives. With our joint efforts, China-Jamaica relations have always been maintaining right direction, despite the rapid and complicated changes of international situation. Jamaica is the first English-speaking Caribbean country to establish diplomatic relations with China, to establish a strategic partnership with China, and to sign the agreement on jointly promoting the Belt and Road cooperation with China. The three “firsts” are strong evidence of the China-Jamaica friendship and right direction of the bilateral relations.

China – Jamaica political relations have been continuously strengthened. 

The leaders and senior officials of the two countries have always maintained close communication through meetings and exchanges of letters,and played a strategic leading role. Various governmental departments and political parties of China and Jamaica have maintained intensive exchanges. Our two countries have always firmly supported each other in the international and multilateral areas as well as on issues of core interests and major concerns. China appreciates the Jamaican Government’s firm commitment to the one-China principle.

China – Jamaica pragmatical cooperation has deepened

Shored up by the solid political relations, our bilateral trade and infrastructure connectivity have been constantly strengthened. The trade volume between China and Jamaica has increased significantly for many consecutive years. Part A of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project came into service recently. The Western Children’s Hospital is under construction. Over the past years, China and Jamaica have achieved solid and significant outcomes in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. China welcomes Jamaica to join the Group of Friends of Global Development Initiative at an early time, and would like to promote the implementation of the Initiative in Jamaica, with the support of Jamaican friends.

China-Jamaica people-to-people exchanges have been increasingly closer

China has offered hundreds of Chinese Government Scholarships and Chinese Ambassador’s Scholarships to Jamaican students. Thousands of Jamaicans from different fields have taken part in short training sessions organized by China. More and more Jamaican young people are learning Mandarin in the Confucius Institute at the UWI Mona Campus. Just half a month ago, a high-level delegation from Beijing visited Jamaica, once again vigorously promoting the exchanges and mutual learning between the local legislatures and capitals of our two countries.

Nowadays, Jamaica has embarked on the new journey of “Re-igniting a Nation for Greatness”, in the meantime China is promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. Standing at a new historical starting line, China would like to work together with Jamaica to build a more resilient and dynamic bilateral strategic partnership in the new era. The embassy will continue to work with friends from all walks of life to implement the important consensus reached by our leaders, and promote the sustainable, healthy and rapid development of China-Jamaica relations.

In 1996, China joined the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and become a member of the International Seabed Authority. Over the past 27 years, China has developed rapidly and the global situation has changed greatly. However, China’s firm belief in promoting the harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature has never wavered. The concept of “a community of life for man and nature” that China is practicing is similar to the principle of “the area and its resources are the common heritage of mankind” held by the International Seabed Authority. China is willing to continue to work with other countries to promote deep-sea mining and environmental protection, and make greater contributions to the common welfare of all mankind.

President Xi Jinping pointed out that the relationship between countries lies in the friendship between the people. The friendly exchanges between the people of China and Jamaica go back a long way, and the touching story of the two peoples living in harmony and working together for progress stretches back hundreds of years. The Chinese community in Jamaica has upheld the outstanding qualities of diligence, bravery, inclusiveness and dedication. The Chinese people started careers in Jamaica, served the community, and made great contributions to China-Jamaica exchanges and cooperation.

Nothing can separate people with common goals and ideals. At present, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, and the ultimate solution can only be to maintain and practice true multilateralism, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development and win-win cooperation, and insist on being a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. Let’s stick to our original aspiration of cooperation and shoulder the responsibility of the times. Let’s join hands to respond to global challenges and create a better future together. Let’s make brand-new and greater contributions to promoting world peace and development and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.