Remarks by Ambassador Wei Hongtian at a seminar on 18 January 2023.
All friends from media and academy, good afternoon and Happy New Year. As you know, this Friday, 20 January 2023 marks the 18th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic ties between China and Grenada. Very coincidentally, China will celebrate the Chinese lunar new year, Year of the Rabbit according to Chinese Zodiac from 21 January 2023, and will enjoy 7-day holiday for the traditional Spring Festival. On the eve of these 2 important occasions, my colleagues and I are honoured to gather with friends from media and academy to exchange views on various topics. First of all, on behalf of the Embassy, I extend warm welcome to you all and wish you good luck, good health, good fortune and enjoy well-being and prosperity in the year of 2023.
It is a very good experience for me to meeting with friends from all circles in Grenada regularly and to seek ideas and learn from them. On this occasion, I would like to thank you for your continued support and understanding, and your positive, objective, fair coverage and research on China. I am sure that today’s meeting and interaction on bilateral relations and China-related information will further promote mutual understanding between the 2 sides. My keynote speech will touch on bilateral relations, CPC’s National Congress, China’s response on Covid-19, China’s economy development and China’s democracy system.
On China-Grenada Relations
Dear friends,
Over the past 18 years, the People’s Republic of China and Grenada have witnessed a sound and steady development of the bilateral relations. Our political mutual trust has deepened, our practical cooperation has yielded concrete fruits, and our 2 peoples have built stronger bonds of friendship. We highly appreciate that the new NDC-led Grenadian government has repeatedly reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle, which is the political foundation of bilateral relations between China and any other country. With the guidance of this principle, China and Grenada have been working and cooperating closely over the years in many sectors, such as infrastructure, medical and health care, housing, youth, sports, education, human resources training, security and law enforcement, with an eye toward achieving common development. China and Grenada also keep close consultation and coordination on international and regional affairs to safeguard our common interests.
Last year witnessed new development of practical cooperation between our 2 countries: the second phase of the China-aided low-income housing project was completed and handed over to the Grenadian government, pending distribution; the 3-year long Technical Cooperation Project of Kirani James Athletics Stadium was concluded with well-done equipment replacement and facility maintenance; the Upgrade Project of Maurice Bishop International Airport is getting new progress; the Eighth Phase of Agricultural Technical Cooperation Project was launched last November and will last for 3 years. A Chinese expert team is currently in Grenada to finalise the design for the renovation project of the National Cricket Stadium and the and the project will be commenced soon. The Embassy of China in Grenada also funds small-scale community projects such as lighting of playing field, refurbishment of basketball courts, rehabilitation of community centre, building of river-crossing pedestrian bridge, agricultural irrigation, donations of life necessities to Home for Seniors or Children’s Centre, etc., all widely welcome by the local people. In 2022, China donated Covid-19 vaccines, several batches of medical supplies and US$200,000 in cash to help Grenada improve the health sector. Just yesterday in this place, I handed over a batch of agriculture equipment and materials to the Ministry for Agriculture including 15 water pumps and 2,000 metres plastic pipe, 15 weed swappers, 15 rotary cultivators, 15 earth drillers and 200 pitchforks.
China continues to provide full government scholarships to Grenadian students every year, and we also hold both bilateral multilateral short-term training programmes for Grenadian officials and professionals. With the continuous optimisation and adjustment of China’s pandemic prevention policy, I am sure more Grenadian friends will go to visit, work, study and doing business in China this year, and the mutual understanding and friendship between the 2 peoples will also grow deeper. I am also pleased to see that the Confucius Classroom at TAMCC was successfully upgraded to a Confucius Institute last year, attracting more and more local people who are interested in Chinese language, culture and development achievements to come to study.
Dear Friends,
We all know that the negative impacts caused by Covid-19 is still prevailing, but I am very happy to witness the recovery of many sectors and economic rebound in Grenada, and the GDP growth rate of 6% in 2022 is a remarkable achievement. I also noted that the Grenadian government highlighted 6 strategic focus areas in the 2023 Budget Report, which are Health and Wellness, Education and Training, Agriculture and the Marine industry, Physical and Digital Infrastructure, Culture and the Creative Sector, Energy Transition and the Environment. As you may aware, China and Grenada have cooperated closely in all these areas in the past and I can assure you that more cooperation is underway in the coming years. Moreover, I found the theme of this year’s budget, “Vision 2035: People-Centred Transformation: Laying the Foundation for Resilience, Empowerment and Growth,” familiar to me, because “vision” and people-centred philosophy are something that the Communist Party of China values as the cores for good governance and the development of the country. Hon. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell emphasised in his New Year’s Message, “a prosperous and more resilient Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique benefits us all and creates the brighter future that we all want for our children — and their children.” Vision for the future of the nation and putting people first will underpin the development of Grenada, and I can tell you that the CPC regularly conducts exchanges on experience in governing the country with both the NDC and NNP. In this regard, the 2 sides have a lot to share and to explore new fields of cooperation for the benefits of the 2 nations and two peoples. I am sure that the bilateral relations and win-win cooperation between China and Grenada will further develop from strength to strength.
On the CPC 20th National Congress
Dear friends,
You may know that the Communist Party of China (CPC), the ruling party of China, accomplished a very important political agenda in October last year, it successfully convened its 20th National Congress and a new CPC central leadership body was elected. This is an important congress held at a critical moment when China, the world’s most populous and largest developing country, and the second largest economy, is embarking on a new journey to build a comprehensive socialist modern country, and will also have a positive impact on the world against the background of the current international situation full of instability and uncertainty and the serious challenges to global peace and development. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce some highlights and the significance about the Congress.
The Congress has reviewed the works done in past 5 years since the 19th Congress and the great changes taking place over the decade, and elaborated on the Chinese features and essential requirements of Chinese modernisation, and other major issues. It has laid out strategic planning for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and drawn up a grand blueprint for China’s development in the future.
In the past decade, China has experienced 3 major events: first, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, second, socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era, and third, the completion of the historical task of eradicating poverty, and achieving its first centenary goal — building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. With the implementation of the new development concept, nearly 100 million rural poor people have been lifted out of poverty in 10 years. China has remained the world’s second largest economy. China’s average annual growth rate for the decade was 6.6%, contributing 38.6% to world economic growth. That is more than the combined contribution of the G7 countries and it makes China the number one engine for world growth. Also, the scale of China’s manufacturing sector and foreign exchange reserves remain the largest in the world. The “Belt and Road Initiative” has become a popular international public goods and platform for international cooperation. China has become a major trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions, ranking first in total trade in goods, attracting the highest foreign investment and outward investment in the world. China’s development has made a positive contribution to world peace and development.
The Report to the 20th CPC National Congress proposed the mission of advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation. That is to say, from this day forward, the central task of the CPC will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realise the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation. The report elaborated on the features and essential requirements of Chinese modernisation and major principles that must be firmly adhered to, so that we will be able to keep firmly in our own hands the destiny of the country’s development. Chinese modernisation, a new approach to a new form of modernisation, charts the course of China’s development:
First, it is the modernisation of huge population. China is working to achieve modernisation for more than 1.4 billion people, a number larger than the combined population of all developed countries in the world today. With this larger population size, it means greater difficulty and complexity when implementing any change, but of course there are also many opportunities that come with a larger market. As China’s middle-income group continues to expand and its consumption structure continues to upgrade, China will play an ever greater role in driving world economic growth and provide more opportunities for growth to all countries.
Second, it is the modernisation of common prosperity for all. The immutable goal of our modernisation drive is to meet the people’s aspirations for a better life. China will not leave anyone behind on the road to establishing a society that is moderately prosperous. (Poverty is not socialism, the divide between rich and poor is also not socialism. Common prosperity is our noble goal.)
Third, it is the modernisation of material and cultural-ethical advancement. While continuing to consolidate the material foundation for modernisation and improve the material conditions for people’s well-being, we will strive to develop advanced socialist culture, foster strong ideals and convictions, and carry forward China’s cultural heritage. We will thus promote all-around material abundance as well as people’s well-rounded development.
Fourth, it is the modernisation of harmony between humanity and nature. We care about environmentally friendly and green development, and firmly uphold and act on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,
Lastly, it is the modernisation of peaceful development. China has always pursued its own development while firmly safeguarding world peace and development. We insist on dialogue rather than confrontation and partnership rather than alliance. Over the past decade, the number of partnerships China has established with countries and regional organisations has increased from 41 to 113, and 19 free trade agreements have been signed with 26 countries and regions. China is the only country in the world that has written “adhering to the path of peaceful development” into its constitution, and we will always be a force protecting and maintaining world peace.
Dear friends,
Today, our world is in the grip of interlocking changes and turbulence. While old issues and tensions remain, new challenges emerge thick and fast, with a mounting governance deficit. All these have made it all the more relevant to bolster the rule of law at the international level, which is a shared responsibility of all countries. China hopes to work with other countries including Grenada to promote the humanity’s shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, uphold true multilateralism, safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, take the lead in implementing the rule of law at the international level, jointly address various global challenges, and continue to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
On the Covid-19 Response
Dear friends,
You may have read news about the recent Covid-19 infection cases surge in China recently, along with some disinformation spread by some people with ulterior motives, but I can guarantee you that things are totally under control. Here I would like to further introduce the real situation in China.
Last month, China decided to adjust its Covid policy, managing Covid-19 with measures against Class-B infectious diseases. The new policy was fully implemented on 8 January. Personnel exchanges between China and other countries will henceforth become more convenient and smoother. As a big country with a huge population of more than 1.4 billion, the adjustment attracted wide attention from the international community. A vast majority of countries and peoples applaud and support this adjustment. But there are some western medias with tinted glasses who discredited China’s surging cases and overwhelmed health service, alleging that China’s Covid response has failed. Some countries even imposed discriminatory measures on Chinese travellers — interestingly, these countries are the ones that used to fervently call for China’s change of protocols on Covid. Whatever China does, they say no.
Over the past 3 years, China has achieved economic and social development, while protecting the lives and health of the Chinese people to the greatest extent. “Fight,” “prevention,” “coordination,” “optimisation” — with the goal of returning to “normalcy” — these are the 5 keywords for China’s success. China has effectively responded to five global Covid waves and avoided widespread infections with the original strain and the Delta variant, which are relatively more pathogenic than the other variants. China has greatly reduced the number of severe cases and deaths, and bought precious time for the research, development and application of vaccines and therapeutics, and for getting medical supplies and other resources ready. This is a huge triumph. Globally speaking, China has had the lowest rates of infection and mortality. Average life expectancy in China went up from 77.3 to 78.2 years. Even when the global Human Development Index dropped for 2 years straight, China went up 6 places on the Index.
Why did China adjust its pandemic prevention policy? It is an inevitable choice for countries around the world to adjust pandemic control policies according to the time and situation, and China is no exception. This adjustment is in essence an optimisation of pandemic prevention measures. It is a proactive measure to make the prevention and control work more scientific, precise and effective. It shows China’s attitude of seeking truth from facts. China’s “gear shift” was carried out after the worst period of the pandemic, with better conditions and foundations in place. In line with the adjustment, China is also vigorously promoting the vaccination of Covid-19 vaccine, focusing on strengthening the vaccination and health management of the elderly. This adjustment is a correct decision based on scientific judgment. It will help unleash the potential and vitality of the Chinese economy, ensure the stability and unimpeded international supply and industrial chains, and promote global economic recovery and growth. It is a responsible measure for the Chinese people and the world, and once again embodies the concept of putting people and life first.
Every time when China wants to optimise and adjust its pandemic prevention and control measures, it makes decision on the basis of prudent planning and scientific assessment by experts, ensuring that the decision is proactive and safe, and risks are under control. As for the impacts on global pandemic situation, health experts from many countries have said that the main variant now spreading in China has previously been found elsewhere already, and that a new variant can emerge anywhere on the planet. China maintains routine information sharing with the World Health Organisation and has kept the statistics transparent. I believe that if all members of the global community adhere to a science-based response approach and work together, the safety of cross-border travel will be ensured to the greatest extent.
On China’s Economy and the World
On 13-14 December 2022, China’s tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference was held in Beijing. It reviewed the country’s economic work in 2022, analysed the current economic situation and arranged next year’s economic work. It was noted at the meeting that an overall recovery and improvement is expected in the country’s economic performance in 2023, and that a firm confidence is necessary to do a good job in the economic work. The meeting demanded making economic stability a top priority and pursuing steady progress while ensuring economic stability for the next year.
With the lingering impact of Covid-19 and negative spillover from the situation in Ukraine, the global economy, which has already shown a loss of momentum, is facing uncertainties. However, China, as the 2nd largest economy in the world, its economy showed strong resilience at this hard time. China’s recent Covid-19 policy adjustments will undoubtedly lead to a strong recovery of its domestic economy. China’s economy posted steady growth in 2022 despite pressures including epidemic resurgences and a complicated external environment. The latest Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday showed that China’s GDP grew 3% year on year to a record high of 121.0207 trillion yuan (about US$17.95 trillion in 2022). The national economy continued to develop despite downward pressure, the economic output reached a new level, the employment and prices were generally stable, people’s lives were continuously improved, new achievements were secured in high-quality development, and the overall economic and social development was stable and healthy. However, we also know the foundation of domestic economic recovery is not solid as the international situation is still complicated and severe while the domestic triple pressure of demand contraction, supply shock and weakening expectations is still looming. China will make economic stability its top priority and pursue progress while ensuring stability in 2023.
Many places across the country have returned to pre-pandemic normalcy in many areas. Likely boosted by such a fast recovery, many Chinese local economic powerhouses have set high GDP growth targets for 2023. As of last Thursday, many local governments, including that of Shanghai, East China’s Fujian and Jiangxi, have released their 2023 GDP growth targets, with all setting a GDP growth rate of 5.5 % or above.
China stays committed to promoting high-level opening up and accelerating efforts to foster a new development paradigm. According to the General Administration of Customs, the total foreign goods trade of China reached 42.07 trillion yuan (US$6.31 trillion), up 7.7% year on year, topping the world for 6 consecutive years. The figure exceeded 40 trillion yuan for the first time. Through multilateral mechanisms such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), China has become even more closely bonded with its global and regional partners, many of which pin their hopes on a robust recovery of the Chinese economy to inject strong momentum into the world in the near future. Trade with BRI countries climbed 19.4% to account for 32.9% of its total foreign trade, while trade with other members of the RCEP rose 7.5%.
At a time when the global economy is slowing down, China’s economic revival will inject new and strong impetus into the global development, highly increase the stability of the global industrial and supply chains, and enormously boost the confidence of Grenada and many other developing countries. Meanwhile, as a global mega-market, the rebound in Chinese consumption will also help dispel the gloom of global economy and provide more certainty and stability for the uncertain future of the world.
On Whole-Process People’s Democracy
In China, we have our own type of democracy, namely the Whole-Process People’s Democracy. The people participate in the management of state affairs, social affairs, and economic and cultural affairs; they provide opinions and suggestions for the design of national development plans at the highest level, and also contribute to the governance of local public affairs; they take part in democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight; they express their aspirations and demands through channels such as the people’s congresses and the China People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and through platforms like social organisations and the internet. China has ensured that its people have channels to express their aspirations, wishes and demands on issues ranging from important national strategies and policies to social governance and basic necessities of life, enabling their voices to be heard and their requests to be answered. Democracy in China gives full expression to the guidelines of the CPC, the will of the state, and the expectations of the people, uniting the Party, the government and the people behind shared goals, interests and aspirations. This generates a huge cohesive force that translates into one of China’s great institutional strengths — the ability to pool resources to accomplish major initiatives.
Friends, you might have heard that the USA-led Second “Leaders’ Summit for Democracy” will be convened at the end of this March. By intentionally leaving nearly half of the countries and regions in the world outside, it drew a clear-cut line between so-called “democracies” and “non-democracies” and was criticised by many as creating de facto conflicts and antagonism in international community. Even, it invited various suspicions from corners of the world on the motivations behind.
Democracy is a shared value of humanity. Due to differences among countries in history, culture, institution and level of development, their peoples have naturally different understandings of democracy and various methods of achieving it. This determines that democracy is not Coca-Cola, which could be produced with one formula and taste exactly alike across the world. Roads to democracy are different too. There is no a system that fits all in the world. It is not a privilege reserved to a small minority of countries, but the people’s legitimate right to choose their own road and decides how to walk towards the common destination. Democracy is not an ornament only to be used for decoration, but a way to solve the problems that the people are facing. Whether a country is a democracy or not depends on whether its people are really the masters of the country. If the people are awakened only for voting but have no say after the election, such a democracy is not a true democracy.
More importantly, the judgement on whether a country is a democracy or not should be made by their people, not be authenticated by the handful of others. Surveys have shown that the level of public satisfaction with the Chinese government has remained above 90% for many years. This provides unequivocal evidence of the efficacy and vitality of democracy in China. Whether a member of the international community is democratic or not should be judged together by the international community, not by a self-righteous minority “lecturer of democracy”.
China and Grenada have much in common when it comes to democracy. We both believe democracy hinges upon national independence and sovereignty, without which democracy is mere empty talk. We both maintain democracy is an internal affair by nature, and don’t accept unsolicited lecturing on democracy. We both have made great progress in exploring paths to democracy that suit our national conditions, and firmly oppose any attempts by anyone to impose a certain mode of democracy on us. We both put people first in our concepts of governance, which lies in the core of democracy. Together, China and Grenada can do a lot to enhance exchanges of experience in governance and promote international democracy in international relations, thus making the world a better place for us to live in.
Thank you for your kind attention!
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