Op-ed: 75 Years of Weathering Storms and 52 Years of Standing Together

The following is an op-ed by the Chinese Ambassador to Maldives, Wang Lixin on the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China

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China’s Miracle Captivates the World

1st October 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Over the past 75 years, China has moved from poverty and backwardness to moderate prosperity in all respects, creating a miracle of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have made globally notable achievements in Chinese modernization. China has brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty and accomplished building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and unprecedentedly integrated into the world economy, becoming the world’s second-largest economy, largest manufacturing power, largest trading nation, and largest foreign exchange reserve holder, while making increasingly significant contributions to the noble cause of human peace, progress, and development. The Chinese nation stands proudly among the nations of the world.

2024 is a crucial year for fully implementing the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and for tackling key challenges in the “14th Five-Year Plan”. Despite a complex and severe domestic and international environment, China’s economy continued to recover and improve in the first half of the year: China’s GDP reached 61.7 trillion yuan (approximately 8.68 trillion USD), up 5% year-on-year; the total import and export volume exceeded 21 trillion yuan (about 3 trillion USD) for the first time, setting a historical record with a growth of 6.1%; and the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises was 26870, up 14.2%. The IMF has raised its economic growth forecast for China this year to 5%. China’s economy remaining a major engine for global economic growth.

At the same time, China’s industrial upgrading and high-quality development are proceeding steadily, increasing the value and sustainability of China’s economic growth. The production of smart and green new products such as integrated circuits, service robots, new energy vehicles, and solar cells continues to grow at double-digit rates. New technologies such as big data and AI are creating new consumption scenarios, driving a 8.8% year-on-year increase in online retail sales of physical goods. Energy consumption per unit of GDP continues to decline. Positive factors driving China’s economic transformation and high-quality development are continuing to accumulate, with Chinese modernization advancing steadily. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has made strategic deployments for further deepening reforms and advancing Chinese modernization, opening up broader and brighter prospects for China’s development.

China’s Development Benefits the World

Just as President Xi Jinping said, “China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better.” China is committed to promoting global modernization through its own modernization. The Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPC on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization adopted at the Third Plenary Session points out that “In diplomatic work, China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace and is dedicated to promoting a human community with a shared future. We will stay committed to the common values of all humanity, pursue the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and call for an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.” China has always honored its words and will continue to do so.

China has always been a builder of world peace. China always practices the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, settles disputes through dialogue, resolves differences through consultation, enhances security through cooperation, shares the responsibility for maintaining peace, and pursues peaceful development. As the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping forces among the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the second-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, China has never occupied a single inch of foreign land. On international and regional hotspot issues, China always promotes talks for peace. China is committed to a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. On Israel-Palestine conflict, China upholds justice, striving for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and comprehensive implementation of the “two-state solution”. On such issues as the Korean Peninsula issue, the Iranian nuclear issue and Afghanistan issue, China continues to play a constructive role.

China has always been a contributor to global development. Over the years, China’s economic growth has ranked among the top among major economies, contributing about 30% to global economic growth, and becoming a major trading partner for more than 140 countries and regions. China actively promotes high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, signing over 200 cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations, forming more than 3,000 cooperation projects, driving nearly a trillion USD in investment, creating 420,000 jobs in participating countries, and lifting nearly 40 million people out of poverty. According to a research report by the World Bank, by 2030, the BRI is expected to lift 7.6 million people in partner countries out of extreme poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty.

China has always been a defender of international fairness and justice. The world today is far from tranquil, and hegemonic and bullying acts are inflicting profound harm. The international security situation is in chaos. As a responsible major country, China always adheres to genuine multilateralism, and firmly advocates that countries should uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order underpinned by the international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China adheres to the rule of law and have joined almost all inter-governmental international organizations and international conventions. China opposes bullying and advocates dialogue instead of conflict, consultation instead of intimidation and win-win outcomes instead of zero-sum game. China has all along opposed bloc politics or exclusive small circles and worked for the development interests of small, vulnerable and developing countries, so as to make global governance more just and equitable.

China is a promoter of mutual learning among civilizations. The Chinese civilization has the prominent characteristics of continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness and peace. China has proposed the GCI, called for the establishment of an International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations at the UN General Assembly, hosted events such as the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting, and actively promoted bilateral and multilateral cultural exchange platforms such as the China-ASEAN Forum on Cultural Exchanges and Cooperation, and the General Assembly of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia. China has organized large-scale cultural and tourism years (festivals) such as the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, and the China-ASEAN Cultural Exchange Year, as well as international arts festivals, paving the way for dialogues and exchanges among different civilizations to ensure that cultural exchanges transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcend clashes, and coexistence transcend feelings of superiority, so as to flourish the garden of world civilizations.

China and the Maldives: Advancing for a Shared Future

The Maldives is a traditional friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic cooperative partner of China. Over the past 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting a fine example of equal treatment, mutual assistance, and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes. In recent years, China and the Maldives have deepened mutually beneficial cooperation and shared development results by implementing the BRI and GDI, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries.

Head-of-state diplomacy has charted the course for the development of China-Maldives relations. In 2014, President Xi Jinping paid a historical state visit to the Maldives. The two sides agreed to elevate our relations to a future-oriented all-round friendly and cooperative partnership. The Maldives welcomed and expressed willingness to participate in the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road cooperation. It is one of the first countries to join the BRI and benefit from this initiative. In 2022, the two heads of state exchanged congratulatory messages in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In January 2024, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, H.E. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu paid successful a state visit to China. The two heads of state jointly announced to elevate the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and jointly build a community with a shared future. The two sides agreed to advance the high-quality construction of the BRI to better align our policies, fully implement the GDI and further improve the quality of cooperation. The strategic guidance by the two heads of state has mapped out a new blueprint for our comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Piratical cooperation has benefited the two peoples. By aligning the BRI and the GDI with the economic development strategies of the Maldives, Our practical cooperation has produced fruitful results. The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge open to traffic in August 2018 has brought great convenience to local people and transformative changes to the national development of the Maldives. The capacity of the expanded Velana International Airport has doubled, giving a strong boost to the local tourism industry and economic recovery. So far Chinese companies have completed more than 11,000 social housing units and contributed a lot in improving the living conditions of local residents. The China-aided project to develop a 100-bed tertiary hospital in Vilimalé and to redevelop the roads of Malé and Vilimalé is progressing smoothly. Recently, China and the Maldives signed an MOU which establishes the framework for the settlement of current account transactions and direct investment in local currencies. Now, both sides are working on the entry into effect and implementation of the FTA. Since the beginning of the year, the number of Chinese tourists to the Maldives has surged, reaching about 200,000 so far. China has again become the largest source of tourists in the Maldives. Moreover, our bilateral cooperation in desalination, power supply, new energy, culture, education, healthcare and other areas has achieved significant results, greatly improving the well-being of Maldivians.

Sustainable development represents the future of China-Maldives cooperation. In recent years, China-Maldives cooperation under the BRI and GDI has been dedicated to helping the Maldives enhance its own ability to achieve sustainable development. The beginning of 2023 saw the launch of the China-Maldives Ophthalmology Center Assistance and Cooperation Program, which not only brought light to many Maldivian patients with eye diseases, but also trained local ophthalmic medical staff and helped establish a permanent eye hospital in the Maldives. The model of China’s assistance is shifting from “giving a fish” to “teaching to fish”. China arranges series of training seminars each year for Maldivian civil servants, athletes, and local officials, enhancing their capacity and supporting the Maldives’ sustainable development. We are also exploring the potential for local cooperation between China and the Maldives, actively promoting exchanges and cooperation between various Chinese provinces and cities and Maldivian cities, atolls, and islands, deepening the friendship between our peoples.

Both China and China-Maldive relations are now well positioned for further development. On the new journey, China will continue to uphold the path of peaceful development and an opening-up strategy of mutual benefit, work together with people from all over the world, including the Maldives, to advance the building of a human community with a shared future!