It is a great pleasure to gather here with you all to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. First of all, on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu, I would like to extend my warm welcome and sincere gratitude to all the guests, especially to Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Haji Juhar, Yang Amat Berbahagia Toh Puan Datuk Seri Panglima Hajah Norlidah. We are greatly honored by your presence.
Over the past seventy-four years, China has undergone tremendous changes, with 1.4 billion people striving persistently towards progress. With a history of civilization spanning over 5,000 years, the Chinese nation has achieved numerous glories and endured many hardships. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China 74 years ago, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has united and led people from all ethnic groups in the country, overcoming difficulties and continuously achieving development miracles. The Chinese people have become masters of their own destiny, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process, marking a significant leap from standing up and becoming prosperous to growing stronger.
This year is the first year for fully implementing the guiding principles set out at the 20th CPC National Congress. It marks the 45th anniversary of the launch of China’s reform and opening up, and the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Meanwhile it is also a year in which the world is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese government and people are working hard to achieve the Second Centenary Goal of rejuvenating the Chinese nation through a Chinese path to modernization. China will stay committed to advancing reform and opening up, fostering a new development pattern, and promoting high-quality development, so as to provide opportunities for all countries to grow, and contribute to the global economic recovery.
In the first half of this year, China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 5.5%, outpacing most major economies. Investment in high-technology industries increased by 12.5%, with significant advancements in technological innovation and application. Per capita consumption expenditure increased by 7.6%, contributing 77.2% of the economic growth. China's total import and export volume exceeded 20 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, hitting a record high for the same period in history. China's trade in goods with countries along the Belt and Road jumped 9.8% year-on-year in the first half of 2023, 7.7 percentage points higher than the country's overall trade growth during the same period. The Belt and Road Initiative, from concept to action, from vision to reality, has opened up new directions for international cooperation and exchanges, becoming a popular global public product and international cooperation platform.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends.
China and Malaysia have a close relationship. We have built trust through exchanges and learning from each other, and we have worked together in the era of globalization. Despite global changes, we have followed the trend of history and focused on cooperation that benefits both countries. This has led to the acceleration of China-Malaysia relations in a healthy and stable manner. In March of this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Yang Amat Berhormat Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Beijing, and they reached an important consensus on building the China-Malaysia community with a shared future. This set the direction for further development of the friendly relationship between the two countries. In May, Mr. Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, visited Malaysia. In August, Mr. Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPC and Minister of Foreign Affairs, also visited Malaysia. Last week, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang met with Prime Minister Yang Amat Berhormat Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim as he attended China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, China. These high-level exchanges have strengthened political trust between the two countries. China is committed to working with Malaysia, based on the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, to summarize successful experiences, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and promote the building of the China-Malaysia community with a shared future.
Sabah plays an important role in the 21st Century "Maritime Silk Road". Its beautiful scenery, rich resources, and stable social environment provide a solid foundation for practical cooperation between China and Sabah. This year, the number of Chinese citizens entering Sabah has been increasing dramatically. More and more Chinese companies have come here for business development. Cooperation has expanded from tourism and infrastructure to high-end manufacturing and green energy. Some projects have been developed over many years, showcasing successful cooperation between companies from both places and benefiting from each other's technology, capital, and management, which serve as models of win-win cooperation. Some projects are in the final stages before operation and have provided training for hundreds of local employees, contributing to the improvement of the local workforce.
In addition, I have good news to share. Under the joint effort of the Consulate General and the State government, China Science and Technology Museum's International Tour Exhibition will be launched next week at the Sabah State Library. This moving exhibition will feature about 60 interactive exhibits, such as dome film, 3D TVs, AI robots and others, covering various fields of science and technology, and will be open to the public free of charge. “Experience Science, Inspire Innovation” as its theme, this moving exhibition aims to provide a new experience of science education, especially for the young students of Sabah.
Behind the fruitful results, I see the silent efforts and unwavering dedication of each and everyone of you that has contributed to the achievements. Here I would like to thank the the Head of State Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Haji Juhar, the Chief Minister Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji, and the Sabah State Government for their support in developing relations with China. Thanks to all the Chinese communities, Chinese enterprises and overseas Chinese in Sabah for their important contributions to promoting economic and trade cooperation between China and Sabah, enhancing people-to-people exchanges between the two places and inheriting the excellent Chinese traditional culture. Thanks to everyone who support the work of the Consulate General and myself.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The best way to celebrate our history is to write a new page for the future. The best way to embrace the future is to create an even brighter future. China's development is inseparable from the rest of the world, and at the same time, this development will benefit the rest of the world. Let us hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win to promote an open global economy and to work towards the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative(GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). China and Malaysia, especially Sabah State, should deepen the exchanges and cooperation in various areas, foster mutual understanding and friendly relations between the peoples, and continuously explore new opportunities for win-win cooperation in building the China-Malaysia community with a shared future.
Lastly, let us wish China and Malaysia prosperity and the people happiness and well-being! May all the exchanges and cooperation between China and Sabah bring even greater success.
Thank you!