Your Excellency Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Republic of Maldives,
Madam Sajidha Mohamed, First Lady of the Republic of Maldives,
Honorable Ministers, Members of Parliament and Leaders of Political Parties,
Dear Diplomatic Colleagues,
My fellow compatriots,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,
Good afternoon!
It is a great pleasure to be with you today to celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic of China. I would like to sincerely thank all our friends who have supported China-Maldives relations over the years.
This year marks the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Looking back at our journey, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have successfully embarked on and remained committed to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Today, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is moving forward with stronger momentum and brighter prospects than ever before.
This year also marks the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. I would like to highlight three aspects of China’s latest development.
First, innovation is unleashing powerful new momentum. China’s quantum computer prototype, Jiuzhang 4.0, has set a new world record in photonic quantum information technology. The Long March-10 and Zhuque-3 rockets have achieved reusable recovery at sea and on land. Huawei has introduced the Tau (τ) Scaling Law, opening a new path to break through the bottlenecks in chip development. And the Pinglu Canal has opened to traffic, becoming the world’s highest-standard river-to-sea canal.
Second, China’s industrial upgrading is gathering pace. In the first 7 months of this year, industrial robot production increased by 28.5%, while new growth drivers, such as high-end manufacturing and the digital economy, contributed more than 40% to economic growth; AI is empowering industries across the board, with China’s daily AI token usage exceeding 500 trillion; industries such as new energy vehicles, wind power, solar power, and new energy storage are developing rapidly, becoming an important support in responding to fluctuations in the global energy market.
Ultimately, all this development is about making people’s lives better. In the first half of this year, China’s per capita disposable income grew by 5.2%, while domestic trips totaled 3.5 billion and outbound trips reached 88 million. As of September 15, 280,000 Chinese tourists had visited the Maldives, up 13%. I believe that during the upcoming Chinese National Day holiday, the major resorts in the Maldives will be filled with laughter and joy of Chinese tourists.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
Today, China is steadily moving toward the goal of basically achieving socialist modernization by 2035. The Maldives, under the leadership of H.E. President Dr. Muizzu, is working toward its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2040. Our two countries enjoy strong political mutual trust, share similar development visions, and have tremendous potential for cooperation.
This year, people-to-people ties between China and the Maldives have grown stronger. Up to now, at the invitation of the Chinese government, nearly 300 Maldivian friends from various sectors have visited China this year. They have seen for themselves a China that is open, confident, civilized and safe, and experienced first-hand the vitality of Chinese modernization.
This year, our economic cooperation has borne new fruits. The Coconut Tree Pest Control Project has been successfully implemented on Hanimaadhoo. The China-Maldives Friendship Hospital has entered the construction bidding stage. Malé and Vilimalé Road Redevelopment Project is currently in the design stage. These two projects are expected to commence construction by the end of this year or early next year. The project for the construction of Island Council buildings is progressing well and expected to secure project approval by the end of this year.
Half a month ago, a drifting vessel struck the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, raising deep concern among all Maldivian friends. The Chinese maintenance team conducted a prompt and professional inspection right after the incident. The results show that the bridge is strong enough to withstand such unexpected conditions. China will continue to provide maintenance services and work with local engineers to safeguard this bridge of friendship. All these projects are fully funded by China aid, without increasing the Maldivian debt burden. On this basis, the China-Maldives Investment Cooperation Forum, scheduled for October, will provide an even broader platform for businesses from our two countries to explore commercial cooperation opportunities and deepen economic ties.
A few days ago, at the National Congress of the PNC, H.E. President Dr. Muizzu emphasized that efforts should be made to further expand tourism, modernize the fisheries sector, increase agricultural production and diversify the Maldivian economy. I firmly believe that by combining China’s strengths in technology, capital and management expertise with the Maldives’ unique resources and rich talents, we can make the “blue economy” bluer, “green development” greener, and the “digital future” closer than ever.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
At this very moment, we gather to celebrate our shared progress and renew our bonds of friendship. Yet the world is far from peace. As Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out, “the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, and humanity once again stands at a crossroads over which way to go.” Standing at this historic crossroads, should we choose confrontation or cooperation, division or unity, a zero-sum game or win-win cooperation? China’s answer has remained consistent: building a community with a shared future for humanity.
This year, China has proposed building a “constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability,” advanced four propositions on safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, put forward the “four commitments” at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, and proposed the “four pioneers” at the BRICS Summit. Through these efforts, China is turning the Global Development, Security, Civilization and Governance Initiatives into concrete action.
As comprehensive strategic cooperative partners, China and the Maldives share broad common ground on international affairs. Last year, during the visit to China, H.E. President Dr. Muizzu gave a comprehensive and positive response to the four major global initiatives. The Maldivian government has also actively supported and echoed China’s positions on many international occasions. We firmly believe that inclusive development, mutual learning among civilizations, common security, and global governance based on sovereign equality are the surest path for humanity to overcome today’s challenges and move toward a more peaceful, prosperous and brighter future.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
Tomorrow is the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Hours later, the sky over Malé should be graced by a full moon.
“圆魄上寒空，皆言四海同” “The round moon rises into the sky; everyone says it is the same across the world.”
Since ancient times, the Chinese people have cherished the beautiful vision of harmony among people and all beings under the full moon. On this special occasion, let's join in wishing:
May the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Maldives prosper and flourish.
May the people of China and the Maldives enjoy happiness and family harmony.
May the friendship between China and the Maldives shine like the bright Mid-Autumn moon—clear and radiant year after year, enduring and everlasting.
Thank you!
Shukeliya!
谢谢大家！