The Chinese embassy in Doha yesterday held an official reception to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Yousef bin Mohamed al-Othman Fakhro and Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhroo, Director of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the event with along senior diplomats and heads of different foreign missions and a number of Qatari and other officials and dignitaries.
Chinese ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian welcomed the guests and talked about the achievements of the Chinese government and people over the past 70 years, which have placed China among the leading countries in the world and improved the lives of millions of Chinese people from all segments of society.
“Seventy years ago, the Chinese people fought through great difficulties and hardships to establish the People’s Republic of China, realising national independence and liberation. Since then, the Chinese people have embraced the dream of the country’s prosperity, people’s happiness and nation’s rejuvenation, and dedicated to the great journey of nation-building. During the 70 years, hundreds of millions of Chinese people have created a miracle of the East. In the past 70 years, the country’s dream of becoming rich and powerful has led to historic achievements,” he said in his address.
The envoy continued, “Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, more than 700mn poor people have been lifted out of poverty. The incidence of poverty has dropped to 1.7%, contributing more than 70% to global poverty reduction, creating a miracle in the history of human poverty reduction.”
He also talked about the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and how it would contribute to improving and enhancing the lives of millions of people in different countries besides China. He added that the “development of China is the growth of Asian power, the strength of developing countries and the consolidation of the world’s peace-loving forces. China’s success is inseparable from the support of all countries in the world.”
The ambassador also stressed the strength of the ongoing Qatar-China relations, noting that “as early as 1,300 years ago, the Maritime Silk Road linked China and Qatar. The two countries then conducted the first historic handshake across the Asian continent and built a bridge between the two peoples.”
He elaborated on the various aspects of this deep relationship, which was established officially more than 30 years ago. The envoy concluded his address by wishing “the People’s Republic of China continued peace and property. I wish the friendship between China and Qatar will last forever!”
Dignitaries at the ceremonial cutting of the cake. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil
