Greetings to you all. We are gathered here today to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and also a traditional festival of the Chinese nation Mid-Autumn Festival. Here, I would like to express, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Sudan, heartful thanks to friends across sectors for your long-term support for China’s development and China-Sudan friendship. I wish every overseas Chinese in Sudan a happy Mid-Autumn Festival with your families.
The year 2020 is a very unusual year, as the profound changes unseen in a century and the COVID-19 pandemic have brought the world again to a crossroads. In the face of the once-in-a-century epidemic, the Chinese people across the whole country have pulled together as one under the firm leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. Through the most comprehensive, stringent and thorough measures to prevent COVID-19 from spreading within the country and beyond, China managed to stem the extensive transmission of the virus and protect the safety and health of its people to the greatest extent, winning this people’s war without smoke. Through coordination of epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development, we have gained major strategic achievements in epidemic response and made business and life get back to normal in a steady and orderly manner. As a result, China becomes the first major economy to register positive growth since the COVID-19 pandemic and is now at the forefront of both epidemic control and economic recovery.
China has joined hands with the rest of the world to weather the trying times. Despite its own heavy pressure to contain the virus, China launched the largest global humanitarian operation in the history of the People’s Republic of China. It has sent 34 medical expert teams to 32 countries, provided assistance of medical supplies for more than 150 countries and international organizations, and held video conferences with health experts from over 180 countries. This is a vivid illustration of a major responsible country’s commitment to the common good of the world and the building of a community of a shared future for mankind.
In this fierce battle against COVID-19, the Chinese people and the Chinese nation have displayed immense bravery to fight for a victory. They have forged the great spirit of putting people’s lives first, nationwide solidarity, sacrifice, respect for science, and a sense of mission for humanity.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding the United Nations. Faced with changes rarely seen in a century, the international community needs to once again make a crucial choice, a choice between multilateralism and unilateralism, between cooperation and confrontation and between openness and seclusion. As certain country is going too far on the wrong path of unilateralism, the UN-centered international system has been gravely undermined. In this complicated context, China, as a major responsible country, firmly upholds multilateralism, sticks to solidarity, cooperation and shared responsibilities, and opposes division, confrontation and blame-shifting. In the belief that peace and development are still the order of the day; win-win cooperation remains the irreversible trend; and history will march forward despite all setbacks, China will make greater efforts to keep development and progress on the right track.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China and Sudan have fought shoulder to shoulder against COVID-19, writing a new chapter in China-Sudan solidarity and cooperation for a shared future. During this fight, Chinese President Xi Jinping and President of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Burhan exchanged messages; Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister of Sudan’s transitional government Hamdok made phone calls to each other; and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Sudanese Foreign Minister Asma extended sympathies to each other. To assist with Sudan’s battle against COVID-19, the Chinese government has sent a medical expert team, the largest to date, to Sudan. People from different circles in China have provided 12 batches of anti-epidemic materials for the Sudanese side. China-Sudan cooperation with solidarity on epidemic response adds new substance to the strategic partnership between the two nations. Such cooperation will certainly go down the history of China-Sudan relations, as it sets a model for international cooperation against COVID-19 and offers a new way for building a global community of health for all.
Recently, Sudan has experienced an once-in-a-generation severe flood disaster. We sympathize with the Sudanese people in flood-hit region. We are willing to provide support and assistance to the Sudanese side to the best of our capacity. The Chinese government has already decided to provide Sudan 300,000 US dollars as emergency humanitarian aid. We believe that the Sudanese government and people will prevail over the floods and rebuild their homeland as soon as possible.
As the Chinese saying goes, “long and difficult as the journey may be, sustained actions will take us to the destination”. The fundamental reason why the Chinese nation is a great nation is that it never gives up, backs off or ceases moving before any challenges and risks and always fights for its own future. Standing at a critical juncture as China is about to accomplish the first centenary goal and strive for achieving the second, it will continue to shoulder its responsibilities as a major country, safeguard and practice multilateralism, and press ahead with building a community of a shared future for mankind, so as to contribute its share to the peace, security and prosperity of the world.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
Let me conclude my remarks with best wishes for the prosperity and peace of our great motherland, for the eternality of China-Sudan friendship and for an early victory over COVID-19 across the world.
May you all have a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and good health.
Thank you.
Remarks Made by Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin at the Virtual Reception in Celebration of the 71st Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China
