Message from H.E. Ambassador Zhou Gang on National Day

H.E. Ambassador Zhou Gang

Today is an auspicious occasion, marking the 47th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Like the Chinese people of all nationalities on this very day, I feel very happy and proud of the great achievements my country has scored over the past 47 years.

On Oct. 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong solemnly proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China, ending the long, suffering years of the Chinese nation. Ever since then, the Chinese people have stood up and a great socialist new epoch has been ushered in.

Having been indomitably engaged in an arduous struggle over the past 47 years, the Chinese people of all nationalities, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, have turned a poor and backward old China into an initially prosperous new one, and scored brilliant achievements which have attracted worldwide attention.

Especially during the past 18 years of reform and opening-up, China, full of vitality and dynamism, has enjoyed a sustained, rapid and healthy economic development, political stability, national unity, social progress and a marked improvement in the livelihood of its people.

During the 8th Five-Year Plan (1991-1995), just accomplished last year, the average growth rate of China's economy increased by 12 percent annually, the total volume of China's imports and exports surpassed US$1,000 billion and the foreign investment absorbed during the period totaled $160 billion. The sphere of foreign investment has expanded from industry in the early years to basic industry and infrastructure, and from the coastal areas to the hinterland.

The following were the output of China's main products in 1995: steel, 94 million tons; crude oil, 149 million tons; coal, 1.3 billion tons; fertilizer, 24.5 million tons; synthetics, 2.9 million tons; color television sets, 19.58 million; electricity, 1,000 billion kilowatt hours; and grain, 465 million tons.

The foreign trade volume in 1995, reaching $280.9 billion, ranked 11th among the world trading powers. The GNP in 1995, amounting to $694 billion, quadrupled that of 1980, which was accomplished five years ahead of the original schedule. In the first half of this year, China's economy maintained its momentum of rapid growth while its inflation control witnessed better results.

It is expected that China's economy in 1996 will increase by 9-10 percent. Till the end of June, its foreign reserve amounted to $86.6 billion. Imports and exports have been basically balanced and economic cooperation with foreign countries has been further expanded. The total volume of imports and exports for the first six months in 1996 was $127.24 billion, an increase of 0.6 percent over the same period in 1995.

At the same time, 14,061 foreign investment projects have been approved and the actual capital put in use reached $19.768 billion, an increase of 20.18 percent over the same period in 1995.

It is inspiring that compared with its past, China has scored enormous achievements in its economy. But for a developing country like China, with 1.2 billion people, there are a lot of difficulties and problems in its economic development. For example, there are still 65 million people living under the poverty line. In the next decades or more, China has to make more efforts in reform and opening-up and concentrate the strength of the whole nation on its modernization drive.

At the 4th Session of the 8th National People's Congress held in March 1996, China's 9th Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) for National Economy and Social Development, and the Outline for the Long-Range Objectives between 2000 and 2010, were reviewed and approved, thus laying down the targets for development in the next 15 years.

The targets between 1996 and 2000 are: quadrupling the per capita GNP of 1980 on the basis of a population growth of 300 million between 1980 and 2000; basically eradicating poverty; markedly improving people's livelihood; and initially establishing a socialist market economic system. The targets between 2000 and 2010 are: doubling the GNP of 2000 and improving the people's living standard by a big margin.

For the realization of these objectives, we need not only stability at home and a long-term peaceful environment all over the world, but also wider exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries. China will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace. It will never seek for hegemony. Even if it gets economically stronger, China will not engage in external expansion. Neither at present nor in the future, will China pose a threat to any other country. The stability and development of China is an important element indispensable to world peace, stability and development.

To develop long-term good-neighborly and friendly relations and cooperation with ASEAN countries is one important component of China's foreign policy. China and ASEAN countries have witnessed comprehensive development in their friendly relations and cooperation over the recent years.

Since 1991, China's foreign minister has attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Conference every year, and held fruitful consultations with his counterparts of these countries. In 1994, both the Sino-ASEAN Joint Economic and Trade Commission and the Sino-ASEAN Joint Scientific and Technical Commission were established.

In 1995, the system of political dialog at the senior official level between China and ASEAN was set up. This year, China and ASEAN have formally established Full Dialog Partnership, marking a great leap forward in the relations between them as well as ASEAN member states and providing an opportunity for further development.

We note with satisfaction that since the restoration of diplomatic relations between China and Indonesia six years ago, Sino-Indonesian relations have enjoyed all dimensional development due to the joint efforts from both sides.

The frequent exchanges of visits between the leaders of the two countries have further promoted the healthy sustained development of bilateral relations. In recent years, exchanges in all fields between China and Indonesia have increased rapidly, furthering the deepening of mutual understanding and friendship.

The bilateral trade of the two countries leapt from $1.18 billion in 1990, to $3.49 billion in 1995. The technical cooperation and two-way investment between our two countries have also started. Situated in the economically-dynamic Asia-Pacific area, both China and Indonesia enjoy huge markets and rich resources.

There are bright prospects for economic and trade cooperation of equality and mutual benefit between our two countries. China would like to establish with Indonesia a good-neighborly and mutually-trusted partnership of cooperation in face of the 21 century on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Ten Principles of the Bandung Conference, so as to meet the future challenges together.