Chinese President Xi Jinping met with foreign guests attending the China International Friendship Conference which also marked the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in Beijing on Friday.
Xi had a group photo taken with the foreign guests and spoke highly of the long-term dedication of international friends to cementing friendship with China.
He pointed out that people-to-people friendship is the foundation for stable and long-term international relations and an unremitting driving force for promoting world peace and development.
Over the past 75 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has united and led the Chinese people in blazing a path of modernization that has not only developed the country itself but also benefited the world, he said.
Looking back on the journey, Xi said, China's achievements in various fields would not have been realized without the support of people from other countries. Numerous international friends have shared weal and woe with the Chinese people. Numerous foreign enterprises, institutions and individuals have actively participated in advancing China's socialist modernization, thus achieving mutual benefits and making important contributions to promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries, he added.
Their important contributions to China and their genuine friendship with the Chinese people will be always remembered, Xi said.
Stressing that the world is once again at a crossroads in history, Xi said that in the face of changes unseen in a century, all countries are closely connected and the entire humanity shares one common future. Building a community with a shared future for humanity is the right way forward for people of all countries.
China is willing to strengthen friendly exchanges with friends from all other countries, give play to the unique role of people-to-people diplomacy, and strive to build a community with a shared future for humanity, said Xi.
First, it needs to build a broad consensus on building a community with a shared future for mankind in the spirit of "global solidarity", Xi said. He added that the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom of all mankind should be promoted, and an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization should be advocated, so as to build the Earth into a big family of peace and harmony.
Second, it needs to form strong synergy to build a community with a shared future for mankind as cooperation leads to mutual benefits, Xi said. China does not seek modernization alone, but welcomes more foreign friends to actively participate in the Chinese modernization drive, and China is ready to continue to use its new achievements of modernization to provide new opportunities for the development of the world, so as to promote world modernization featuring peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity, and bring more benefits to people of all countries, he added.
Third, Xi said, it needs to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind with an open and inclusive mindset. The Chinese nation is open and inclusive, and the Chinese people are kind and friendly, he said, adding that China is ready to work with all parties to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, and enhance mutual understanding and deepen friendship through sincere communication, so as to transcend barriers between cultures through exchanges, and resolve conflicts through mutual understanding.
Xi stressed that the CPC is a party that serves the people, the Chinese government is the people's government, and China's diplomacy is the people's diplomacy.
The Chinese government will, as always, support the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in playing a unique role in developing friendship between the Chinese and foreign peoples, and promoting international practical cooperation, Xi said.
By making more friends through heart-to-heart exchanges, China will continue to deepen friendship between the peoples of China and other countries, and unite friends from all over the world to work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind, participate in Chinese modernization, promote mutual learning among civilizations and people-to-people ties, and carry forward the friendship between peoples, Xi said.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Thailand Parliament Bhokin Bhalakula, and Elyn MacInnis, founder of Friends of Kuliang, also addressed the conference.
Friends of Kuliang is a group gathering about 50 descendants of U.S. families who once lived in Kuliang in east China's Fuzhou City.
They extended warm congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and spoke highly of the unique role that the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries has played in promoting people-to-people diplomacy and enhancing understanding and friendship between peoples.
They said that under the leadership of President Xi, China has successfully lifted itself out of poverty, achieved rapid development, and has become a beacon of hope for the vast number of developing countries.
The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi demonstrate a vision and sense of responsibility for global governance, and chart the course for closer cooperation and mutual benefit among countries around the world, they said.
Noting that China's development and prosperity will continue to benefit the world, they expressed hopes to work with China to continue to strengthen friendly exchanges and cooperation in various fields, pass on the friendship between peoples from generation to generation, jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind, and make greater contribution to world peace, development and prosperity.
About 200 people attended the event, including former foreign dignitaries, royal family members, heads of international friendship organizations and friends.
Xi meets foreign guests attending China International Friendship Conference
Xi meets foreign guests attending China International Friendship Conference
Xi meets foreign guests attending China International Friendship Conference
