SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan -- President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) here on Friday.

The following is the full text of the speech:

Ride on the Trend of the Times and Enhance Solidarity and Cooperation to Embrace a Better Future

Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

At the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of The Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Samarkand, Sept 16, 2022

Your Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev,

Colleagues,

I am delighted to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). I would like to thank you, President Mirziyoyev, for your warm hospitality and thoughtful arrangements. I salute Uzbekistan for the great job it has done to promote SCO cooperation in various fields during its presidency over the past year.

Samarkand, renowned as the pearl on the Silk Road, witnessed the glory of the ancient Silk Road, a route that greatly boosted the flow of goods, spread of science and technology, interaction of ideas, and integration of diverse cultures on the Eurasian continent. Indeed, the ancient Silk Road has remained a historical source of inspiration for us SCO member states as we pursue peace and development.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the SCO Charter and 15th anniversary of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Between the SCO Member States. Over the years, guided by these two founding documents, we have succeeded in exploring a new path for the development of international organizations, and there is much we can draw on from SCO's rich practices.

-- Political trust. Guided by the vision of forging enduring friendship and peace among the SCO member states, we respect each other's core interests and choice of development path and support each other in achieving peace, stability, development and rejuvenation.

-- Win-win cooperation. We accommodate each other's interests, stay true to the principle of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits, enhance synergy between our respective development strategies, and keep to the path of win-win cooperation toward common prosperity.

-- Equality between nations. We are committed to the principle of equality among all countries regardless of their size, consensus-based decision-making, and addressing issues through friendly consultations. We reject the practice of the strong bullying the weak or the big bullying the small.

-- Openness and inclusiveness. We stand for harmonious coexistence and mutual learning between different countries, nations and cultures, dialogue between civilizations and seeking common ground while shelving differences. We are ready to establish partnership and develop win-win cooperation with other countries and international organizations that share our vision.

-- Equity and justice. We are committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter; we tackle major international and regional issues on the basis of their merits, and oppose the pursuit of one's own agenda at the expense of other countries' legitimate rights and interests.

These five points fully embody the Shanghai Spirit, namely, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development. It has been shown that this spirit is the source of strength for the development of the SCO. It is also the fundamental guide we must continue to follow in the years to come. We owe SCO's remarkable success to the Shanghai Spirit. And we will continue to follow its guidance as we forge ahead.

Colleagues,

Human society, like the natural world, has both sunny and rainy days in its development. Our world today is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in a century, and it has entered a new phase of uncertainty and transformation. The once-in-a-century pandemic has continued unabated. Regional conflicts keep flaring up. The Cold War mentality and group politics are resurfacing, so are unilateralism and protectionism. Economic globalization has encountered headwinds. Deficit in peace, development, trust, and governance has grown. Human society has reached a crossroads and faces unprecedented challenges.

Under these new conditions, the SCO, as an important constructive force in international and regional affairs, should keep itself well-positioned in the face of changing international dynamics, ride on the trend of the times, strengthen solidarity and cooperation and build a closer SCO community with a shared future.

First, we need to enhance mutual support. We should strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication, deepen mutual understanding and political trust, and support each other in our efforts to uphold security and development interests. We should guard against attempts by external forces to instigate "color revolution," jointly oppose interference in other countries' internal affairs under any pretext, and hold our future firmly in our own hands.

Second, we need to expand security cooperation. A proverb in Uzbekistan goes to the effect that "With peace, a country enjoys prosperity, just as with rain, the land can flourish." The Global Security Initiative put forward by China is to address the peace deficit and global security challenges. It calls on all countries to stay true to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture. We welcome all stakeholders to get involved in implementing this initiative.

We should continue to carry out joint anti-terrorism exercises, crack down hard on terrorism, separatism and extremism, drug trafficking as well as cyber and transnational organized crimes; and we should effectively meet the challenges in data security, biosecurity, outer space security and other non-traditional security domains. China is ready to train 2,000 law enforcement personnel for SCO member states in the next five years, and establish a China-SCO base for training counter-terrorism personnel, so as to enhance capacity-building for law enforcement of SCO member states.

We should ensure that the SCO-Afghanistan contact group and the mechanism of coordination and cooperation among Afghanistan's neighbors continue to play their roles; and we should encourage Afghan authorities to establish a broadly-based and inclusive political structure and remove the ground that breeds terrorism.

Third, we need to deepen practical cooperation. To deliver a better life for people of all countries in the region is our shared goal. The Global Development Initiative launched by China aims to focus global attention on development, foster global development partnership, and achieve more robust, greener and more balanced global development. China is ready to work with all other stakeholders to pursue this initiative in our region to support the sustainable development of regional countries.

We need to implement the two statements on safeguarding international energy and food security to be adopted by this summit and better protect energy and food security. China will provide developing countries in need with emergency humanitarian assistance of grain and other supplies worth 1.5 billion RMB yuan.

We welcome the Comprehensive Plan for the Implementation of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027 to be adopted at this summit. We should fully implement the cooperation documents in such areas as trade and investment, infrastructure building, protecting supply chains, scientific and technological innovation and artificial intelligence to be adopted within the framework of the summit. It is important to continue our efforts to achieve the complementarity of the Belt and Road Initiative with national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, expand sub-multilateral cooperation and sub-regional cooperation, and create more growth drivers in cooperation.

We need to ensure implementation of the roadmap for SCO member states to expand shares of local currency settlement, better develop the system for cross-border payment and settlement in local currencies, work for the establishment of an SCO development bank, and thus speed up regional economic integration. Next year, China will host an SCO ministers' meeting on development cooperation and an industrial and supply chains forum, and will set up the China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center to create new engines of common development. China stands ready to carry out space cooperation with all other parties and provide satellite data service to support them in agricultural development, connectivity and disaster mitigation and relief.

Fourth, we need to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Exchanges promote integration among civilizations, which, in turn, enables civilizations to advance. We should deepen cooperation in such areas as education, science and technology, culture, health, media, radio and television, ensure the continued success of signature programs such as the youth exchange camp, the women's forum, the forum on people-to-people friendship and the forum on traditional medicine, and support the SCO Committee on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation and other non-official organizations in playing their due roles. China will build a China-SCO ice and snow sports demonstration zone and host the SCO forums on poverty reduction and sustainable development and on sister cities next year. In the next three years, China will carry out 2,000 free cataract operations for SCO member states and provide 5,000 human resources training opportunities for them.

Fifth, we need to uphold multilateralism. Obsession with forming a small circle can only push the world toward division and confrontation. We should remain firm in safeguarding the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, practice the common values of humanity and reject zero-sum game and bloc politics. We should expand SCO's exchanges with other international and regional organizations such as the UN, so as to jointly uphold true multilateralism, improve global governance, and ensure that the international order is more just and equitable.

Colleagues,

The Eurasian continent is home to us all. Upholding its peace and development is the shared goal of countries both in our region and the world at large, and the SCO shoulders an important responsibility in meeting this goal. In recent years, an increasing number of countries have applied to join our SCO family. This fully demonstrates the power of SCO's vision and the widely shared confidence in its future. By promoting the development and expansion of the SCO and giving full play to its positive impact, we will create strong momentum and new dynamism for ensuring durable peace and common prosperity of the Eurasian continent and the whole world. China supports advancing SCO expansion in an active yet prudent manner, and this includes going through the procedure to admit Iran as a member state, launching the procedure for Belarus' accession, admitting Bahrain, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Myanmar as dialogue partners, and granting the relevant applying countries the legal status due to them. We need to seize the opportunity to build consensus, deepen cooperation and jointly create a bright future for the Eurasian continent.

Here I wish to express China's congratulations to India on assuming the next SCO presidency. We will, together with other member states, support India during its presidency.

Colleagues,

This year, facing a complex and challenging development environment both at home and abroad, China has stayed committed to the general principle of making advances while maintaining stable performance, and it has striven to ensure both effective COVID-19 containment, economic stability and development security. We have continued to respond to COVID-19 and promote economic and social development in a well-coordinated way. Thus, to the greatest extent possible, we have both safeguarded the life and health of the people and ensured overall economic and social development. The fundamentals of China's economy, characterized by strong resilience, enormous potential, ample room for policy adjustment and long-term sustainability, will remain sound. This will greatly boost the stability and recovery of the world economy and provide more market opportunities for other countries.

Next month, the Communist Party of China will convene its 20th National Congress. It will be an important meeting to be held at a critical time as China embarks on a new journey toward its second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects. At this national congress, the Communist Party of China will fully review the major achievements made and valuable experience gained in China's reform and development endeavors. It will also formulate programs of action and overarching policies to meet China's new development goals on the journey ahead in the new era and the new expectations of the people. We will continue to follow the Chinese path to modernization to achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and we will continue to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. By doing so, we will create new opportunities for the world with new advances in China's development and contribute our vision and strength to world peace and development and human progress.

Colleagues,

Long as the journey is, we will surely reach our destination when we stay the course. Let us act in the Shanghai Spirit, work for the steady development of the SCO, and jointly build our region into a peaceful, stable, prosperous and beautiful home!

Thank you.

BEIJING - A signed article by Chinese President Xi Jinping titled "Build on the Past to Make Greater Strides in China-Kazakhstan Relations" was published Tuesday on the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper ahead of his state visit to Kazakhstan.

Following is an English version of the full text of the article:

Build on the Past to Make Greater Strides in China-Kazakhstan Relations

Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

In the charming season of autumn, I will be making a state visit to the friendly country of Kazakhstan at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. After an interval of five years, it will be my fourth visit to the beautiful country known for its vast steppe, majestic landscape and hospitable people. I very much look forward to the visit.

Bound together by mountains and rivers and common interests, China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. For thousands of years, the two peoples have had amicable ties, jointly writing an epic of east-west interactions along the ancient Silk Road. Huen Tsang, an eminent Tang Dynasty monk (602-664), and Chen Cheng, a Ming Dynasty envoy (1365-1457), both set foot on Kazakhstan. Al-Farabi the "Eastern Aristotle", Abai Kunanbayev the "sage poet", and other towering cultural figures of Kazakhstan enjoy widespread fame in China. To this day, their stories are still being told among the two peoples.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan. Over the past three decades, we have braved wind and rain, with our hands always held firmly together. Our interactions and cooperation have become ever more vibrant, and we have travelled an extraordinary path side by side.

-- Over the past 30 years, China-Kazakhstan relations have made big strides. We have continuously advanced our relationship from good neighbors to strategic partners and to permanent comprehensive strategic partners. This incomparable characterization of our ties has enabled us to develop a new type of state-to-state relations featuring mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times, and win-win cooperation. We always give each other unwavering support on the core issues bearing on our respective sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. We always respect each other's choice of development path based on national conditions. And we always take pleasure in each other's sustained progress in development and national rejuvenation. We are friends to trust and partners to count on for each other, and our peoples always stand shoulder to shoulder with each other.

-- Over the past 30 years, China-Kazakhstan cooperation has yielded remarkable results. In recent years, China has been solidly one of Kazakhstan's leading partners for trade and investment. Navigating the impact of COVID-19, we were able to again bring our bilateral trade above the US$25 billion mark last year, jointly giving a boost to global economic recovery. China and Kazakhstan are pioneers in production capacity and investment cooperation; our cooperation list includes 52 projects worth a total of more than US$21.2 billion. We have completed a number of major strategic projects, such as the 100-MW Zhanatas wind farm, the JAC automobile factory, and Shymkent Oil Refinery modernization. They have been a strong driving force for economic and social progress in Kazakhstan, and have delivered tangible benefits to our two peoples.

-- Over the past 30 years, China and Kazakhstan have built extensive infrastructure links. We have put in place a multidimensional transportation network composed of road, railway, aviation, and oil and gas pipelines. And we are resolved to build a Eurasian land-sea multimodal "transportation artery" to offer convenient and efficient services. At all of our five road crossings and two rail crossings, normal cargo flows have resumed. And we are in close communication about opening another rail crossing. At the China-Kazakhstan International Logistics Base in the eastern Chinese port of Lianyungang, products from Kazakhstan set sail for the Pacific Ocean. The China-Europe freight trains are running through Kazakhstan via more routes, making an important contribution to the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

-- Over the past 30 years, China-Kazakhstan friendship has taken deep roots among our peoples. In Kazakhstan, there are five Confucius Institutes; in China, four universities have opened institutes on Kazakhstan studies and two have added the Kazakh language as a major. The heart-warming story of Xian Xinghai and Bakhtzhan Baikadamov, two great composers in our respective countries, has been turned into a movie. Dr. Saulebek Kabilbekov of Kazakhstan has been working for 24 years in the Daqing Ophthalmology Hospital of Heilongjiang Province, treating nearly 200,000 Chinese patients. China and Kazakhstan will soon establish cultural centers in each other's countries, and Kazakhstan will host a center of traditional medicine and a Luban Workshop. Our cultural and people-to-people exchanges will make greater strides, and the friendship between our peoples will continue to thrive on an increasingly solid foundation.

Having stood the test of the changing circumstances and the passage of time, China-Kazakhstan relations have long become rock-solid. We should cherish this hard-won achievement, and work harder to carry on the cause of friendship between our two countries. During my upcoming visit, I will have in-depth discussions with President Tokayev on how to further the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership and how to advance our mutually beneficial cooperation across the board. We will set out plans for working together to promote China-Kazakhstan relations with the objective and vision of building a China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future.

First, we need to carry forward our good-neighborly friendship. Deep political mutual trust is the bedrock of the steady and sustained development of China-Kazakhstan relations. China is willing to work with Kazakhstan to make top-level designs for the relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, maintain close high-level interactions, and enhance exchanges and cooperation between our governments, legislatures, political parties and localities at various levels. We should make good use of the regular Prime Ministers' Meetings and the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee and its sub-committees, continue to give each other firm support on issues concerning our respective core interests and major concerns, and make continuous efforts to cement the political foundation of China-Kazakhstan relations.

Second, we need to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. Next year will be the tenth anniversary of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative that I first proposed during my visit to Kazakhstan in 2013. From laying the groundwork to building pillars and frameworks, to delivering results on the ground, and to achieving sustainable progress, the Belt and Road Initiative has become a platform for international cooperation that is open, inclusive, mutually beneficial and promotes win-win cooperation and a global public good widely welcomed by the international community. Setting our sight beyond the pandemic, China would like to partner with Kazakhstan to remain pioneers in Belt and Road cooperation. We should improve investment and trade facilitation, fully unleash the potential of border ports and cross-border transportation, and cultivate new sources of growth such as artificial intelligence, big data, digital finance, e-commerce and green energy. We should commit ourselves to a series of new quality projects that are high-standard, sustainable, and beneficial to the people, bring bilateral cooperation to a higher level, and put the Global Development Initiative into action, so as to contribute our shares to world economic recovery.

Third, we need to firmly safeguard common security. In the face of complex regional and international landscapes, only by embracing unity and cooperation can we overcome difficulties of our times and resolve challenges in security governance. China would like to deepen law enforcement, security and defense cooperation with Kazakhstan. Guided by the Global Security Initiative, we should act on the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and work together to promote the implementation of the Data Security Cooperation Initiative of China+Central Asia. We should join hands to combat terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational organized crimes, and ensure the security of oil and gas pipelines and other large cooperation projects and their personnel. We should resolutely oppose interference by external forces and work together for lasting peace and long-term stability of our region.

Fourth, we need to strengthen international coordination in all respects. We need to enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the UN, the SCO, CICA, and China+Central Asia. We should exchange views timely on international governance, food security, energy security, industrial and supply chains stability, and regional hotspots. We should reject unilateralism and bloc confrontation, and jointly push for an international order that is more just and more equitable.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) will convene its 20th National Congress soon. It will be a gathering of great significance at an important moment as the CPC embarks on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects and marching toward the second centenary goal. We are glad to see that the construction of a New Kazakhstan has been fully launched, and that Kazakhstan is making strides toward the goal of becoming one of the world's top 30 most developed states. China stands ready to continue to share development achievements with Kazakhstan and learn from each other's development experience. China's door of opening-up and friendly cooperation will always be open to Kazakhstan.

As a Kazakh proverb goes, "Friendship is an inexhaustible wealth." China believes that as long as we keep to the principle of good-neighborly friendship and deepen all-round win-win cooperation, we will surely usher in a more splendid thirty years in China-Kazakhstan relations.

BEIJING - A signed article by Chinese President Xi Jinping titled "Working Together for a Brighter Future of China-Uzbekistan Relations" was published Tuesday on Uzbek media ahead of his state visit to the Central Asian country.

An English version of the article, carried by leading Uzbek newspaper Narodnoe Slovo and Uzbekistan National News Agency (UzA), is as follows:

Working Together for a Brighter Future of China-Uzbekistan Relations

Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

"The land is fertile and crops thriving. Trees flourish, and flowers and fruits abound. A place home to steeds." This is how Huen Tsang, an eminent Chinese monk in the Tang Dynasty over 1,300 years ago, depicted the richly-endowed Samarkand. In this lovely mid-autumn month, a season of harvest, I will once again visit the beautiful city of Samarkand at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to discuss with him plans for closer cooperation between China and Uzbekistan, and to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.

Both China and Uzbekistan are ancient civilizations, and the great Silk Road has borne witness to the friendly exchanges of the two peoples over the past 2,000 years and more. Several historical figures from China traveled west to visit Uzbekistan, including Zhang Qian of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD), Huen Tsang of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Chen Cheng of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), leaving their footprints in famous cities like Tashkent, Samarkand and Navoi. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Sayyid Ajall Shams al-Din, a statesman whose ancestral home was in Bukhara, served as the governor of Yunnan province in China. In the mid-14th century, Wu Ru, an authority on astronomy and calendar and a native of Samarkand, participated in the construction of an observatory in Nanjing. These people were trailblazers and pioneers in the China-Uzbekistan friendship, and stories about them are still widely told in both countries.

Uzbekistan is a major country at the geopolitical center of Central Asia. Over the last 31 years since gaining independence, Uzbekistan has scored remarkable achievements in national development and rejuvenation. In recent years in particular, under the leadership of President Mirziyoyev, the people of Uzbekistan have embarked on a new journey toward a "New Uzbekistan". Reform and development in various areas have entered the fast lane. The country has taken on a new look, its people enjoy a better life, and its international standing has risen significantly. As a friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner, China feels truly happy for Uzbekistan.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of China-Uzbekistan diplomatic ties. Over the past three decades, the giant tree of our relationship has taken deeper roots and grown more exuberant. The two countries have respected each other, fostered good-neighborliness, strengthened solidarity and pursued mutual benefit. Cooperation across the board has yielded concrete results.

-- We are good friends sharing close affinity. Since 2016, President Mirziyoyev and I have stayed in close contact and forged a good working relationship and deep personal friendship through meetings, phone calls and correspondence. Under a comprehensive strategic partnership, the two countries have rendered mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests, supported each other's implementation of development strategies, drawn upon each other's experience of reform and opening-up, and injected positive energy into regional development.

-- We are good partners pursuing common development. China is the biggest trading partner and a major investor for Uzbekistan. Two-way trade exceeded US$8 billion in 2021, approached US$5 billion in the first half of this year, and is on course to reach the US$10-billion goal set for 2022. Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has been fruitful, and major projects are making steady progress. All four lines of the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline run through Uzbekistan. The tunnel on the Angren-Pap railway line, the longest tunnel in Central Asia, has been successfully completed. More transport potential is being unleashed from the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway and the China-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan railway. And preparations for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project are well under way. Uzbekistan is thus transforming from a land-locked to a land-linked country. The two sides have also carried out robust cooperation in new energy, agriculture, finance and modern telecommunications, delivering greater benefits to the two peoples.

-- We are a good example of dialogue between civilizations. The two sides have held a wide range of exchanges including art festivals, culture promotion events, exhibitions and seminars. Cooperation is flourishing with regard to sending students, translating publications, making films, translating TV series, and conducting sub-national interactions and personnel training, which has effectively brought the two peoples still closer. In recent years, China has trained for Uzbekistan over 6,500 professionals of various fields. They are taking an active part in Uzbekistan's reform and development endeavors. Confucius Institutes have been set up in Tashkent and Samarkand where a great number of Uzbeks learned the Chinese language and they have become envoys of friendship between our two countries. Cooperation in tourism is taking off, bringing more Chinese to the beautiful land of Uzbekistan. The preservation and restoration of historical sites in Khiva, a project launched during my visit to Samarkand in 2013, has been successfully concluded, further augmenting the charm of this ancient city.

-- We are good brothers supporting each other in times of need. China and Uzbekistan, with their interests closely entwined, have stood together through thick and thin. We have maintained close coordination both bilaterally and in such regional and multilateral frameworks as the SCO. We have worked together to oppose external interference, combat the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and tackle transnational organized crimes and drug trafficking. By strengthening intelligence sharing and expanding personnel training, we have jointly forged a strong shield of security. In face of the COVID-19 pandemic, our two countries have supported each other and conducted active cooperation. Chinese vaccines, which can now be jointly produced with Uzbekistan, have played a major role in Uzbekistan's fight against the virus, and a Chinese COVID drug has been approved for clinical use in Uzbekistan, providing effective protection for the life of people in both countries.

Over 2,000 years of friendly exchanges and three decades of mutually beneficial cooperation show that enhancing China-Uzbekistan cooperation on all fronts conforms to the trend of history and meets the fundamental interests of both peoples. Standing at the intersection of past and future, we are full of confidence and expectation for a more promising prospect of China-Uzbekistan relations.

First, we need to enhance mutual support and strengthen the bond of mutual trust. We need to set out the blueprint for China-Uzbekistan relations in the new era from a strategic and long-term perspective. We need to intensify high-level exchanges, increase mutual political trust, deepen the sharing of governance experience, and continue to render mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests. China firmly supports Uzbekistan in pursuing a development path suited to its own national conditions and opposes interference in Uzbekistan's internal affairs by any force.

Second, we need to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to pursue common development and prosperity. We should forge a better synergy between our development strategies and jointly explore new pathways to bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, investment, key projects and other fields. China has entered a new development stage and is making active efforts to foster a new development paradigm. Uzbekistan is welcome to board the express train of China's development and share its development opportunities. Next year marks the tenth anniversary of the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative. Our two sides could use this opportunity and harness the momentum to further flesh out the bilateral cooperation and pursue high-quality development together. We also need to expand cooperation on poverty reduction and alleviation so that more people in both countries benefit from our mutually beneficial cooperation.

China hopes to work with Uzbekistan to actively implement the Global Development Initiative, and take concerted actions to safeguard the interests of developing countries and foster a balanced, coordinated and inclusive development landscape that embraces win-win cooperation, works for all and delivers common prosperity.

Third, we need to strengthen security cooperation to defuse risks and challenges. Our two sides need to deepen cooperation in the security field and unequivocally reject attempts by any force to undermine regional security, to foster a secure external environment for the development of both countries. Afghanistan is a mutual neighbor of China and Uzbekistan. A peaceful, stable, growing and prosperous Afghanistan is in our shared interests. China appreciates and supports the unique role of Uzbekistan in resolving the issue of Afghanistan. We stand ready to work with Uzbekistan to put the Global Security Initiative into action, fend off new threats and challenges, and uphold peace, stability and international fairness and justice.

Fourth, we need to promote cultural exchanges to enhance people-to-people connectivity. Between relatives and friends alike, with closer interaction the affinity grows. The China-Uzbekistan friendship enjoys a time-honored history and our cooperation on people-to-people exchanges has a solid foundation and bright prospects. We need to expand cooperation in the areas of media, education, health, culture, tourism, press, archeology and at the sub-national level, open culture centers in each other's countries at an earlier time and set up a Luban Workshop in Uzbekistan, to foster a multi-faceted framework of people-to-people exchanges. This will help sustain the growth of China-Uzbekistan relations and build a lasting friendship between our peoples.

During my visit to Uzbekistan this time, I will attend the SCO Samarkand Summit. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Guided by the purposes and principles enshrined in these two documents, the SCO has acted on the Shanghai Spirit, stayed true to its founding mission, and promoted the joint efforts among its member states for stability and development. The SCO has set a fine example of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and proved itself an important and constructive force in the Eurasian region and in international affairs.

Since assuming SCO presidency, despite the impacts from COVID-19, Uzbekistan has strengthened communication and coordination with other member states, made solid efforts on various fronts, and preserved the SCO's momentum of sound and steady development. China applauds Uzbekistan for its efforts. I am confident that with the joint efforts of all sides, the Samarkand Summit will produce fruitful outcomes and make greater contribution to building an even closer SCO community with a shared future and to peace, stability, development and prosperity of our region.

As the saying goes, when your heart knows its direction, the distance to destination will never be long. Bearing in mind the original aspiration upon the establishment of our diplomatic relations, China will work with Uzbekistan to seize the historical opportunities, forge ahead side by side on the path of national development and rejuvenation, and make joint efforts toward the goal of building a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future.

Dear students,

I have received your letter. Over the past year since you were enrolled in the program, through course study and offering teaching service in underdeveloped regions, you have enriched your knowledge, broadened your horizon and hardened the conviction of going down to serve at the grassroots. I am very glad to learn that. As Beijing Normal University celebrates its 120th anniversary, I would like to extend my warm congratulations and best wishes to all faculty members, students and alumni!

Beijing Normal University, as the earliest modern teacher-training institution of higher learning in China, has cultivated a great number of outstanding teachers for the country. I hope that you will carry forward the university's motto "Learn, so as to instruct others; act, to serve as example to all,'' waste no time and study hard, cultivate your moral character and improve your capabilities of teaching students both knowledge and the way of leading a rewarding life. I also hope that you will serve in places where the country and people need you the most, and work hard to become a qualified teacher with firm ideals and beliefs, moral sentiments, solid knowledge and benevolence so as to commit yourselves to nurturing a new generation of capable young people with moral grounding, intellectual ability, physical vigor, aesthetic sensibility and work skills for the socialist cause.

Upon the arrival of Teachers' Day, I would like to wish all teachers across the country a happy festival!

Xi Jinping

September 7, 2022

On the holding of the 2022 National Conference on Development of Specialized and Sophisticated SMEs, I would like to extend my warm congratulations!

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are important to each household and have been a vital force to advance innovation, facilitate employment and improve people’s livelihood. I hope that the specialized and sophisticated SMEs that produce novel and unique products could focus on and refine their main business so as to play an even more important role in stabilizing the industrial and supply chains and promoting economic and social development.

Party committees and governments at all levels should resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and create a favorable environment for the development of SMEs. More efforts should be made to support their growth and boost their confidence. Solid steps should be taken to advance enterprises’ innovation, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and nurture more specialized and sophisticated SMEs that could produce novel and unique products.

Xi Jinping
September 8, 2022

The following is the full text of Xi Jinping's reply to a letter from two grassroots heroes working at the Huangshan Mountain Scenic Area in East China's Anhui province.

Comrades Li Peisheng, Hu Xiaochun,

Greetings! I have received your letter. Over the years, you have been working to keep Huangshan Mountain clean and beautiful, and tending the millenary Guest-Greeting Pine with care and love day after day, fully demonstrating the spirit of dedication and professional ethics.

What is notable about "Good Samaritans of China" is that ordinary workers at grassroots have made extraordinary achievements in ordinary work. I hope that you will continue to set an example as role models to project positive energy, inspire people around you to do their bit for the good of society and promote the core socialist values. You should inspire those around you to be good citizens, good workers and good family members, and contribute to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xi Jinping

August 13, 2022

BEIJING - The following is the full text of Xi Jinping's letter replying to young people from China's Taiwan who were attending the Straits Youth Forum.

Dear young friends from Taiwan at the Straits Youth Forum,

I have received your letter, and I am pleased to learn that through attending the forum, you have formed closer ties with the mainland where you have found the stage to realize your dreams and witnessed with your own eyes the rapid changes taking place in the motherland. I am also very glad to know that you have felt the deep attachment like family members between compatriots across the Taiwan Strait.

A nation will prosper only when its young people thrive, and a country will be strong only when its young people have strength. The future of the motherland and the nation lies with the youth. We will, as always, create favorable conditions for young people across the Strait to learn from each other, and provide more convenience for young people from Taiwan to study, find jobs, start businesses and live in the mainland.

I hope you will share your experiences and insights about the mainland with your peers in Taiwan so that Taiwan youth will know more about the mainland, and join hands with young people in the mainland to strive with tenacity and make their life blossom in the great process of realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Xi Jinping

July 11, 2022

HONG KONG -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Friday made an address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The following is the full text of the address.

Address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Xi Jinping

(July 1, 2022)

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

Today we are gathered here to celebrate this grand occasion marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and to hold the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

First of all, I would like to extend sincere greetings to all the people of Hong Kong. I also extend warm congratulations to the newly inaugurated sixth-term HKSAR Chief Executive Mr. John Lee, principal officials of the sixth-term HKSAR government, and members of the Executive Council. And let me express heartfelt appreciation to all our compatriots both at home and abroad, and international friends for their support for the cause of "one country, two systems" and for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

In the over 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, our ancestors working hard on the land south of the Five Ridges is an important chapter. In the history of modern China after the Opium War in 1840, the humiliation of ceding Hong Kong is a page of pain, and also included is the Chinese people's fight for the survival of our country. The past century has witnessed how the Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people in its magnificent endeavors for a better future, to which fellow Chinese in Hong Kong have made unique and significant contributions. Throughout history, people in Hong Kong have always maintained a close bond with the motherland in weal and woe.

Hong Kong's return to the motherland marked the beginning of a new era for the region. Over the past 25 years, with the full support of the country and the joint efforts of the HKSAR government and people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, the success of "one country, two systems" has won recognition throughout the world.

Since its return, Hong Kong, amid China's monumental reform and opening-up efforts, has been breaking new ground, functioning as an important bridge between the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world. As a result, it has made irreplaceable contributions to our country's economic miracle marked by long-term, stable, and rapid growth. Proactively integrating itself into the country's overall development and carving out its role in national strategies, Hong Kong has maintained its strengths in its high degree of openness and in aligning with international rules. In doing so, the region has been playing an important role in raising China's opening up to a higher level with wider coverage and scope. With continuously expanding areas and enabling mechanisms for Hong Kong's cooperation and exchanges with the mainland, people in Hong Kong now have better opportunities to start their own businesses and make achievements.

Since its return, Hong Kong has overcome various hardships and challenges and advanced steadily forward. Be it the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 epidemic, or social unrest, none of them have stopped Hong Kong from marching forward. Over the past 25 years, Hong Kong's economy has been thriving, its status as an international financial, shipping, and trading center has been maintained, and its innovative science and technology industries have been booming. Hong Kong has remained one of the most liberal and open economies in the world, it has also maintained a world-class business environment, its previous laws including the practice of the common law have been maintained and developed, various social programs have made all-around progress, and overall social stability has been ensured. As a cosmopolis, Hong Kong's vitality has impressed the world.

Since its return, Hong Kong has ensured its people enjoy their status as masters of the region. With the policy of the people of Hong Kong administering Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy in practice, the region has truly entered an era of democracy. Over the past 25 years, Hong Kong's constitutional order based on the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law of the HKSAR has been maintained in a steady and sound manner. The central government's overall jurisdiction over Hong Kong has been well implemented, and a high degree of autonomy in the region has been exercised as it should. The Hong Kong National Security Law was adopted, which has established the legal system to safeguard national security in the region. The electoral system of Hong Kong has been modified and improved, thereby materializing the principle that Hong Kong should be administered by patriots. The democratic system of the special administrative region (SAR) conforms to both the "one country, two systems" principle and the region's constitutional status. It is in the interest of Hong Kong residents' democratic rights and the region's prosperity and stability, securing a bright future for the region.

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

"One country, two systems" is an unprecedented innovation. Its fundamental purpose is to safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and development interests and to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao. All that the central government has done are for the benefits of Hong Kong and Macao, for the well-being of all residents of the two regions, and for the future of the whole country. At the meeting celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 2017, I stated that the central government, in implementing the principle of "one country, two systems," will maintain two key points: first, the central government will remain resolute in implementing the principle, and will not change or vacillate in this stand; and second, the principle will be implemented as what it is originally intended precisely. Today, I would like to stress again that "one country, two systems" has been tested repeatedly in practice. It serves the fundamental interests of not only Hong Kong and Macao, but also the whole country and the nation. It has gained wide support from the 1.4 billion-plus Chinese people including the residents of Hong Kong and Macao. It is also widely accepted by the international community. There is no reason for us to change such a good policy, and we must adhere to it in the long run.

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

A review of the past can light the way forward. The practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong has left us both valuable experience and profound inspiration. What has been done over the past 25 years tells us that only if we have a profound and accurate understanding of the laws guiding the practice of "one country, two systems," can we make sure our cause advances in the right direction in a sound and sustained manner.

First, we must fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems." This principle embodies a complete system. Its top priority is to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests. With this as a prerequisite, Hong Kong and Macao can keep the previous capitalist systems unchanged for a long time and enjoy a high degree of autonomy. Since the socialist system is the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China and leadership by the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, all residents in the special administrative regions should willingly respect and uphold the country's fundamental system. The thorough and precise implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle will open up broader prospects for the development of Hong Kong and Macao. The more firmly the "one country" principle is upheld, the greater strength the "two systems" will be unleashed for the development of the SARs.

Second, we must uphold the central government's overall jurisdiction while securing the SARs' high degree of autonomy. Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, it has been re-integrated into China's governance system, and a constitutional order was established with the "one country, two systems" principle as its fundamental guideline. The central government's overall jurisdiction over the SARs underpins their high degree of autonomy, and such autonomy bestowed by the law is fully respected and resolutely safeguarded by the central government. Only when the enforcement of the central government's overall jurisdiction dovetails with the fulfillment of a high degree of autonomy in the SARs, can the SARs be well governed. The SARs uphold the executive-led system. The executive, legislative, and judicial branches perform their duties in accordance with the basic laws and other relevant laws. The executive and legislative branches check and balance and cooperate with each other while the judiciary exercises its power independently.

Third, we must ensure that Hong Kong is administered by patriots. It is a universal political rule that a government must be in the hands of patriots. There is no country or region in the world where its people will allow an unpatriotic or even treasonous force or figure to take power. The government of the HKSAR must be safely kept in the hands of those who love the country. This is an essential requirement for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability and must not be compromised under any circumstances. To put the governing power in the right hands is to safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability as well as the immediate interests of more than 7 million people in the region.

Fourth, we must maintain Hong Kong's distinctive status and advantages. The central government has always handled Hong Kong affairs from a strategic and overall perspective, taking into consideration the fundamental and long-term interests of Hong Kong and the country as a whole. The fundamental interests of Hong Kong are in line with those of the country, and the central government and Hong Kong compatriots share the same aspirations. Hong Kong's close connection with the world market and strong support from the motherland are its distinctive advantages. Such favorable conditions are cherished by the people of Hong Kong and by the central government as well. The central government fully supports Hong Kong in its effort to maintain its distinctive status and edges, to improve its presence as an international financial, shipping, and trading center, to keep its business environment free, open, and regulated, and to maintain the common law, so as to expand and facilitate its exchanges with the world. On the country's journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the central government believes that Hong Kong will make great contributions.

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

Hong Kong compatriots have never been absent in the process, in which the Chinese people and the Chinese nation have realized the great transformation from standing up to growing prosperous and finally to becoming strong. From disarray to good governance, Hong Kong is entering a new phase of becoming more prosperous. The next five years are important for Hong Kong to break new ground and achieve another leap forward. While there are both opportunities and challenges, opportunities outnumber challenges. The central government and people from all sectors of Hong Kong society expect much of the newly inaugurated HKSAR government. People of all ethnic groups across the country wish Hong Kong have promising prospects. For Hong Kong, I have four proposals.

First, Hong Kong should further improve its governance. To promote the development of the HKSAR, it is of urgency to improve Hong Kong's governance system, governance capacity, and governance efficacy. The chief executive and the government of the HKSAR in the driver's seat are the first to be held accountable for the governance of the region. Administrators of Hong Kong should fulfill their commitments, materialize the "one country, two systems" principle with concrete actions, uphold the authority of the Basic Law of the HKSAR and devote themselves to the development of the region. Personnel for public offices should be assessed on both ability and political integrity before they are recruited. Professionals who love both the motherland and Hong Kong with strong governance capabilities and passion for serving the public should be recruited as government staff. Administrators of Hong Kong need to have a new outlook on the motherland and have an international vision in order to make better development plans for the region from an overall and long-term perspective. They need to transform their concepts of governance to balance the relationship between the government and the market so that a capable government serves an efficient market. The HKSAR government needs to strengthen self-governance and improve its conduct to better take on its responsibilities and deliver better performance in ensuring stability and prosperity in Hong Kong.

Second, Hong Kong should continue to create strong impetus for growth. With its special status, Hong Kong enjoys good conditions and broad space for development. The central government fully supports Hong Kong in its effort to seize historic opportunities offered by China's development and actively dovetail itself with the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and other national strategies such as the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The central government fully supports Hong Kong in carrying out more extensive exchanges and close cooperation with the rest of the world and in attracting entrepreneurs with dreams to realize their ambitions in Hong Kong. The central government also fully supports Hong Kong in taking active yet prudent steps to advance reforms and dismantle the barriers of vested interests in order to unlock enormous creativity and development potential of Hong Kong society.

Third, Hong Kong should earnestly address people's concerns and difficulties in daily life. "Those enjoying benefits and joy of all people should also share their burdens and concerns." As I once said, the people's aspiration for a better life is what we are striving for. Currently, the biggest aspiration of Hong Kong people is to lead a better life, in which they will have more decent housing, more opportunities for starting their own businesses, better education for their children, and better care in their twilight years. We should actively respond to such aspirations. The newly inaugurated HKSAR government should be pragmatic, live up to what the people expect of it, and consider the expectations of the whole society, particularly ordinary citizens, as what it should accomplish foremost. It should be more courageous and adopt more efficient measures to overcome difficulties and forge ahead. It should make sure that all citizens in Hong Kong share more fully and fairly in the fruits of development so that every resident will be convinced that if you work hard, you can improve the life of your own and that of your family.

Fourth, the people of Hong Kong should work together to safeguard harmony and stability. Hong Kong is the home of all its people, and harmony in a family brings success in everything. Through trials and tribulations, now we keenly feel that Hong Kong cannot withstand chaos and will not afford to have any, and we also deeply feel that the development of Hong Kong allows no delay. We must get rid of whatever interference there may be to concentrate our attention on the development of the region. Everyone in Hong Kong, regardless of profession and belief, can be a positive force and do his or her bit for the region's development as long as he or she genuinely supports the principle of "one country, two systems," loves Hong Kong, and abides by the Basic Law and the laws of the special administrative region.

It is my hope that all fellow compatriots in Hong Kong will carry on the mainstream values, which are characterized by the love of both the motherland and Hong Kong as the core and are in conformity with the principle of "one country, two systems," and that they will continue to follow the fine traditions of inclusiveness, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and keeping an unyielding spirit and the courage to strive for success with a view to creating a better future.

We must give special love and care to young people. Hong Kong will prosper only when its young people thrive; Hong Kong will develop only when its young people achieve well-rounded development; and Hong Kong will have a bright future only when its young people have good career prospects. We must guide young people to be keenly aware of the trends in both China and the world and help them cultivate a sense of national pride and enhance their awareness of their status as masters of the country. We must help young people with their difficulties in studies, employment, entrepreneurship, and purchasing of housing, so that more opportunities will be created for their development and accomplishment. We sincerely hope that all of Hong Kong's young people will devote themselves to building Hong Kong into a better home, writing a rewarding chapter of their life with impassioned youth.

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

As a Chinese poem goes, "I would like to borrow a pair of wings from the crane to soar up to the sky." China's national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability, and the successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong is an important part of this historic process. We firmly believe that, with the strong backing of the motherland and the solid guarantee provided by "one country, two systems," Hong Kong will surely create a splendid feat on the journey ahead toward the second centenary goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects, and will share the glory of the Chinese nation's rejuvenation together with people in the rest of the country.

The following is the full text of the remarks made by President Xi Jinping at the High-level Dialogue on Global Development held in virtual format on Friday.

Forging High-quality Partnership For a New Era of Global Development

Remarks by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

At the High-level Dialogue on Global Development

24 June 2022

Dear Colleagues:

Development is a timeless theme for humanity. In the late 1960s, I worked as a farmer in a small village on the Loess Plateau. There I experienced first-hand the hardships in farming and saw how the local people struggled to make ends meet. Their longing for a better life has stayed in my mind ever since. Half a century later, I revisited the village and found the villagers no longer in want of food or clothing, as evidenced by the happy smiles on their faces.

As an ancient Chinese saying goes: "Only when the granary is full will people learn etiquette; only when people are well-fed and clothed will they know honor and shame." Throughout the years, I have been to cities, towns and villages across China and visited many countries in the world. One deep impression I get is that only through continuous development can the people's dream for a better life and social stability be realized.

Over the years, developing countries have worked unremittingly to explore development paths suited to their national realities and to pursue economic and social development. Such efforts have produced remarkable outcomes. Today, emerging markets and developing countries account for half of the world economy, and notable progress has been made in science and technology, education, social development, culture and many other areas.

We are meeting at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is eroding decades of gains in global development, the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is encountering difficulties, the North-South gap keeps widening, and crises are emerging in food and energy security. Some countries have politicized and marginalized the development issue, built "a small yard with high fences", imposed maximum sanctions, and stoked division and confrontation. At the same time, people in all countries are more keen about pursuing peace, development and cooperation, emerging markets and developing countries are more resolved to seek strength through unity, and the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is bringing more opportunities to countries around the world.

This is an age rife with challenges, but it is also an age full of hope. We must get a good grasp of the overarching development trend in the world, firm up confidence, and act in unison and with great motivation to promote global development and foster a development paradigm featuring benefits for all, balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation and common prosperity.

First, we need to jointly build international consensus on promoting development. Only when people all over the world live better lives can prosperity be sustained, security safeguarded and human rights solidly grounded. It is important that we put development front and center on the international agenda, deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and build political consensus to ensure everyone values development and all countries pursue cooperation together.

Second, we need to jointly create an enabling international environment for development. Protectionist moves will boomerang; anyone attempting to form exclusive blocs will end up isolating himself; maximum sanctions serve nobody's interest, and practices of decoupling and supply disruption are neither feasible nor sustainable. It is important that we pursue development in real earnest and promote development in concert, build an open world economy, and shape a global governance system and institutional environment that are more just and equitable.

Third, we need to jointly foster new drivers for global development. Innovation is the primary driving force for development. It is important that we promote scientific, technological and institutional innovation, speed up technology transfer and knowledge sharing, boost the development of modern industries, close the digital divide and accelerate low-carbon transition, with a view to achieving stronger, greener and healthier global development.

Fourth, we need to jointly forge a global development partnership. Only by working together can we accomplish big and great things with a far-reaching impact. Developed countries need to fulfill obligations, developing countries need to deepen cooperation, and the North and the South need to work in the same direction to forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership. In this process, no country or individual should be left behind. It is important that we support the UN in steering and coordinating global development cooperation, and encourage business communities, social groups, the media and think tanks to take part in such cooperation.

Colleagues,

China has always been a member of the big family of developing countries. At last year's UN General Assembly session, I put forth the Global Development Initiative (GDI). China will take pragmatic steps to give continued support to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

－China will allocate more resources for global development cooperation. We will upgrade the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and add $1 billion to the fund on top of the $3 billion already committed. We will also increase input to the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund. Such efforts will further support cooperation under the GDI.

－China will work with all sides to advance cooperation in priority areas and mobilize resources for development to deepen global cooperation on poverty reduction and eradication, build capacity for food production and supply, and promote clean energy partnerships; step up innovation, research and development and joint production of vaccines; work on the conservation and sustainable use of land and marine ecology; and raise digital literacy and skills of the public, transform and upgrade the path to industrialization at a faster pace, and enhance digital-era connectivity to inject new impetus into the development of all countries.

－China will set up a platform for experience and knowledge sharing on international development, a global development promotion center and a global knowledge network for development, for the purpose of exchanging governance experience and promoting mutual learning. We will host a global forum on youth development and take part in the launch of a global action plan on youth development, in a bid to pool as much strength as possible for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As an ancient Chinese adage goes:"With one heart and one mind, we can accomplish everything we aspire for." Let us firm up confidence, stride forward in pursuit of high-quality partnership, and usher in a new era of prosperity and development.

Thank you.

SOURCE: CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY