Xi visited an exhibition hall featuring the “Fengqiao model” for promoting community-level governance to review the evolution of the dispute resolution mechanism and learn about its innovative development in the new era.
Xi also went to a canal culture park to learn about the history of ancient canals, the preservation of the Grand Canal, and the construction progress of a national cultural park featuring the Grand Canal.
In his reply dated Sept. 12, Xi said he hopes that the spirit of Flying Tigers will be carried on from generation to generation among Chinese and American peoples.
“I was heartened by the great enthusiasm of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and the veterans of Flying Tigers in letting more Chinese and Americans know about the stories of the Flying Tigers over the years. Inspired by this, more and more young Americans have joined the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools and Youth Leadership Program, and nearly 500 Flying Tigers veterans and several hundred of their family members have visited China. I wish to pay tribute to you for all this,” Xi said.
“In the past, our two peoples fought the Japanese fascists together, and forged a deep friendship that withstood the test of blood and fire,” Xi said. “In the future, the two major countries shoulder even more important responsibility for world peace, stability and development.”
“We therefore should, and we must, respect each other, coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation,” he said.
Noting that “in growing China-U.S. relations, the hope lies in the people, the foundation lies among the people, and the future lies with the youth,” Xi said that “a sound and steady development of the relationship in the new era requires the input and support of a new generation of Flying Tigers.”
Founded in 1998, the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation is an American civil friendship group aimed at promoting the study and commemoration of China-U.S. historical aviation events.
Recently, Greene, Moyer and McMullen jointly wrote a letter to Xi, in which they introduced the efforts of the foundation and Flying Tigers veterans in helping promote China-U.S. friendly exchanges, and expressed their willingness to inherit and carry forward the precious spirit of China-U.S. cooperation.
In March this year, the Chinese-built Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Station, about 90 km south of Lusaka, was put into operation, generating stable electricity that powers the lives of local residents.
Not just Sindolo’s salon thrived; new shops sprang up all over the town, a sign of vibrant economic activity stimulated by the hydropower plant.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who officially commissioned the plant, said the completion of the project was not only good for the country’s energy sector but for the economy as a whole as energy is critical to drive an economy.
He said the project showed the friendly relationship between the two countries, and his government is committed to further growing the relationship with China.
Last week, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Hichilema paid a state visit to China. The two leaders announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, opening a new chapter in their traditional friendly ties.
{{ABIDING FRIENDSHIP}}
China and Zambia share an enduring, traditional friendship, which was forged by the leaders of the two countries of past generations. Early in the 1960s, the Chinese people firmly supported the Zambian people in pursuing national independence. Zambia was the first country in southern Africa to establish diplomatic relations with China.
For more than half a century, however the international landscape evolves, both sides stay committed to deepening friendship and cooperation, making China and Zambia “all-weather friends,” as well as an exemplar of China-Africa friendship.
In the 1970s, at the request of Tanzania and Zambia, China and Africa jointly built the Tanzanian Railway, known as the Road of Friendship and the Road of Freedom, on the vast African grassland. Some engineers and workers even gave their lives.
In 2022, the TAZARA Memorial Park officially opened in Lusaka. In the center of the Memorial Park stands a towering monument inscribed with the words “The Chinese Martyrs Who Aided to Zambia Will Be Immortalized Forever.” Rows of tombstones are finely engraved with the names of the dead.
“We remember our fallen heroes,” said Hichilema at the opening ceremony, who laid a wreath in tribute to the Chinese personnel who sacrificed their lives for the construction of the TAZARA Railway and other projects.
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The Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Station is a striking testimony to close cooperation between China and Zambia to improve local livelihoods. In recent years, China and Zambia have carried out all-round cooperation in a wide range of fields, at various levels and in a practical and innovative manner within the framework of the “Belt and Road” and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
China and Zambia have jointly built a new modern terminal at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and the new Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport, equipping Zambia with new aviation hubs; Chinese-built state-of-the-art milling plants have improved the supply of food and stabilized food prices for Zambian people; the Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project has been successfully delivered to ensure that about 500,000 people in the Zambian capital have access to clean and safe water.
In 2022, China and Zambia signed protocols on the export of stevia and soybean meal to China, and the zero-tariff treatment granted by China to Zambia for 98 percent of the taxable export products exported to China came into full effect. In 2022, the bilateral trade volume between China and Zambia reached 6.73 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 30.2 percent, which is an all-time high.
During last week’s visit to China, Hichilema highly praised the guiding philosophy and principles of Chinese modernization and expressed the hope to learn from China’s development experience.
For his part, Xi said during their talks that the success of Chinese modernization shows the diversity of modernization models in the world, and China’s high-quality development and modernization process will continue to bring new opportunities to all countries including Zambia.
Among the Party and state leaders attending the event was President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Over the years, Xi has placed particular care and attention on this group of people, inspiring many individuals with disabilities to chase their dreams. Among them is Huang Daoliang from Minqing County in east China’s Fujian Province.
At the age of nine, Huang had both of his arms amputated after accidentally touching a high-voltage wire. The accident did not stop him from pursuing his dream of attending college.
In 1988 and 1989, Huang failed the national college entrance exam twice, despite achieving decent scores. He thought his failures were possibly due to his physical condition.
In 1990, Huang sat the national college entrance exam once again. In that year, Xi took up the position of Party chief of Fuzhou, capital city of Fujian Province, as well as principal of Minjiang Polytechnic College (now known as Minjiang University).
Upon learning of Huang’s story, Xi made the decision to admit him through exceptional enrollment, making Huang the first “armless student” in the college and in the entire province.
“For me, it was indeed a new lease of life,” Huang recalled. The 53-year-old man has dedicated his career to the local disabled persons’ federation in Minqing since graduation, driven by a deep sense of gratitude.
Wang Yani, with a hearing impairment, has drawn strength from her interactions with Xi as she aspired to become a teacher.
During an inspection in Hohhot, capital city of north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2014, Xi visited a welfare home for children where Wang lived.
Visiting Wang’s room, Xi looked through some of her albums and sign language books. Xi smiled as he learned some gestures in sign language from Wang.
Upon leaving, Xi encouraged Wang to study hard and pursue excellence in her school years.
Wang expressed her gratitude by bending a thumb, which means “Thank you” in Chinese sign language. Xi got the message and continued to encourage her by following her sign language.
In 2019, Wang achieved her dream of becoming a cosmetology teacher at the special education school where she had studied. Before that, she attended a beauty school in Hohhot, where, despite being the only student with disabilities, she overcame all difficulties and challenges to graduate as the top student.
In Tangshan, north China’s Hebei Province, Yang Yufang and his wife Gao Zhihong, both becoming paraplegic after a deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the city in 1976, are enjoying a content life at a residential care center where they have jobs.
In 2016, when Xi visited the center for the earthquake victims, he talked with the couple and was glad to learn that they had been able to work as much as their strength would permit, blend into society, and live independently.
“If people with a sound physical condition can have a brilliant life, people with disabilities can do likewise,” Xi said.
Encouraged by Xi, the couple has tried their best to assist those around them. They have supported impoverished students by making crafts for charity sales over the years.
There are numerous moments like the aforementioned, and the millions of people with disabilities in China don’t have to meet Xi in person to benefit from the country’s commitment to ensuring that disabled people have a brilliant life.
In recent years, China has taken concrete steps to expand educational and job opportunities for people with disabilities, allowing them to realize their goals and share the benefits of national prosperity.
To date, more than 90 laws and over 50 administrative regulations directly involving the protection of disabled people’s rights and interests have been formulated and enforced in China, including the country’s first specific law on building a barrier-free environment.
In June, Xi signed a presidential order to promulgate the law, which took effect on Sept. 1. This marks a significant stride toward enabling people with disabilities in China to more easily participate in and integrate into all aspects of social life on an equal footing.
Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister, were on the same plane.
Upon Xi’s departure Thursday night local time, South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor and other senior government officials saw him off at the airport.
The announcement was made at a press conference during the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Xi made the remarks at a press conference during the 15th BRICS Summit after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were invited to become new BRICS members.
As a developing country and a member of the Global South, China breathes the same breath as other developing countries and pursues a shared future with them, and has resolutely upheld the common interests of developing countries and worked to increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in global affairs, said Xi in a speech read out by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao at the BRICS Business Forum 2023.
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“Right now, changes in the world, in our times and in history are unfolding in ways like never before, bringing human society to a critical juncture,” Xi warned in the speech titled “Enhance Solidarity and Cooperation to Overcome Risks and Challenges and Jointly Build a Better World.”
“Should we pursue cooperation and integration, or just succumb to division and confrontation? Should we work together to maintain peace and stability, or just sleepwalk into the abyss of a new Cold War? Should we embrace prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, or allow hegemonic and bullying acts to throw us into depression? Should we deepen mutual trust through exchanges and mutual learning, or allow hubris and prejudice to blind conscience?” Xi asked. “The course of history will be shaped by the choices we make.
Our world today has become a community with a shared future in which we all share a huge stake of survival, Xi said, noting that what people in various countries long for is “definitely not a new Cold War or a small exclusive bloc; what they want is an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys enduring peace, universal security and common prosperity.”
Such is the logic of historical advance and the trend of our times, Xi stressed, urging all countries to uphold the correct views of the world, of history and of our overall interests.
Noting that the global context is extremely complex nowadays, particularly in the economic and political fields, Eduardo Regalado, a researcher at the International Policy Research Center of Cuba, said the BRICS summit takes place at a time when more cooperation among countries is needed to bring prosperity and well-being to people worldwide.
The 15 BRICS summit is slated for Aug. 22-24 in Johannesburg, and leaders attending the event are to discuss issues including deepening BRICS cooperation, giving more voice to the Global South, and the BRICS group’s expansion.
“Emerging countries are becoming more and more relevant in the international arena. This summit will very much contribute to the shaping of a new global economic and political order. It will help change the current situation when it comes to international relations,” he said.
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In the speech, Xi underscores the importance of inclusive development, universal security, cultural exchange, and the collective rise of emerging economies and developing countries for a better world, expressing China’s willingness to deepen solidarity and cooperation with other emerging markets and developing countries to make the international order more just and equitable.
“We need to promote development and prosperity for all,” Xi said, adding that with perseverance, hard work and huge sacrifices, many emerging markets and developing countries succeeded in gaining independence, and “everything we do is to deliver better lives to our people.”
“Every country has the right to development, and the people in every country have the freedom to pursue a happy life,” Xi said, noting that China will work with all other countries to speed up cooperation under the Global Development Initiative, meet common challenges together and make life better for people across the world.
“We need to achieve universal security,” Xi said, adding that only a commitment to a new vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security can lead to universal security.
China stands ready to jointly pursue the Global Security Initiative with all others, have dialogue and oppose confrontation, forge partnership but not alliance, and pursue win-win outcome and oppose zero-sum game, and work together to build a community of security, Xi added.
“We need to stay committed to exchanges among civilizations and mutual learning,” Xi said, stressing that human civilization is colorful by nature, and deliberately creating division with the assertion of “democracy versus authoritarianism” and “liberalism versus autocracy” can only split the world and lead to clash of civilizations.
China, Xi said, welcomes all other countries to get involved in cooperation under the Global Civilization Initiative, promote the common values of humanity, encourage different civilizations to bring out their best and flourish together, and renew human civilization.
The collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries represented by BRICS is fundamentally changing the global landscape, Xi stressed, noting that whatever resistance there may be, BRICS, a positive and stable force for good, will continue to grow.
“We will forge stronger BRICS strategic partnership, expand the ‘BRICS Plus’ model, actively advance membership expansion, deepen solidarity and cooperation with other emerging markets and developing countries, promote global multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations, and help make the international order more just and equitable,” Xi said.
CHINA OPPORTUNITY
China will remain an important opportunity for the world’s development, Xi said in the speech, stressing China’s firm resolution in advancing high-standard opening-up, fostering a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework, and building a globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas.
China enjoys several distinct advantages: a socialist market economy in systemic terms, a supersize market in terms of demand, a full-fledged industrial system in terms of supply, and abundant, high-caliber labor force and entrepreneurs in terms of human resources, the Chinese president said, emphasizing that the Chinese economy has strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality, and the fundamentals sustaining China’s long-term growth will remain unchanged.
As it endeavors to achieve modernization for its more than 1.4 billion people, China will surely contribute even more to the global economy and provide even more opportunities for the global business community, Xi said.
China’s GDP expanded 6.3 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2023 with total goods imports and exports expanding 2.1 percent year on year to 20.1 trillion yuan (2.81 trillion U.S. dollars), according to official data.
The Chinese economy is projected to grow 5.6 percent in 2023, led by a rebound in consumer demand. Capital spending in infrastructure and manufacturing is expected to remain resilient, according to a World Bank press release in June.
China’s share of the global economy is crucial. By pursuing internal reforms and speeding up the opening up of its domestic market to foreign companies, China is offering opportunities to the rest of the world, said Lyazid Benhami, vice president of the Paris Association of French-Chinese Friendship.
“By investing in emerging countries, it is increasing the attractiveness and economic stability of countries that want to develop sustainably,” said Benhami.
BRICS countries choose their development paths independently, jointly defend their right to development, and march in tandem toward modernization, which represents the direction of the advancement of human society, and will profoundly impact the development process of the world, Xi said in a speech delivered at the 15th BRICS Summit.
The track record of the BRICS shows that the members have consistently acted on the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, and taken BRICS cooperation to new heights in support of the five countries’ development, he said.
BRICS nations, Xi said, have upheld fairness and justice in international affairs, stood up for what is right on major international and regional issues, and enhanced the voice and influence of emerging markets and developing countries.
BRICS countries invariably advocate and practice independent foreign policies, said Xi, adding that they always address major international issues based on their merits, making fair remarks and taking fair actions.
BRICS nations do not barter away principles, succumb to external pressure, or act as vassals of others, he said, adding that they share extensive consensus and common goals.
No matter how the international situation changes, the BRICS’s commitment to cooperation since the very beginning and the common aspiration will not change, he added.
Xi also noted that BRICS countries gather at a crucial time to build on their past achievements and open up a new future for BRICS cooperation.
He called on all members to navigate the trend of the times and stay in the forefront.
BRICS members should always bear in mind their founding purpose of strengthening themselves through unity, enhance cooperation across the board, and build a high-quality partnership, Xi said.
All BRICS countries, he added, should help reform global governance to make it more just and equitable, and bring to the world more certainty, stability and positive energy.
Xi called for efforts to deepen business and financial cooperation among BRICS countries to boost economic growth.
Xi said the world economic recovery remains shaky, and challenges for developing countries are even more formidable, hampering their efforts to realize the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Development is an inalienable right of all countries, not a privilege reserved for a few,” Xi said.
He called on BRICS countries to be fellow companions on the journey of development and revitalization, and oppose decoupling and supply chains disruption as well as economic coercion.
BRICS countries should focus on practical cooperation, particularly in such fields as digital economy, green development, and supply chain, and bolster economic, trade and financial exchanges, Xi said.
He added that China will set up a China-BRICS Science and Innovation Incubation Park for the New Era to support the deployment of innovation results.
Xi called on BRICS countries to expand political and security cooperation to uphold peace and tranquility.
“The Cold War mentality is still haunting our world, and the geopolitical situation is getting tense,” Xi said.
The BRICS countries should keep to the direction of peaceful development, and consolidate the BRICS strategic partnership, Xi said, adding that members should make good use of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Meeting of High Representatives on National Security and other mechanisms, support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, and enhance coordination on major international and regional issues.
“We need to tender good offices on hotspot issues, pushing for political settlement and lowering the temperature,” he said.
Noting that artificial intelligence (AI) is a new area of development, which not only can bring huge development dividends, but also contains risks and challenges, Xi said the BRICS countries have agreed to launch the AI Study Group at an early date.
“We need to enable the study group to play its full role, further expand cooperation on AI, and step up information exchanges and technological cooperation,” he said.
The BRICS members should also jointly fend off risks, promote the establishment of an international mechanism for universal participation, and develop AI governance frameworks and standards with broad-based consensus, so as to continuously make AI technologies more secure, reliable, controllable and equitable, he added.
Also in his speech, Xi said human history will not end in one civilization or one system.
“There are many civilizations and development paths in the world, and this is how the world should be,” he said.
“We should increase people-to-people exchanges and promote mutual learning between civilizations,” he added.
The Chinese leader said BRICS countries need to champion the spirit of inclusiveness, advocate peaceful coexistence and harmony between civilizations, and promote respect of all countries in independently choosing their modernization paths.
“We need to make good use of such mechanisms as the BRICS seminar on governance, the BRICS forum on people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and the Women Innovation Contest to deepen people-to-people exchanges and strengthen the bond between our peoples,” he noted.
Xi also said that China would like to propose that BRICS countries expand cooperation on education, enhance the role of the BRICS alliance for vocational education, explore and set up a cooperation mechanism on digital education, and foster a paradigm of all-round cooperation on education.
In addition, he also urged BRICS countries to strengthen exchanges on traditional cultures and promote the renewal of fine traditional cultures.
Xi urged BRICS countries to uphold fairness and justice, and improve global governance.
Xi said strengthening global governance is the right choice if the international community intends to share development opportunities and tackle global challenges.
International rules must be written and upheld jointly by all countries based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, rather than dictated by those with the strongest muscles or the loudest voice, he said.
Xi also said ganging up to form exclusive groups and packaging their own rules as international norms are even more unacceptable.
BRICS countries, Xi said, should practice true multilateralism, uphold the UN-centered international system, support and strengthen the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, and reject the attempt to create small circles or exclusive blocs.
“We need to fully leverage the role of the New Development Bank, push forward reform of the international financial and monetary systems, and increase the representation and voice of developing countries,” he added.
Addressing the summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his concerns that global financial and payment systems are increasingly being used as instruments of geopolitical contestation.
He also said new realities call for a fundamental reform of the institutions of global governance so that they can be more representative and better able to respond to challenges.
The BRICS group supports the rise of a multipolar world order, and opposes attempts made by some countries to assert their hegemony, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the summit in a virtual address.
“We are all unanimously in favor of the formation of a multipolar world order that is truly just and based on international law,” the Kremlin reported Putin as saying at the summit.
“We are against any kind of hegemony, exclusivity, which is being promoted by some countries,” Putin said.
Putin noted that the BRICS group is strengthening economic cooperation in such fields as supply chain diversification, de-dollarization and transition to national currencies in mutual settlements.
Putin outlined the importance of enhancing cooperation in other fields such as innovation, and in the creation of safe transport routes.
The future-oriented strategic course of BRICS meets the aspirations of the global majority, Putin said, adding that the BRICS group is tackling some of the most pressing issues on the global and regional agenda.
China will also try its best to provide support for Cuba’s economic and social development, said Xi in a meeting with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.
Xi recalled that President Diaz-Canel paid a successful state visit to China last November, when they reached a broad consensus on further deepening China-Cuba ties in the new era and agreed to work together to build a China-Cuba community with a shared future.
With the joint efforts of both sides, the consensus is being effectively implemented, Xi said. China is ready to work with Cuba to continue deepening political mutual trust, expanding practical cooperation, strengthening strategic coordination, and pushing for progress in the special friendly relationship between the two parties and the two countries, Xi added.
China praises Cuba’s steadfast support for China in issues concerning its core interests, Xi said.
Xi stressed that the Group of 77 and China is an important platform for cooperation among developing countries, adding that Cuba, as the current chair of the Group of 77 and China, has made positive contributions to strengthening the unity of developing countries.
China attaches great importance to and supports Cuba in successfully holding the Group of 77 and China Summit next month, Xi noted. China is willing to work with Cuba and other members of the Group of 77 to better safeguard the common interests and development rights of developing countries, Xi said.
For his part, Diaz-Canel spoke of his successful state visit to China last November, saying that both sides are earnestly implementing the important consensus reached by the two leaders.
He said the current Cuba-China relations are at a historical peak, adding that the Cuban people deeply admire President Xi and are grateful for China’s understanding and invaluable support for Cuba’s just cause.
Cuba firmly supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi, he said, adding that Cuba is ready to work with China to deepen Belt and Road cooperation, build a Cuba-China community with a shared future, and advance on paths of socialism with respective characteristics.
The Caribbean country is ready to closely collaborate with China to ensure the success of the Group of 77 and China Summit, he said.
