(26 September 2025, Chinese Consulate General)

Hon. Les Govender, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces,

Hon. Cedric Frolick, House Chairperson of the National Assembly,

Hon. Chairpersons of Portfolio Committees and Members of Parliament of South Africa,

Hon. Reagan Allen, Deputy Speaker of Western Cape Provincial Parliament,

Hon.Members of Western Cape Provincial Parliament,

Hon. Deidré Baartman, Minister of the Department of Finance of Western Cape Government,

Councillor Francine Higham,City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health,

Dear Colleagues from Consular Corps,

Dear Representatives of Chinese Compatriots and Enterprises,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen, DearFriends,

Good Afternoon!

Thank you so much for joining us to celebrate the 76^thanniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. On behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Cape Town, I would like to extend my warmest welcome and heartfelt appreciation to all the distinguished guests present today.

The past 76 years for China have been extraordinary. Under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, Chinese people have overcome numerous challenges and written a new chapter on the miracles of fast economic growth and long-term social stability. China is driving the great transformation of the Chinese nation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong.

Proactively responding to new challenges of the era,today’s China is continuously demonstrating the historical responsibility and strategic vision befitting a major country, actively participating in global governance, providing certainty to this uncertain world.China's development process and achievements fully demonstrate:

First, China is drivingforce for the world economy. Against the backdrop of insufficient momentum in global economic growth and rising unilateralism and protectionism, China’s economy has always maintained vitality and resilience, achieving steady development with impressive results. In 2024, China's economy grew by 5%. In the first half of 2025, China's GDP grew by 5.3% year-on-year, showing a trend of stability and improvement. Traditional industries are accelerating transformation and upgrading, while strategic emerging and future industries are being strategically deployed. Continuous achievements are made in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology. The global popularity of trendy toy Labubu and AI enterprise DeepSeek signifies that "Made in China" is transforming into "Created in China" and "Intelligent manufacturing in China".

No matter how the external environment changes, China remains unwaveringly adhering to its fundamental national policy of opening up. As President Xi Jinping emphasized, China will not close its door to the world; we will only become more and more open.

During the 14^th Five-Year Plan period, China's contribution to global economic growth remained around 30%. This year, the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo saw preliminary agreements on cooperation projects totaling over 11 billion US dollars. The China International Supply Chain Expo connected more than 650 exhibitors from 75 countries and regions with 42,000 upstream and downstream enterprises, forging extensive cooperative ties. The Canton Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, and the China International Import Expo will continue to open "windows of opportunity" for the world.

Second, China is a just and righteous force for world peace and stability. September 3, 2025 marked the 80^th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It isan importantday for the Chinese people and all peace-loving countries and peoples around the world. China held solemn commemorative events to jointly remember the great truth that justice will prevail, peace will prevail, and the people will prevail. President Xi Jinping emphasized that the Chinese people stand firmly on the right side of history and on the side of human progress, remain committed to the path of peaceful development, and join hands with the peoples of all countries to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

The Chinese nation has always cherished peace.Chinese modernization is a modernization of peaceful development. In modern times, despite repeatedly suffering invasion, humiliation, and plunder by imperialist powers, the Chinese people did not get from these ordeals the robber logic of the law of the jungle, but instead became even more determined in their resolve to safeguard peace. As a responsible major country, China has always regarded safeguarding world peace and opposing hegemonism and power politics as its sacred duty. Over the past 76 years, China has never started a conflict or war, or taken a single inch of foreign land. It is the only major country to have enshrined peaceful development into its Constitution and in the Constitution of the ruling party, elevating it to a national will. From the escort fleets in the Gulf of Aden, to the blue-helmet peacekeepers in UN missions, and to international humanitarian relief operations aiding various countries, time and again it has been proven that every increase in China’s strength is an increase in the hope for world peace. No matter how the international situation changes, no matter how developed China becomes, China will always be a builder of the world peace, contributorto the global development, and guardian of the international order.

Third, China is a stabilizing force in enhancing global governance. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the world's largest developing country, China adheres to multilateralism, actively participates in the reform and construction of the global governance system, and has made significant contributions to addressing various global challenges.

To address the deficit in global governance, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative(GGI) at this year's Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin. Focusing on the contemporary issue of "what kind of global governance system to build, and how to reform and improve global governance," GGI puts forward five core principles: 1. adhering to sovereign equality, 2. abiding by international rule of law, 3. practicing multilateralism, 4. advocating the people-centered approach, and 5. focusing on taking real actions. The five core principles systematically address key questions of “who should govern, how to govern, and for whom to govern”, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to guide the direction of human progress.

GGI aims to firmly support the central role of the United Nations in international affairs, enhance the representation and voice of Global South countries, and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction. This is in line with the common expectations of the vast majority of countries and aligns with the fundamental interests of Global South nations. China is willing to work together with the Global South countries, including South Africa, to carry out exemplary cooperation in advancing the GGI, making active efforts to improve global governance.

Following the Global Development Initiative(GDI), the Global Security Initiative(GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative(GCI), GGI is another important public good that China has provided to the international community. The four global initiatives, addressing development, security, civilization and governance, echo and complement each other.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

President Xi Jinping has pointed out on multiple occasions that China and Africa joining hands in advancing their respective modernization is the historic mission and the call of the times in jointly building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. Joint efforts by China and Africa to advance modernization will strongly promote solidarity and cooperation inthe Global South and open up brighterprospects for the cause of peace and developmentaround the world.

China and South Africa share a special friendship often termed "comrades plus brothers". Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1998, we have witnessed: firstly, political mutual trust between China and South Africa has continuously reached new heights. Under the strategic guidance and personal promotion of President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa, China-South Africa relations have been elevated to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, endowed with new contemporary significance. Greater unity and cooperation between China and South Africa meets the expectations of the two peoples, and is consistent with the historic process of the growth of the Global South. It has important significance for the times and implications for the world. The two sides firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns. China is pleased to see South Africa playing a greater role on the international and regional stage and fully support South Africa’s G20 presidency.

Secondly, pragmatic cooperation between China and South Africa has continually to yield new fruitful results. China remains South Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, and South Africa is China’s largest trading partner in Africa for 15 consecutive years. In 2024, bilateral trade accounted for nearly 20% of the total trade between China and Africa. South African products such as wine and Rooibos tea have successively been exported to China. Over 200 Chinese companies, including Hisense, Longyuan, BAIC, and FAW, are investing in South Africa, continuously expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in infrastructure, automobile manufacturing, new energy, digital economy, and other fields.

Thirdly, people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and South Africa has continually to compose new chapters. The three cape provinces in our consular district maintain close sister-province partnership with relevant Chinese provinces. The Western Cape Government will host the Regional Leaders' Summit this year. I hereby extend my best wishes for the complete success of the summit. Events such as the Cape Town Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival have attracted many local friends. South Africa has also included China in its "Trusted Tour Operator Scheme" to attract more Chinese tourists. The mutual attraction between the two peoples continuously consolidates the deep foundation of China-South Africa friendship.

The development of China-South Africa relations would not have been possible without the strong support and careful nurturing of visionary personages from all sectors. Many representatives of the Chinese community and Chinese enterprises are present here. You have always worked diligently, made selfless contributions, actively fulfilled social responsibilities, paid attention to local community development, and enthusiastically participated in public welfare activities, writing touching chapters for the people-to-people friendship between China and South Africa. Here, I would like to take this opportunity to express my high respect and heartfelt thanks to the Chinese community in South Africa and Chinese institutions!

In conclusion,please allow me to propose a toast:

To the 76^th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China,

To the prosperity of China and South Africa and the everlasting friendship between our peoples,

And to the health and happiness of all distinguished guests present,

Cheers!