China's embassy in the United Kingdom held a reception in London on Wednesday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Ambassador Zheng Zeguang delivered a speech at the event, which was followed by remarks by Catherine West, the parliamentary under-secretary of state at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
More than 500 guests from many sectors of society, including diplomats, members of the Chinese community, and representatives of enterprises, attended the gathering.
In his speech, Zheng highlighted the two "phenomenal miracles" of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability that China has achieved during the past 75 years, and the "historic achievements" and "unprecedented transformation" the nation has experienced in the new era.
Details and statistics were cited to offer the audience a clear idea of the depth and scale of the achievements.
For example, on China's composite national strength, Zheng said: "Once a poor country, China is now the world's second-biggest economy, and the biggest manufacturer, biggest trader in goods, and the country with the biggest foreign exchange reserve."
He added that, based on constant prices, China's GDP in 2023 is 223 times larger than that of 1952, with an average annual growth rate at 7.9 percent.
On the contribution of China's development to the global economy, he said: "From 1979 to 2023, China's contribution to global economic growth averaged 24.8 percent annually, and for the period between 2013 and 2023, the figure was over 30 percent."
And China is facilitating the modernization of the Global South, through the Belt and Road Initiative, and South-South cooperation, with its accumulated investment in Belt and Road partner countries reaching more than 2 trillion yuan by the end of 2023.
The ambassador went on to say that China's development has injected positive energy into world peace.
"Following an independent foreign policy of peace, China has been building friendship and cooperation with all countries on the basis of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality, and mutual benefit," he said.
And Zheng talked about China-UK relations in the latter part of his speech, noting that, last month, President Xi Jinping and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed during a phone call that "we should uphold mutual respect, enhance engagement, and expand cooperation".
He added that Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy had recently met in Laos, and that Vice-Premier He Lifeng and UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves had talked over the phone, as had the energy ministers representing both countries.
"Going forward, we should work together to follow up on the understanding between our leaders, and build a stable and mutually-beneficial relationship," Zheng said.
