Mr. Han Zhiqiang
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand
Recently, the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) and the second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were successfully convened in Beijing. Through the two sessions this year, the world sees a more vivid image of a China with steady advancement, trail-blazing innovation, openness, confidence and solidarity and expects more opportunities brought about by China’s high-quality development to the world.
China’s economic development injects strong impetus to the global economy. In 2023, China’s economy enjoyed an overall upward momentum, with its gross domestic product surpassing 126 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.2 percent. China remains the world’s largest growth engine, contributing over 30% of the global economic growth. Although faced with domestic and external challenges, China enjoys several distinct advantages: a socialist market economy in systemic terms, a super-size 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 underlying trend of economic recovery and long-term growth will not change. In 2024, China’s economy will maintain the momentum of development and continue to provide new opportunities and impetus to the recovery and development of the global economy.
New quality productive forces provide strong support for high-quality development. Developing new quality productive forces is the intrinsic requirement and an important focus of promoting high-quality development. Recent years have seen China’s strategic emerging industries accelerate growth, and industries of the future burgeon, which constantly consolidate the industrial foundation for new quality productive forces. In 2023, the exports of the “new trio,” namely electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products, achieved a 30-percent increase, showing the characteristics of intelligent and green modern industrial systems. The digital economy witnessed rapid development, with the 5G penetration rate topping 50 percent. Achievements in cutting-edge fields of scientific and technological innovation such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology kept emerging. The new quality productive forces have taken shape and strongly boosted and supported high-quality development.
The strategy of opening up for mutual benefit provides valuable opportunities for countries around the world. Despite the rise of de-globalization internationally, China stays committed to further opening up and firmly upholds globalization and multilateralism. China has established 22 high-standard pilot free trade zones, further shortened the negative list for foreign investment, striven for solid progress in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and deepen multilateral and bilateral economic cooperation, such as negotiations on building a Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area. All these measures have made China’s opening-up wider and wider. As the second largest economy and the most promising super-sized market, China will continuously offer new opportunities to other countries with China’s new development.
Whole-process people’s democracy contributes China’s solution to the political progress of humanity. During the two sessions, more than 5000 deputies to the NPC and members of the National Committee of the CPPCC gathered in Beijing to discuss state affairs, which was a lively practice of China’s whole-process people’s democracy. In the past year, as a response to the suggestions and proposals brought up by the previous two sessions, more than 2000 policies and measures were issued by the State Council, and a number of problems related to economic and social development and of urgent concerns to the people have been resolved. It reflects to a certain extent that China’s democratic system is the broadest, most genuine, and most effective democracy to the Chinese people. Democracy is a common value of humanity and a part of political civilization. Countries can communicate and learn from each other on the basis of mutual respect, but there is no fixed one-size-fits-all model of democracy. Those attempts to impose one’s own democratic model on others are trampling on democracy in themselves.
Building a human community with a shared future contributes to world peace and stability. As Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi pointed out at the press conference on the margins of the two sessions, CPC is dedicated not only to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, but also to promoting human progress and world harmony. In this changing and turbulent international environment, China will stay committed to an independent foreign policy of peace and remain a staunch force for the peace, stability and progress of the world. China will focus on building a human community with a shared future, and integrate the development of China with that of the world. Facing the major issues of the world, China will pool broader international consensus and promote the joint efforts of countries to tackle challenges and achieve common prosperity.
In November 2022, President Xi Jinping visited Thailand and the two countries announced the entry into a new era of building a China-Thailand community with a shared future. In October last year, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin attended the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and visited China. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, political mutual trust between China and Thailand has been deepening, practical cooperation has been upgraded, and public support for “China and Thailand as one family” has further strengthened. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 72nd birthday of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between China and Thailand when bilateral ties will be standing at a historically new starting point.
Together with Thailand, China will be committed to implementing the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, enhancing the China-Thailand comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and accelerate the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity and sustainability.
Together with the world, China will stick to the principle of building a human community with a shared future, and share development opportunities with Thailand and other countries in world, as we pursue Chinese modernization, so as to jointly build a better future for all!
