Holiday to remember: China’s National Day celebrations saw a flurry of activity, including people visiting the Great Wall in Beijing (top) and others dressing up in traditional Chinese hanfu clothing in Hong Kong. — Reuters
BEIJING: China’s State Council held a reception at the Great Hall of the People here to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. China’s National Day falls on Oct 1.
Friday’s reception was attended by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and state leaders Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan, as well as nearly 500 guests from home and abroad.
Addressing the reception, Premier Li Keqiang said the CPC would convene its 20th National Congress this year and stressed the vital significance of the event.
“This year is a truly momentous one in the course of China’s development,” Li added.
“In the face of complex and challenging developments both within and outside China, our entire nation, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has forged ahead together with drive and resolve.”
Ensuring sound economic fundamentals was crucial to sustaining the steady growth of China’s economy, Li said, stressing that China had taken forceful measures to ease shocks caused by greater-than-expected factors, and promptly and decisively introduced a policy package for stabilising the economy.
“We have the confidence and ability to keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range,” he added.
He said with the reform and opening-up as China’s fundamental policy, the country had pressed ahead with reform to develop a socialist market economy, pursued high-standard opening-up, kept foreign trade and investment stable, and deepened multilateral and bilateral business cooperation to keep China a favoured destination for foreign investment and achieve win-win development.
Li stressed the commitment to conducting governance to deliver benefits to the people.
Highlighting the support for efforts to ensure the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macau, Li said the policy of “one country, two systems”, as well as the policies of Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong and Macau people administering Macau with a high degree of autonomy, had been firmly, fully and faithfully implemented.
“We have firmly opposed Taiwan independence separatist moves and external interference, and actively promoted the peaceful growth of cross-Straits relations,” he added.
Li also stressed the efforts China had made to work with other countries to meet global challenges and promote peace, stability, development and prosperity in the world.
He closed his speech by calling for rallying even more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core. — China Daily/ANN
