Distinguished guests and dear friends,
Good evening. This is the first offline reception held by the Chinese Embassy in three years due to the global pandemic, we are pleased to gather with you again to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New year. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy, I would like to extend my sincere greetings and best wishes for the Year of the Rabbit to all the guests and friends!
The year 2022 is an extremely important year in the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese nation. The 20th National Congress of the CPC was successfully convened. A grand blueprint has been drawn for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. The new Central Leading Group, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has taken a solid step forward in the new journey of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way.
In 2022, China has always put the people and their lives above all else, optimized and improved pandemic prevention and control measures in response to the evolving situation. China has made new and great achievements in effectively coordinating pandemic prevention and control with economic and social development. China insists on promoting high-standard opening up, and the economic development has shown strong resilience and vitality. The GDP for 2022 has exceeded 120 trillion yuan. The total value of imports and exports exceeded 40 trillion yuan for the first time, maintaining the world's largest trading country in goods for six consecutive years.
China insists on promoting high-quality development through high-tech industrial innovation. China's mega projects including Manned spaceflight, high-speed railway, third-generation nuclear power, Beidou navigation satellite system have become the country's new business cards. The production, sales and export of new energy vehicles have ranked first in the world. China has successfully hosted the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and the Winter Paralympic Games, and Beijing has become the first city in the world to host both Summer and Winter Olympic Games. China's stability and good momentum of development have injected more stability and certainty into the turbulent world.
In 2022, the head-of-state diplomacy has been immensely successful with one significant event after another. President Xi Jinping hosted and attended more than 10 important international multilateral conferences, held meetings and talks with more than 60 foreign leaders and heads of international organizations, and had a telephone or video conversations with nearly 30 foreign leaders, which made China's voice heard on the world stage, put forward China's proposals for global governance and contributed China's wisdom. China's diplomacy has made more and more countries and organizations in the world realize that China's development is the growth of peaceful and progressive forces, and that China is a partner and friend worthy of trust and cooperation.
The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malta. China and Malta took this opportunity to further promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields and achieved more fruitful results. At the beginning of 2022, President Xi Jinping and President Vella had a warm phone conversation and exchanged congratulatory messages on the 50th anniversary, which chartered the course for the long-term development of bilateral relations and strengthened political mutual trust between the two countries. The two sides co-hosted the China-Malta friendship concert and photo exhibition to celebrate the 50th anniversary, which was attended by Prime Minister Abela and Foreign Minister Borg. President Xi Jinping wrote a reply letter to the teacher and students of the China Corner at St. Margaret College Secondary School. The People-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries continue to reach a climax. Marsaskala and Dujiangyan have established international sister-city relations, which is the second pair of sister cities between the two countries. The China Cultural Center, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Center and the Confucius Institute have enjoyed a good reputation and public praise among the people of Malta. Bilateral economic and trade cooperation has become increasingly close, Chinese enterprises are more enthusiastic about investing in Malta, many projects have taken root in Malta, and the "Belt and Road" cooperation has been further deepened and substantiated.
Standing the test of time for more than half a century, bilateral relations are now at a new historical starting point and facing new broad opportunities for development. The vigorous development of China-Malta relations is inseparable from the long-term concern and support of everyone here, overseas Chinese, the personnel of Chinese-funded institutions and friends from all walks of life, the Chinese Embassy would like to take this opportunity to express the heartfelt thanks for all your efforts.
The year 2023 marks the beginning of full implementation of the guiding principles laid down at the 20th National Congress of the CPC, and is an important year for China-Malta relations in the new era to bridge the past and the future. China has pursued a more proactive strategy of opening up and will bring more development opportunities and dividends to the world. China is willing to work with Malta to tap the potential of bilateral cooperation in various fields, promote the bilateral relations to a new level and better benefit the two peoples. I hope you will seize the new opportunities of China's development and the cooperation of our two countries, and achieve great success! Please continue to concern about and play a good role as a bridge in the development of China-Malta friendly relations, and make greater contributions to promoting the friendship between the two peoples and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Finally, I wish China and Malta more prosperity and strength, and a brighter future for our bilateral relations! I wish you and your family a joyous and successful year of the Rabbit!
Thank you!
