Excellencies，

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening!

Tonight, we gather together to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. On behalf of Chinese Embassy in Estonia, I would like to extend a warm welcome and sincere greetings to friends from all walks of life who have long cared about and supported the development of China-Estonia relations.

This year also marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Estonia. Celebrating China’s National Day in such a special year is of extraordinary significance.

Over the past 105 years, the Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people through arduous exploration and forged a path of development which suites China’s national conditions. China has transformed itself from poor and weak into the world’s second-largest economy, creating the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Over the past decade in particular, China has secured a complete victory in the fight against poverty, with nearly 100 million rural poor people lifted out of poverty. Furthermore, China has achieved a moderately prosperous society in all respects, with the living standards of its people significantly improved. China has also pursued an innovation-driven development strategy and remarkable progress has been witnessed in space exploration, high-speed rail, 5G, new energy, etc.. Guided by the philosophy of green development, China has vigorously advanced its ecological conservation. Bluer skies, greener mountains, and clearer waters are becoming a vivid picture of a Beautiful China.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thirty-five years ago, China established diplomatic relations with Estonia, making it among the first countries to do so following the restoration of Estonia’s independence. Over the past 35 years, China-Estonia relations have developed smoothly on the whole. Cooperation in such fields as trade, economy and people-to-people exchanges has yielded fruitful results.

China attaches great importance to its relations with Estonia. Taking the 35th anniversary as a new starting point, we stand ready to work together with Estonia to promote bilateral relations towards even more sustained and sound development, and deliver greater benefits to our two countries and two peoples.

— We advocate upholding mutual respect and consolidating the political foundation of bilateral relations. To achieve this, we should respect each others’ core interests and major concerns as well as the development paths chosen respectively, deepen mutual understanding and broaden common ground through dialogue on an equal footing.

—We advocate expanding the scope and depth of bilateral cooperation, and pursuing mutual benefit and win-win results. It’s important to leverage the complementary strengths of our two economies, and foster a better environment for businesses from both countries to cooperate, in particular in the fields such as trade, investment, science and technology, the digital sector, and green development.

— We advocate strengthening exchanges and mutual learning so as to consolidate the popular support of bilateral relations. Culture, education, tourism, youth, and local cooperation are the fields that we have large potential in this regard. We should encourage people in particular the younger generation from both countries to increase contacts and gain better understanding of each other.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Tonight, we are delighted to have with us an artistic troupe from China’s Yunnan Province, which will present a splendid special performance. Yunnan is the home for more than 20 ethnic minority groups in China, including Yi, Hani, Bai, Dai, Miao, Zhuang and Tibetan peoples. Therefore it is widely known as a “treasure house of ethnic cultures” and a “land of songs and dances”, representing a wonderful gem in the garden of Chinese culture. I am confident that the performances will allow guests to experience the unique charm of China’s ethnic cultures.