Dear faculties and students,

Good morning, everyone! I’m very glad to attend the opening ceremony of 2014-2015academic year at China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU). First of all, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to this year’s newly admitted students. Welcome to CFAU, and welcome to the “Cradle of China’s Diplomats”!

The Teachers’ Day is coming in a few days. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my festive greetings to all the faculty and staff at CFAU, including the foreign experts and teachers who come from far away. All the teachers, thank you very much for your hard work!

CFAU boasts a glorious history and fine traditions. Since its foundation in 1955, the university has cultivated generations after generations of diplomatic talents under the kind care of the central leadership and the direct leadership of the Party committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the statistics, thus far, CFAU has cultivated nearly 300 ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China and thousands of senior diplomats higher than counselor. It can be said that CFAU has made fruitful achievements and significant contributions to China’s diplomacy.Today, with open arms, the new, spacious and beautiful campus welcomes you to study and live here. The launch of the new campus demonstrates that the teaching reform and innovation of the university are taking a new step. I am convinced that under the guidance of its new leadership and with the concerted efforts of all its faculties and students, CFAU will surely embrace a new round of great development and advancement, and will continuously make new and glorious contributions to our diplomatic cause and talent cultivation. Let’s cheer together for CFAU!

Dear faculties and students:

At present, China’s diplomacy reaches a new historical starting point. Our country has never been so close to the center of the world stage, has never before so fully participated in various kinds of international affairs or shouldered such important responsibilities for safeguarding world peace and development like today. The new starting point brings along the new mission, and the new situation creates new demands.CFAU being directly under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its top priority is always to serve for China’s diplomacy. This is CFAU’s obligation as well as basis of development and thriving. All the work of the university should be carried out closely around this top-priority task. I hope CFAU can take its initiative to meet the new demand which China’s diplomacy is faced with and to dedicate itself wholeheartedly to it. I also hope CFAU can strengthen self-development with specific targets, actively engage in reform and innovation, and continuously make new and greater contributions to China’s diplomacy. Here, I have three points of expectation for you.

First, we should build the university into an incubator of China’s diplomatic talents in the new era. Talent is the key to doing a good job in diplomacy. Today, China’s diplomacy needs a multifaceted, multidisciplinary, and professionalized diplomatic team more than ever. The team should include outstanding diplomats engaged in front-line foreign communication as well as experts and scholars engaged in second-line theoretical researches. In terms of cultivating talents of diplomacy and foreign affairs, CFAU should considers this its obligation.

Second, we should build the university into a pioneer of theoretical research and innovation in China’s diplomacy in the new era. Today, China’s diplomacy is opening up a path of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, and many practices have developed ahead of the theory, which creates an urgent need to establish a set of systematic theories to guide practice, so as to make this path steadier, smoother and further developed. There is a galaxy of talents among the teaching staff of CFAU. In addition to teaching, there is still great potential to further strengthen the study of diplomatic theories. I hope that CFAU can attach great importance to and increase input into theoretical studies, so as to become outstanding among the domestic diplomatic research institutes as well as develop its own school in the development of international diplomatic theories, and to contribute more theoretical innovations to promoting major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

Third, we should build the university into a vital force of international exchange and cooperation in the new era. Openness and inclusiveness have always been the key philosophy of school management of CFAU. Conducting exchange and cooperation with relevant institutions abroad to realize mutual exchange and learn from each other will be conducive not only to constantly improve the quality of school management, but also to the long-term and sustainable development of the university. At the same time, various exchange events of “going out” and “bringing in” are an important platform for the university to actively declare China’s foreign policy and diplomatic gist. For all I know, CFAU has so far established cooperative partnership with institutes of foreign affairs from about 60 countries, and the various exchange programs keep increasing in number. This is good. I hope that persistent efforts are made to make the international exchange and cooperation among the institutes even greater, deeper and more substantial.

Finally, I have a few words for the students of CFAU.

You are all outstanding candidates from across the country, and all of you have made CFAU your choice in the college entrance examinations. I believe that the vast majority of you have harbored interest, yearning and even passion for diplomacy. As the Foreign Minister, I am rejoiced at this choice you have made, for China’s diplomacy needs generations after generations of motivated youths like you to become devoted to the cause of diplomacy. You will become the hope of China’s diplomacy. I sincerely expect and wish many of you to step over the threshold of diplomacy in a few years and devote your lifelong efforts to the diplomacy of the motherland. Of course, quite a few students may go to other departments and engage themselves in other jobs. It doesn’t matter, because no matter where you are, you will never forget the knowledge of foreign affairs you have learned here, the sixteen-character school motto “Unswerving Loyalty, Mastery of Policies, Professional Competency and Observance of Disciplines”, and the core value of “Loyalty, Mission and Devotion” of the Chinese diplomatic staff. All of these will accompany you through your youth here and become luxuriant and precious wealth benefiting your whole life. I sincerely hope and believe that all of the students from CFAU could be interested in diplomacy, support diplomacy and be involved in diplomacy in your own posts in different ways, and make your own contributions to China’s diplomacy. Do you agree?

Thank you!