(September 30, 2025, Jakatar)

Your Excellency Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN,Your Excellency Sarah Al Bakri Devadason, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to ASEAN, Country Coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations,
Excellencies, Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening! Welcome to the reception celebrating the 76thanniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

76 years ago, the founding of the People's Republic of China ushered in a new historic era of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Over the past 76 years, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people through an extraordinary journey of development, achieving national independence, prosperity, and people's happiness. Remarkable achievements have been made in rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Since the 18th National Party Congress, China has successfully pioneered and steadily advanced Chinese modernization, while contributing to the common development of all countries through its high-quality development, and providing a new option for mankind toward modernization.

In 2025, China has entered a crucial period to fully accomplish the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan, and witnessed new achievements in economic and social development.

First, the state governance has further improved, with "China's Governance" setting a new paradigm. China has continuously improved the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and advanced the modernization of its national governance system and capacity. The CPC has led China's social transformation through its self-revolution, making all-around efforts to improve the Party's conduct, thus opening up a new realm of governing the country by governing the Party. The whole-process people's democracy helps pool the wisdom of all, stimulating broad-based vitality and consensus, and ensuring the stability and continuity of national development. "China's Governance" provides a solid guarantee for its own reform and opening-up and Chinese modernization, also contributes wisdom to the state governance of other developing countries.

Second, the innovation-driven economy has achieved high-quality development, contributing to the enduring "Chinese Miracle". Despite a sluggish global economic recovery and rising trade protectionism, China's economy has demonstrated strong resilience. China remains the world's second-largest economy and registers 5.3 percent GDP growth in the first half of this year. China remains the world's top manufacturing hub, the largest trader in goods, the second-largest consumer market, and holds the largest foreign exchange reserves, contributing about 30 percent to global economic growth. Driven by innovation, empowered by technological advancement and super-large market, China's industries are accelerating "new", "intelligent" and "green" transformation. Emerging sectors such as AI, quantum information, bio-medicine, and new energy contribute over 18 percent to GDP growth. "Made in China" is evolving into "Created in China" and "Intelligent Manufacturing in China".

Third, the people fully enjoy "Chinese happiness" with improving social well-being. Guided by the people-centered development philosophy, China has lifted over 800 million people out of poverty, achieving the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda 10 years ahead of schedule. Building on that, China is pushing forward all-around rural revitalization. We have built the world's largest education, social security, and health-care systems, with basic old-age insurance covering nearly 1.07 billion people, and the ecological environment keeps improving. China's ranking in the World Happiness Report has been rising steadily. The Chinese people enjoy growing satisfaction in terms of safety, social stability, and access to resources.

Fourth, adherence to the peaceful foreign policy has demonstrated "China's responsibility" with a global vision. Head-of-state diplomacy has played a leading role. From Asia to Eurasia, from the China-Central Asia Summit to the BRICS Summit, China has helped galvanize new momentum for global solidarity and cooperation. China just successfully held the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin and will host the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in mid-October. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has never been absent on issues critical to the world’s development and security. Through domestic development achievements and extensive international cooperation, China has contributed significantly to realizing the UN 2030 Agenda, and played an active and constructive role in UN peacekeeping, resolving international and regional hot-spot issues, and addressing traditional and non-traditional security challenges.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

China views ASEAN as a good neighbor connected by mountains and rivers, a good friend with a shared destiny, and a good partner for joint development. China has always regarded ASEAN as the top priority in its neighborhood diplomacy. In 2025, the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership has been enhanced in quality and efficiency, and the building of a community with a shared future continues to strengthen. High-level exchanges between China and ASEAN have been frequent. President Xi Jinping successfully visited three ASEAN countries and met with ASEAN leaders on multiple occasions, vigorously guiding the development of China-ASEAN relations.

China and ASEAN continue to remain each other's largest trading partner, with trade reaching US$686.78 billion in the first eight months, an increase of 8.6% year-on-year. We have seen Belt and Road cooperation become better structured and increasingly fruitful. In-depth cooperation in emerging areas has been deepening, injecting new impetus into regional development. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations have concluded, and the RCEP Agreement is being fully implemented, effectively promoting regional economic integration. This year is the second ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchange, and we have seen new upsurges in exchanges and interactions in various fields. We cherish the hard-earned regional peace and are committed to maintaining maritime stability through dialogue and consultation, and jointly building the South China Sea into a shared home of peace, cooperation, and friendship.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and the founding of the UN. Faced with numerous global challenges and growing deficit in governance, President Xi Jinping recently put forward the Global Governance Initiative, responding to the common aspirations of all countries, and injecting stability and certainty into the turbulent world. The core concepts of the GGI, namely, adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions, are all consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China stands ready to uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and work with the international community, especially ASEAN, to improve global governance, safeguard the post-war international order, and defend international fairness and justice.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 6th. While embracing this traditional Chinese festival, a symbol of reunion and inclusiveness, we feel more keenly about the shared future of China and ASEAN. Let’s uphold true multilateralism, support ASEAN unity and centrality, and work together to build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home, as well as a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Now, please join me in a toast:

To the greater prosperity of the People's Republic of China,

To the stable and long-lasting China-ASEAN relations and East Asian cooperation,

To the health and happiness of all guests and your families.

Cheers!