(November 10th, 2025)

Dear teachers and young friends,

Good afternoon!

On behalf of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Munich, I wish to extend the warmest welcome to all of you. We are glad to see your strong interest in China and its policies. My fellow colleagues and I myself look forward to exchanging views with you on issues of interests.

The topic for today`s exchange, as proposed by the students, is “System Competition: The U.S., China, and Russia (1989-2026).” I will begin with some remarks focusing on three key areas: the historic achievements in China’s economic and social development, China’s global responsibilities and contributions, and China’s efforts to build new types of international partnerships. Afterwards, my colleagues will talk about specific topics of interests to you. We can exchange views in a open and candid way and hope today’s event will be both enlightening and rewarding for everyone.

I. Historic Achievements in China’s Economic and Social Development

To comprehensively understand China, it is essential to learn the modern and contemporary history of China. President Xi Jinping says, “after the Opium War of 1840, China was gradually reduced to a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society and suffered greater ravages than ever before. The country endured intense humiliation, the people were subjected to great pain, and the Chinese civilization was plunged into darkness.”“Today, the image China presents to the world is one of a thriving nation that is advancing with unstoppable momentum toward rejuvenation.”

The founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 was the turning point in China’s history. The founding of the new China put an end to China's history as a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society, to the state of total disunity that existed in old China, and to all the unequal treaties imposed on China by foreign powers and all the privileges that imperialist powers enjoyed in China, established socialism as its basic system, and thus laying down the fundamental political and social conditions and the institutional foundations necessary for realizing national rejuvenation. 

In 1949, China’s GDP was merely 12.3 billion US Dollars, with per capita GDP of only 23 Dollars. By the year 2024, China’s GDP had grown to 18.94 trillion Dollars, with a per capita GDP of 13,400 Dollars, which reflects a remarkable leap. Over the past 76 years, China has transformed from an agrarian society plagued by poverty into the world’s second-largest economy, the largest industrial powerhouse, and the most important engine of global economic growth. China has historically eradicated absolute poverty, achieving unprecedented miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability.

The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will also be reflected in the realization of China’s complete reunification. The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s liberation from colonial rule. This year, China has designated October 25 as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration, a powerful measure to uphold the historical truth and national pride associated with Taiwan’s return to the motherland. This responds to the shared aspiration of all Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan province, to uphold the one-China Principle and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Taking this opportunity, I also want to emphasize that China has unconditionally supported Germany’s reunification. Germany, having experienced the agony of division, should be able to fully understand and support China’s resolve to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and recognize the danger of separatist activities for the so-called “Taiwan independence”. We hope that German friends from all sectors will, based on their own experiences, historical trends and the need for international peace and stability, unequivocally adhere to the one-China Principle and oppose all activities for “Taiwan independence”.

II. China’s Global Responsibilities and Contributions

China’s development is inseparable from the world, and the world’s development also needs China. President Xi Jinping says, “Today, countries around the world are no longer sailing in over 190 small boats; rather, we are all aboard a giant ship sharing a common destiny. Small boats cannot withstand storms, but a giant ship can brave the winds and waves.” China’s Reform and opening-up opened the door to mutual engagement between China and the world. While China has benefited from economic globalization, it has also made significant contributions to it. As the world’s largest developing country, China remains in the primary stage of socialism for a long term. Precisely for this reason, China strongly identifies with the importance of development and firmly upholds it as a universal right for all nations.

Amid great changes unseen in centuries, President Xi Jinping has proposed a vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, alongside initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative. These efforts have provided Chinese solutions to the common global challenges and chart the right course for the future development of the world.

From October 20 to 23, 2025, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing. This session was convened at a critical stage in China’s efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects, demonstrating China’s firm resolve to continue to advance the Chinese modernization. The session outlined the main goals for China’s economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), with emphasis on the objective of achieving decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization during this period. The session called for expanding high-standard opening up, creating new prospects for win-win cooperation, steadily advancing institutional opening up, upholding the multilateral trading system, expanding international circulation, and using openness to promote reform and development. China will share opportunities and pursue common development with countries worldwide, actively expand autonomous opening up, promote innovative trade development, expand two-way investment cooperation, and advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The session demonstrates China’s commitment to persist in openness and cooperation and to widen mutual benefit. China’s further development will provide broader markets and greater opportunities for the world.

III. Focusing on Building New Types of International Partnerships

China’s development achievements are attributable to the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China and the strengths of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. China always designs and develops its political system based on its national conditions and practical realities. China keeps strategic confidence and follows the principle of “harmony in diversity”, it neither copies foreign models nor exports its system outwards or engages in system competition. Guided by this principle, China has consistently sought to build partnership relations with countries worldwide, actively participating in global networks such as APEC, G20 and BRICS. The partnerships China advocates are characterized by non-alliance, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third countries, fundamentally differing from any past forms of alliances.

We firmly believe that political systems and practices vary across countries due to different national conditions. Only a political party system that suits a country’s realities can achieve political stability, social harmony and economic development in their respective countries. And only such a system is a good one. Engaging in system rivalry and ideological confrontation is dangerous. In order to avoid hegemony and a new Cold War, the international community should abandon the Cold War mentality of system rivalry and ideological confrontation, should address global challenges through exchanges, mutual learning, dialogue, and cooperation. 

Dear Friends,

Young people are the driving force for social development. We hope you will continue to embrace an open, broad and inclusive global perspective, serve as bridges between different civilizations and countries, and contribute actively to building a an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

As a Chinese saying goes, “Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.” Thanks to policies such as China’s 30-day visa-free policy for German citizens and the “Young Envoys Scholarship” program, it is now very convenient for German youth to visit and have exchanges with China. We encourage you to seize the opportunity to visit China and experience a real, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive China firsthand.

Thank you!