Distinguished guests,
Dear friends,

It is a great pleasure to get together with you to celebrate the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and also commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. First, I would like to extend my warmest festive greetings to all servicemen and servicewomen of the PLA, and also pay tribute to the Flying Tigers veterans, their relatives, and all friends who love and cherish peace!

Over the past 98 years, as an army of the people and for the people, the PLA has made indelible contributions to national independence, the liberation of the people and the prosperity of the country, provided strong support for upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests, and also played an important role in defending peace and tranquility of the world. It now stands proudly as a Great Wall of Steel, and a valiant force for peace.

As a Chinese proverb goes, “Those who truly understand the art of war are the least willing to wage a war.” Throughout all the conflicts in history, peace and stability are the unyielding pursuit of humanity. The world we now live in is totally different from what it was 80 years ago. The dust of the World Anti-Fascist War had settled long ago. The dividends of peace have brought about prosperity never seen before, and globalization has turned the world into a closely interconnected “global village”. At the same time, though, geopolitical conflicts keep flaring up. The “might is right” fallacy is creeping back. World peace and development have come under a “pressure test”. UN Secretary General António Guterres lamented that “Everywhere we look, peace is under attack.”

At this historical crossroads, how can we sustain the hard-won peace earned through the sacrifice of countless precious lives? And how can we prevent past tragedies from repeating themselves, and create a better future? These are the questions of the era we need to answer.

We need to draw lessons from history, and strengthen our commitment to maintaining peace. Eighty years ago, the Chinese people fought fearlessly with the people around the world to completely defeat fascism, thus declaring to the world that justice will ultimately triumph over evil, light will always overcome darkness, and the forces for progress will never yield to the reactionary. History has told us that warmongering, aggression and expansion are doomed to end up in failure, and military alliances and bloc confrontation cannot bring security. The world should be brought together, not torn apart, and the international order should be safeguarded, not overthrown.

Eighty years ago, Chinese and American soldiers and civilians plodded through rain forests and steep mountains to build the Stilwell’s Road. The United States Army Observation Group visited Yan’an and had heart-to-heart conversations with members of the Communist Party of China. Our two countries fought fascism side by side, and also co-sponsored the San Francisco Conference in 1945 that founded the United Nations.

Today, we should stay true to the founding mission as outlined in the UN Charter, remain firmly committed to safeguarding peace, jointly uphold the UN-centered international system, and make continuous efforts to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, so that the vision of enduring peace will become a reality.

We need to defy challenges, and enhance our capability to defend peace. Eighty years ago, facing Japanese aggressors armed to the teeth, the Chinese people mounted a heroic resistance with extraordinary perseverance, making historic contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. In the early days after the founding of New China, our country was yet to be rebuilt from the ashes of war. The people’s army was poorly equipped, and none of the 17 planes that participated in the parade at the nation’s founding ceremony was made in China.  

Today, China’s first space station Tiangong is up and running. The world’s first fourth-generation nuclear power plant has been put into operation in Shandong. Chang’e-6 brought back samples from moon’s far side to Earth, the first time in human history. 

China is now the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, and the top contributor of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the Security Council. We have been actively promoting the political settlement of hotspot issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We have also jointly advocated and established the International Organization for Mediation with like-minded nations. Every increase in China’s strength is an increase in the hope for world peace.

We need to stand in solidarity, and jointly follow the path of peaceful development. The value of peace is etched in Chinese civilization, and we are fully aware that a warlike state, however big it may be, will eventually fail. Over the past seven decades and more since the founding of the People’s Republic, we have never started a war. China is the only country among the five nuclear-weapon States to pledge no-first-use of nuclear weapons and the only major country that has written peaceful development into its Constitution. It is fair to say that China is the major country that keeps the best record in terms of peace and security. 

When some are preoccupied with strife, we have focused on building ourselves at home, and followed the path of peaceful development. From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, to the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping, China has offered its solution to major issues concerning human peace and development, and has worked with other countries to seek peace, safeguard peace, and enjoy peace.

Meanwhile, peace is a common cause of humanity, and should be sought and cherished by all. Only when all countries follow the path of peaceful development and combat global challenges together can states coexist in peace and the planet we all call home become a better place.

Dear friends,

The world today is far from tranquil. As the world’s two largest economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and the U.S. have only the shared responsibility for safeguarding peace and cooperation, and no reason for conflict and confrontation. On June 5, President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump spoke on the phone, again recalibrating the direction of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations. It is important to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, and faithfully translate their important consensus into concrete policies and actions without distortion. It is important to sustain the hard-won momentum in dialogue and cooperation, and enhance communication in such fields as foreign affairs, economy and trade, military and law enforcement. It is important to steer clear of the various disturbances and disruptions. In particular, it is vital to abide by the one-China principle and the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqués, and deal with the Taiwan question with extra prudence, so as to prevent the fringe separatists bent on “Taiwan independence” from dragging China and the U.S. into the dangerous terrain of confrontation and even conflict.

We hope the U.S. side will view China with an objective, rational and pragmatic attitude, formulate its policies toward China with the goal of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation, engage with China in an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial manner, strengthen contact, prevent misjudgment, manage differences and expand cooperation, so as to bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of stable, sound and sustainable development, and inject positive energy into world peace, stability and prosperity.

Thank you.