October 1, 2015 By Alusine Sesay
It was a grand celebration on Tuesday at the Chinese Embassy in Freetown as dignitaries from all facets of life gathered to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Peoples Republic of China.
China, which struggled as a third world country before 1949, celebrated its 66th anniversary with lots of achievements, ranging from global recognition as the second largest economy in the world to human dignity, among others, to relish.
“The founding of new China 66 years ago initiated a new era in Chinese history. Over the last 30-plus years, the practice of reform and opening-up policy has catapulted China into the second largest economy in the world,” said Ambassador Zhao Yanbo.
He stated that, “Through unremitting efforts by the Chinese people, by learning from its and the world’s development experiences, China has finally found a suitable path for its own development, which led to the phenomenal turnaround of China, with people’s living standard immensely improved and its international status and influence hugely enhanced.”
He said under the current leadership of President Xi Jinping, Chinese people have engaged in carrying out strategic layout of four comprehensives. “That is, comprehensively building a well-off society, comprehensively deepening reform, comprehensively governing the country by the rule of law, and comprehensively enforcing the party’s disciplines.”
The Chinese ambassador to Sierra Leone said China is “accelerating the transformation of the government functions in order to build a service-oriented government; we are enforcing the practice of anti-corruption in order to elevate the government’s capacity of governance; we are pushing ahead the industrial restructuring and upgrading in order to speed up innovation-driven development; we are carrying forward the financial reform in order to perfect the capital market. So far solid progress has been made on all fronts of China’s reform and development.”
On the world scene, he said China is a very active player and an important driving force for economic growth, and that as a responsible major power the country is committed to promoting a new type of relations featuring win-win cooperation.
Ambassador Yanbo continued that they would spare no effort in bringing about what he referred to as the long held ‘Chinese Dream’, and that “by 2020, China would have been built into a well-off society in all aspects, with the 2010 GDP and per capita income for rural residents doubled; China would have developed into a strong, prosperous, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious modern socialist country”.
He noted that despite being the largest developing country, the country was still facing many challenges and difficulties but expressed optimism that the future would be more promising.
He touched on the cordial relationship existing between China and Sierra Leone and recounted assistance his country has provided to Sierra Leone in the fight against the Ebola virus disease.
“China and Sierra Leone need each other on their ways to development. Our advantages complement each other and render each other opportunities. I am sure that the cooperation between China and Sierra Leone will not only benefit the two countries and contribute to the bilateral relationship in particular, but conduces and serves China-Africa friendship in general,” he concluded.
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Ebun Strasser-King, congratulated China on its 66th anniversary and lauded relationship between the two countries.
She also commended China’s contribution in the fight against Ebola in Sierra Leone.