On 19 September, H.E. Mr Chen Hai, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar, held the reception in Wydham Hotel celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China with all walks of life in Yangon. More than 900 guests, including Chief Minister of Yangon region U Phyo Min Thein and spouse, Chairman of Myanmar Peace Committee U Tin Myo Win and spouse, Commander of the Yangon Military Region Major General Thet Pone and spouse, former Vice President of Myanmar U Sai Mauk Kham and spouse and NLD Patron U Win Htein attended the reception. Also present were representatives from Yangon government, parliament, military and parties, diplomatic envoys, overseas Chinese, Chinese students abroad and representative of Chinese enterprises.
Ambassador Chen Hai said in his speech that on October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded, which opened a new era for the Chinese history. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, people of all ethnic groups in China united in a tireless struggle and worked arduously with enterprising spirit. China has undergone profound changes, realizing the historic leap from standing up, growing rich to becoming strong. After 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has become the world's second largest economy with growing international status and influence. The magnificent historical changes and social progress have inspired the Chinese people to stride toward the realization of the two centenary goals and the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
China cannot develop without the world. The Chinese people will never forget the friends who have offered us help and worked with us. We will never forget that Myanmar is the first country with a different social system to recognize the new China and is among the first batch of countries to establish diplomatic relations with China. We will never forget that China and Myanmar jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. We will never forget that Premier Zhou Enlai visited Myanmar nine times and joined the Prime Minister U Nu and other Burmese leaders to celebrate the Water Festival with the people of all ethnic groups in Myanmar, which has become a much-told story of friendship between the two countries. We will never forget that during U Thant's tenure of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Myanmar made a valuable vote for China to restore its legitimate seat in the United Nations.
Today, we are privileged to have Daw Than Than Nu, daughter of Prime Minister U Nu, and Dr Thant Myint-U, grandson of Secretary-General U Thant. They witnessed and participated in the development of our Pauk-Phaw friendship. I would like to express my highest respect and sincere gratitude to them and to all friends who support China's development and China-Myanmar friendship!
Our world today is undergoing major development, changes and adjustments. As a responsible major power, China actively fulfills its due international obligations and responsibilities, firmly adheres to the path of peaceful development, and closely links China's future with the future of the people in the world and promotes the building of a community of shared future for mankind.
Connected by mountains and rivers, China and Myanmar enjoy deep Pauk-Phaw friendship and are natural community of shared future. China is willing to continue to develop friendly and cooperative relations with Myanmar on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and help Myanmar realize internal peace, national reconciliation and development. In recent years, close high-level exchanges between leaders of China and Myanmar have led the development of our bilateral relations to a higher level. China and Myanmar are jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. Our cooperation in education, healthcare, disaster relief and other areas to improve people's livelihood has been flourishing. And more and more Myanmar people have gained profit from the cooperation. China will also continue to play a constructive role in promoting Myanmar's peace process and properly resolving Rakhine Issue.
Just now, we watched the wonderful dances performed by the teachers and students of the Mary Chapman School for the Deaf Children. Youth is the future of the country and China-Myanmar relations. Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar, ushering our relations into a new era. Let us carry forward our traditional Pauk-Phaw friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, integrate our development strategies and promote the building of the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, thus creating a better future for China-Myanmar Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.
Chief Minister of Yangon Region U Phyo Min Thein said that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Myanmar and China. Myanmar is China's supportive neighbor and one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with China. Myanmar has always maintained friendly relations with China. With admirable development achievements, China has developed into one of the most powerful countries in the world in 70 years. Myanmar is willing to learn from China's development experience.
U Phyo Min Thein stressed that Myanmar has actively participated in the Belt and Road cooperation and established the Steering Committee for the Implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative chaired by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Our two countries are cooperating in various fields. Myanmar thanks China for sharing opportunities and fruits of development with all the countries including Myanmar with the aim to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. The Myanmar side sincerely hopes that China will continue to maintain a good momentum of development in the future and continue to make new achievements on the world stage.
A photo exhibition celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and a cooperation achievement exhibition of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Myanmar Economic Corridor were also held at the reception. The exhibition shows the development since the founding of New China in the past 70 years and the achievements of cooperation in various fields between China and Myanmar through pictures, videos and objects. Chief Minister U Phyo Myin Thein and other guests stopped for a long time before the exhibition and spoke highly of the development achievements made in the 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China. They admired the China Speed created by the China's high-speed rail, and wished Huawei Company to usher Myanmar into the 5G Era. All the guests wished the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor continues to make new progress.
Students from the Mary Chapman School for the Deaf which received long-term funding by the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar performed Burmese dances at the reception. Chinese students in Myanmar sang the traditional Chinese song "Jasmine". The theme videos such as "Beautiful China", "The Dreamcatcher" and "China-Myanmar Friendship" were also broadcast on the scene.
The atmosphere of the reception was grand and warm. Guests from all walks of life spoke highly of the extraordinary achievements of China's development and blessed the friendship between China and Myanmar.
Major media in Myanmar have reported the reception on the spot. It was broadcast live by Skynet, the largest media group in Myanmar.
On September 26, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar also hosted a National Day reception in Nay Pyi Taw.