On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of New China, people from all walks of life in neighboring countries have expressed congratulations, praised China's development achievements and contributions to the region and the world, and looked forward to deepening friendly cooperation with China. What keywords did they say?

On September 26, 2024, in Beijing, the flower beds in Tiananmen Square were newly decorated, and flowers celebrated the National Day. Visual China Map

The first one is "achievement". China's road has made remarkable achievements and expanded the path for developing countries to move towards modernization.

In the view of Pakistan President Zardari, China has become a solid anchor for global affairs, a powerful engine driving the world's economic giant, and a pioneer in exploring the frontiers of science, innovation and technology. He said that under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, a united and strong China has been reborn, providing great inspiration and inexhaustible motivation to the vast number of developing countries that pursue independence, dignity and progress. Philippine Vice President Sarah Duterte praised China for its amazing progress and achievements and becoming an important force in global affairs. Mongolian Prime Minister Oyunerden believes that China's rapid development has enhanced Asia's reputation and promoted Asian values on a global scale.

From poverty and weakness to the world's second largest economy, the largest manufacturing country, the largest goods trade country, and the second largest commodity consumer, China has become a well-deserved important engine of global economic growth. From 1979 to 2023, China's economy grew at an average annual rate of 8.9%, much higher than the average growth rate of 3.0% for the world economy during the same period. Especially in the past decade or so, China's average contribution to world economic growth has exceeded 30%. Friends around us are thinking: How did China do it? What can I learn from it? The secret is very simple: it is to pursue modernization in the pursuit of seeking truth from facts based on the culture and national conditions of the country, so as to achieve development and true independence.

To achieve modernization, we must first solve the problem of food for the people. China has achieved the synchronization of rapid development and large-scale poverty reduction, and the synchronization of economic transformation and the elimination of absolute poverty. It has achieved the poverty reduction goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, creating a China sample of poverty reduction governance. At the same time, China has shared its experience in poverty reduction with neighboring countries and embarked on an "Asian path" for poverty reduction cooperation.

East Timor President Horta said that China has made world-renowned achievements in poverty alleviation, bringing inspiration and hope to countries that still face the challenges of food shortages and malnutrition. In August this year, he was interviewed by CCTV's "High-end Interview" during his visit to China. He spoke highly of China's unique modernization path and particularly appreciated China's great achievements in successfully eliminating absolute poverty and becoming a scientific and technological superpower. He said emotionally that almost every child in East Timor carries affordable schoolbags made in China, which fulfills China's commitment to help the poor. Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Vigita Herat also said that under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, China has successfully lifted 800 million people out of poverty and contributed as much as 75% to the world's poverty reduction work. China's great achievements are mainly due to the China government's people-centered development concept.

The second is "opportunity". China adheres to opening up to the outside world and provides a broad platform for the region and even the world to share the fruits of development.

China has established itself and helped the world. As the largest developing country, China has always placed its own development in the coordinate system of human development and used its own development to create new opportunities for countries around the world, including neighboring countries. The joint construction of the "Belt and Road" is an important cooperation platform. Asia is the pioneer region of the Belt and Road Initiative.

China-Laos Railway, Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, Sihanoukville Port Special Economic Zone in Cambodia, Maldives Friendship Bridge... These well-known results of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and neighboring countries are solid and heavy. For neighboring countries, the changes brought about by the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative are a visible and tangible sense of "gain." Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz said that since the start of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 11 years ago, it has brought tremendous changes to Pakistan's economy and society. Cambodia Deputy Prime Minister Hun Mani said that the "Belt and Road" initiative has filled the gap in cooperation mechanisms and development resources.

Aisennan, the mayor of Buteng Village, Modang Township, Poreno County, Sihanoukville Province, Cambodia, shared his story. In 2008, most villagers in Buteng Village still lived in thatched huts. After the establishment of the Sihanoukville Port Special Economic Zone, a large number of employment opportunities have been created. Buteng Village has changed from an agricultural village to an industrial village. The villagers have not only built buildings, but also owned private cars, and their lives are getting better and better. The Chinese side donated teaching buildings, audio-visual rooms and playgrounds to the village, donated computers, projectors, printers and other supplies, built cement roads and drainage canals, and also dispatched multiple batches of foreign aid medical teams to local free clinics. The Special Administrative Zone Company Charity Volunteer Alliance actively organized various charity activities. He said excitedly: "These are all tangible results (we) have achieved from Cambodia-China cooperation."

According to China customs data, the import and export goods of China-Laos railways have exceeded 10 million tons. Mechanical and electrical products and agricultural products made in China, as well as natural rubber and tropical fruits from Laos and Thailand, travel in both directions through the China-Laos Railway. The China-Laos Railway has effectively promoted economic and trade exchanges along the route and injected new impetus into the happy life of the people along the route.

In recent years, economic globalization has encountered countercurrents. Some countries have engaged in "decoupling and breaking links" and "small courtyards and high walls", and the "world openness index" has shown a downward trend. In the midst of chaos, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed more than 300 important reform measures, including the "clearing" of restrictions on foreign investment access in manufacturing, and the expansion of opening up in elderly care, medical and other service industries, releasing a strong signal that China will unswervingly hold high the banner of reform and opening up in the new era. The outside world clearly feels China's determination and perseverance to open its doors and embrace the world. Malaysia's New Straits Times and Sin Chew Daily stated that "China's reform measures will continue to provide development opportunities for Malaysia."

China cannot develop without the world, and the world cannot develop without China. A China that continues to expand its opening up is undergoing new changes every moment and bringing new opportunities to neighboring countries. As reported by the Pakistan Observer, China's achievements in the past 75 years are not only a victory for the China people, but also a beacon of hope and progress around the world.

The third is "friendship". China adheres to amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and deepening friendly cooperation with China is a general consensus among regional countries.

Trade connectivity between China and neighboring countries is getting closer and closer. Since 2009, China has become ASEAN's largest trading partner, and the two sides have been each other's largest trading partners for four consecutive years. Customs data shows that in the first eight months of this year, China's imports and exports to ASEAN were 4.5 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10%, accounting for 15.7% of the total foreign trade value during the same period. Among them, the import and export of intermediate products of electronic information products such as integrated circuits, flat panel display modules, computer parts and accessories, and audio and video parts all showed double-digit growth.

In particular, trade in agricultural products has become a major highlight of economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN countries. On August 9, the official website of the General Administration of Customs of China updated the list of fresh fruit types and exporting countries and regions that have received China's inspection and quarantine access, adding 10 fruits from 7 countries, including Vietnam coconut and Malaysian fresh durian. The number of new fruit varieties approved by ASEAN countries to enter the China market continues to increase, which not only enriches the "fruit basket" of China families, but also bulges up the "money bags" of ASEAN fruit farmers.

The good news of personnel exchanges between China and surrounding areas also followed. China and "Xinmatai" form a "visa-free circle of friends"; the number of tourists from China and South Korea has shown double growth. In the first eight months of this year, the number of China tourists to South Korea exceeded 500,000, and China has become South Korea's largest source of overseas tourists; the number of people entering and exiting the Erenhot Port in Inner Mongolia has exceeded 1.8 million this year. In the first half of 2024, China will once again become the largest source of tourists to Maldives. The intensive cross-border exchanges between China and neighboring countries will not only help enhance people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding, but will also drive cooperation in humanities, commerce, science and technology and other fields, injecting vitality into the economic and social development of regional countries.

While congratulating China on the 75th anniversary of its National Day, neighboring countries all expressed their positive will to deepen bilateral friendly cooperation. What they see is that China has always adhered to being good friends and partners with its neighbors, and China's friendly relations with regional countries are full of vitality and potential for cooperation. Thai National Assembly Chairman and Lower Speaker Vanno said that this year is an important milestone for Thailand and China to open the "visa-free era". The two countries will have closer exchanges in trade, investment, tourism and other fields. Thailand is willing to work together with China to continuously benefit the two countries and their peoples. Media in Pakistan and Laos believe that China-style modernization will continue to inject new impetus into regional and even world development.

Do not slack off and stop at being good. These likes and expectations from friends around us not only stem from China's neighboring diplomacy practice, but also the fruit of China's continued promotion of high-level opening up to the outside world. Standing at the important historical juncture of the 75th anniversary of the founding of New China, we fully believe that a growing and growing China is a blessing to the surrounding countries and a blessing to the world.