BEIJING -- A reception to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China was held at the Great Hall of the People on the evening of Sept. 28. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the reception and delivered an important speech. He stressed that on the new journey, the future is bright. Our strength comes from unity and confidence is more valuable than gold. We must firm up confidence, invigorate our spirit, strive in unity to continuously overcome obstacles and surmount difficulties to steadfastly march towards the grand goal of building a strong China and realizing national rejuvenation.

Li Qiang presided over the reception. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the event together with around 800 Chinese and foreign guests.

The banquet hall of the Great Hall of the People is adorned with dazzling lights and blooming flowers, exuding a cheerful and festive atmosphere. Above the rostrum hangs the solemn national emblem, with large digits "1949-2023" prominently displayed against the bright red flags.

At about 17:30, accompanied by a cheerful and welcoming music, Xi and other Party and state leaders walked into the banquet hall and waved to the people. They were met with a warm round of applause.

The reception began. All stood up and sang the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. The magnificent "March of the Volunteers" echoed in the hall.

Xi delivered an important speech. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, he first paid high tribute to the people of all ethnic groups in China, to the commanders and soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force, and to other political parties and personages without party affiliation. He extended sincere greetings to compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to friendly countries and international friends who care about and support China's modernization drive.

In his speech, Xi noted that over the past 74 years since the founding of New China, the country has moved from poverty to moderate prosperity in all respects, and has embarked on a new journey to build a strong nation and advance national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. The CPC has united and led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to make such great achievements through hard work.

This year is the first year to implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress. We have coordinated COVID-19 response with economic and social development, and worked to ensure both development and security. We have actively promoted the sustained economic recovery while moving forward with the reform of Party and state institutions in an orderly manner, and effectively responded to flooding in a few localities. We have proactively promoted opening-up, scientific and technological innovation and green development. We have resolutely safeguarded national sovereignty, security and development interests. The economic recovery is picking up pace, contributing to the steady advancement of high-quality development. A bumper harvest is to be expected soon. People's standard of living continues to improve, and overall national situation is stable across the board. Chinese athletes have achieved remarkable, hard-earned and heartening results in Chengdu Universiade and Hangzhou Asian Games.

Xi stressed that changes unseen in a century are evolving at an accelerating pace. Profound changes have taken place in the international landscape, and as a result we are facing many risks and challenges on our way forward. To achieve high-quality development, we must fully and faithfully implement the new development philosophy in all aspects, and accelerate the development of a new development paradigm. We should strengthen macroeconomic regulation, expand effective demand domestically, and stimulate the vitality of market players. We should continuously promote the sustained economic recovery, strengthen growth drivers, and raise public expectations. We must effectively forestall and mitigate major risks, and strive to achieve the annual goals of economic and social development. To advance high-standard opening up, it is important to deepen the reforms, steadily expand institutional opening up in terms of rules, regulations, management, and standards, promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, facilitate domestic and international economic flows, and make the economy more resilient and dynamic. To meet the people's growing needs for a better life, we should strengthen social security, prioritize creation of jobs, address the people's pressing concerns, and increase support for vulnerable groups. We should consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation, promote rural revitalization and work toward common prosperity, so as to further boost the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security.

Xi noted that we must continue to fully, faithfully and unswervingly implement the policy of One Country, Two Systems, see that Hong Kong and Macao are administered by patriots, and support the two regions in growing their economies and improving their people's lives. We must also give full play to the strengths and distinctive features of Hong Kong and Macao, and support their participation in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so as to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in the two regions. We must adhere to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, advance the integrated development in all fields across the Taiwan Strait, safeguard the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and improve the wellbeing of Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Strait. Realizing China's complete reunification is what the people aspire for, the trend of the times and an irresistible historic development that can never be stopped by any force.

Xi stressed that we must adhere to peaceful development, pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, defend international fairness and justice, and practice true multilateralism. We will work for the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and work hand in hand with people from all countries to meet all types of global challenges and jointly create a bright future for humanity.

Amid joyful melody, guests from home and abroad toasted the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. They wished prosperity of China, the wellbeing of the people and the long-standing friendship between the Chinese people and people of other countries.

Those who attended the reception include members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, vice premiers of the State Council, state councilors, director of the National Supervisory Commission, president of the Supreme People's Court, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, vice chairpersons of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, those who have retired from leadership positions, members of the Central Military Commission and former members of the commission.

Those who attended the reception also include leaders of departments of the CPC Central Committee, central government, the military and people's organizations and leading officials of Beijing Municipal Government. Present at the reception were leaders of the central committees of other political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, representatives of personages without party affiliation, and representatives of those with medals of honor in Beijing, and so were representatives of national model workers and advanced figures, representatives of the Chinese sports delegations to the Chengdu Universiade, Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games, and representatives of ethnic minorities who have made important contributions to the stability, development and unity of ethnic minority areas. Personages from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region in Beijing, and representatives of Taiwan compatriots, overseas Chinese nationals and foreign citizens of Chinese origin attended the reception, and so did diplomatic envoys of various countries in Beijing, representatives of international organizations in Beijing, and some foreign experts.