The Chinese embassy in Doha hosted on Saturday a grand celebration of the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the People's Republic of China in the presence of dignitaries, guests and Chinese community members in Qatar.
Speaking on the occasion, Chinese ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian briefed the guests on the achievements of the Chinese people and government over the past 70 years.
"This year is the 70th anniversary of our great motherland. Today also coincides with the date August 16 on the lunar calendar. On this night of reunion, we are gathering here to celebrate the National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival," he said.
The envoy stressed that "in the past 70 years, China's comprehensive national strength has achieved a historic leap ... to become the world's second largest economy". At the time of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the country's GDP was only about 60bn yuan, he noted, adding that over the past 70 years, China has flourished and prosperous - especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party. The GDP has surpassed the 70tn yuan, 80tn yuan and 90tn yuan marks, ranking as the second largest economy in the world and the largest industrial and trading country as well as having the largest foreign exchange reserves.
The ambassador also highlighted the efforts of Chinese expatriates in supporting their motherland and enhancing its growth across all fields.
"We will not forget that when the motherland suffered natural disasters, overseas Chinese shared the same feelings, and they all reached out to help, donate their love, money, and share the difficulties with the motherland. It can be said that the brilliant achievements of the motherland are the result of efforts of the vast number of overseas Chinese. The motherland and the people will not forget you. The yearbook of China’s development will always record your achievements," he said.
In particular, the envoy highlighted the contributions and achievements of the Chinese people living in Qatar and working in different fields as part of the Qatari economy.
He referred to Zhu Chen, the former chess world champion who has been married in Qatar for many years, noting that she has never forgotten her hometown. In her autobiography, she wrote with deep affection: "Hometown, what do I give to you?" For the sake of her hometown, she founded the Zhu 'chess house' in Lucheng, Wenzhou, where she spends more than 100 days every year to promote chess.
Besides, he pointed out that the employees of China Railway Construction Corporation are exerting great efforts in Qatar "to let Chinese quality become famous in overseas markets". Also, Huawei engineers have played a key role in enabling Qatar to build the world's first commercial 5G network, thus allowing Chinese technology to stand at the forefront of the world, he observed.
The ambassador addressed his compatriots, saying: "While pursuing a better life, you are actively paving the way for China-Qatar friendship and co-operation, paving the way for the motherland's construction and development, and vividly interpreting the combination of personal dreams and the national dreams of Qatar and China. On this occasion, on behalf of the Chinese embassy, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and lofty respect to all of you here!"
The event featured a short movie on the achievements of China and the development of Qatar-China relations over the years. In addition, the attendees enjoyed Chinese cultural performances during the celebration.
