Remarks By H.E. Ambassador Wu Peng at Reception Celebrating the 97th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army
Your Honorable Angie Motshekga, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Your Honorable Bantu Holomisa, Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Your Honorable Richard Mkhungo, Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Your Honorable Peace Mabe, Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Comrade Gwen Ramokgopa, Treasure-General of the African National Congress, General Rudzani Maphwanya, Chief of South African National Defence Force, Your Honorable LindiweSisulu, Former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, General Solly Shoke, Former Chief of South African National Defence Force, Distinguished Veterans and Generals, Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends,
Good afternoon!
I arrived in South Africa over a month ago and today's reception is my first one as Chinese Ambassador to your beautiful country.
It is my great pleasure to get together with friends old and new today, to celebrate the 97th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, I extend festive greetings to all members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, as well as a warm welcome and most sincere thanks to all our distinguished guests.
Even though China and South Africa are far apart, our two countries and two militaries enjoy a long history of friendship.
We already started exchanges and cooperation from early1950s and built a profound “Comrades plus Brothers” special bond.
The veterans attending the reception today are participants of and witnesses to this part of our shared history. Please join me in paying the highest tribute to the veterans!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends,
With the strategic guidance of our Heads of States in recent years, the China-South Africa Comprehensive Strategic Partnership enjoyed rapid development. It has set a fine example for China-Africa and South-South cooperation.
In August last year, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to South Africa and attended the 15th BRICS Summit here, when the two Presidents together ushered our relations into the Golden Era.
The visit also marked the beginning of a new journey to build a high level China-South Africa community with a shared future.
China and South Africa are both major developing countries and members of the Global South.
We enjoy close collaboration and strong mutual support in international affairs, and work together to build a more just and equitable international order.
As our two sides cooperate more in various areas and at many levels, as well as build deeper friendship and stronger mutual trust, China-South Africa relations have went beyond and above the bilateral sphere and are carrying more and more strategic and global impact.
As an important component of our state-to-state relations, our military relations are now at their best in history, which provide crucial support to our overall relations.
China-South Africa military cooperation has only one goal, that is to safeguard world peace.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends,
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, as well as the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of South Africa.
South Africa just held a successful Election. President Ramaphosa was re-elected and the Government of National Unity was formed. The Chinese side extends our most cordial congratulations on that.
For China, we also look forward to announcing new cooperation initiatives with African leaders including President Ramaphosa at the FOCAC Summit to be held in Beijing in September. I am very proud of taking my new post at this special time.
The Chinese side attaches great importance to China-South Africa relations.
The Embassy and I are ready to work with the South African government and friends from all communities to strengthen traditional friendship, deepen mutual trust, expand win-win cooperation, and strive to harvest more golden fruits in our bilateral relations to further benefit the people.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends,
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China kick-started China's new drive for comprehensively deepening reform.
Meanwhile,President Ramaphosa also outlined in his Opening of Parliament Address the new government's blueprint in the next 5 years.
All these important occasions provide new opportunities for us to deepen our cooperation in many areas.
As Chinese Ambassador, I will work actively to enhance our bilateral military relations, and make it one of my main tasks here.
I am confident that under the strategic guidance of our Presidents, our bilateral and military relations will be elevated to higher levels, so as to make greater contributions to the building of China-South Africa and China-Africa community with a shared future.
Now, please allow me to propose a toast, let us raise our glasses:
To the 97th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army!
To the development of relations between China and South Africa and our two militaries!
To ever-lasting friendship between our peoples!
To good health for all our friends here today!
Cheers! Thank you!
