Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends:

Greetings to you all!

It gives me great pleasure to join you in celebrating the 94th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. First of all, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic, I would like to express my sincere thanks to you all for taking the time to attend this online event!

The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. At the beginning of this month, we solemnly celebrated its 100th anniversary. Over the past 100 years, the Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people in arduous struggles and achieved great accomplishments that shine through history. General Secretary Xi Jinping declared at the celebration ceremony that China has achieved its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and is marching toward the second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects. The Chinese nation has achieved the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing rich to becoming strong, and China's national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability!

Over the past 94 years, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has stayed true to our original aspiration and founding mission, and has made great historic achievements in realizing national independence and liberation and serving the socialist modernization drive. It has become a great wall of steel that safeguards national sovereignty, security and development interests, and has become a staunch force for safeguarding world peace and stability, and for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends!

The world is facing the combined forces of a global pandemic and major changes, both unseen in a century. The international situation is undergoing complex transformation and the world has entered a period of high turbulence and rapid change. On the other hand, peace and development remain the theme of the times. The vast majority of the international community are calling for solidarity over division, openness over isolation, and cooperation over confrontation.

China cannot do without the world, and the world also needs China. China represents opportunity, not challenge, let alone security threat. China will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and promote the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. China will promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative through joint efforts, and provide new opportunities for the world with its new achievements in development. China sincerely hopes that on the basis of such principles as mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, it will enhance friendly cooperation with the Czech Republic and other countries, and work together with all of them to uphold world peace, promote common development, and create a better future!

Thank you!