Former President Dr. Heinz Fischer,

President of the Federal Council Mrs. Arpa,

Ambassador QI Mei,

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and colleagues,

It is my pleasure to co-host this reception for celebrating the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China together with Ambassador Qi Mei. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my warm welcome to you all.

Seventy four years ago, the People’s Republic of China was founded. In that turbulent and changing era, together with people in many other developing countries, the Chinese people, led by the Communist Party of China, won national independence and liberation through arduous struggles. Seventy four years later, the Chinese path to modernization has created a new model for human advancement and presented a new picture of modernization. China will remain a member of the big family of developing countries. As the largest developing country, China is a natural member of the Global South. It breathes the same breath with other developing countries and shares the same future with them. China is firm in upholding the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries. China advocates placing development at the center of the international agenda, and delivering more benefits of development to each and every country more fairly. China will continue to contribute to the building of a global community of development with a shared future.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the second anniversary of the Global Development Initiative. These major initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, as well as the Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, have enriched the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and set out a pathway toward realizing this goal. These initiatives are highly aligned with the ideals and goals of the United Nations, and point the way for the current chaotic world. More and more countries have realized that they all share a huge stake of common survival, and that unity and cooperation is the right way to take.

China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. China will continue to actively support the UN in playing its central role in international affairs. On UN and other multilateral affairs, it is China’s view that we should uphold equity and justice and safeguard peace and security; we should pursue mutual benefit, deliver win-win outcomes and achieve development for all; we should stay open and inclusive and advance human civilization; we should stay true to multilateralism and improve global governance.

Dear colleagues and friends,

Since my taking office 7 months ago, I, together with my team, have engaged in multilateral affairs in various fields in Vienna, and actively promoted multilateral organizations such as the UNIDO and the IAEA to enhance cooperation on international development. Faced with new challenges in the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, nuclear safety and security, as well as outer space security governance and etc., we adhere to a principled, responsible and professional attitude, and commit ourselves to promoting multilateral efforts with the participation of all member states, through which implementing true multilateralism and the Vienna Spirit with concrete actions. I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to international organizations, permanent missions, colleagues and friends for your help and support!

In mid October, UNOV Director General and UNODC Executive Director Waly and UNIDO Director General Muller will be invited to Beijing to attend the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and visit China. By the end of this year, China will be visited by heads of all major international organizations in Vienna. By the way, I am glad to inform you that the 19th Asian Games will open tomorrow in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. My hometown lies in the Zhejiang Province. Like other provinces in China, it embodies vivid stories of both traditional Chinese culture and modern development. I would like to encourage colleagues in Vienna to visit different parts of China, and feel the changes and strength of China’s development on the ground.

In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival is traditionally a time for family reunions. I think this festival also embodies the spirit of consensus and solidarity of the Vienna multilateral platform. I, together with my team, stand ready to work with permanent missions and colleagues to actively promote a greater role of “G77+China” in Vienna and enhance cooperation between international organizations and China, thereby making China’s contribution to multilateral affairs in various fields. Let us work together to advance the multilateral cause in Vienna in the right direction of peace, development, and win-win cooperation.

Thank you.