The People’s Republic of China is celebrating its 75th anniversary. With a meteoric rise to the status of a global power, China is presenting itself to the world as one of the great successful models within and outside its borders. With this reality in mind, the Chinese ambassador to Venezuela, Lan Hu, offered a joint interview in which he commented on current issues related to his country and Venezuela.
Could you please introduce China’s achievements in 2024?
-In 2024, the Communist Party of China continues to lead the Chinese people to comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the nation with Chinese modernization. In this year, the global economic recovery has encountered setbacks and the world is uneasy.
Although there are also difficulties and challenges, the Chinese economy has continued its upward trend, and high-quality development has been advancing steadily, with a year-on-year growth of gross domestic product of 5% in the first half of the year, which injected more impetus into the development of the world economy. Many countries, including Venezuela, have actively participated in various economic and trade activities in China, from the Canton Fair, the Consumer Products Expo, to the Trade in Services Fair. The doors of China are increasingly opening, China has become synonymous with the best investment destination, and it will continue to do so.
China’s ancient city layouts, desert lakes and migratory bird habitats have been successfully inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, fully demonstrating the coordination between material and spiritual civilization. Chinese athletes topped the gold medal lists of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, achieving a double harvest of athletic and spiritual achievements. China’s space efforts have been fruitful, with the space station and the sampling of the back of the Moon. The convening of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation demonstrated China’s determination to join hands with developing countries to promote modernization and build a community with a shared future.
-The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held recently. Could you please introduce the main contents of the session?
– More than 300 measures were proposed for further deepening reform in an all-round way to promote China’s modernization. It was pointed out that by 2035, a high-level socialist market economy will have been established, the socialist system with Chinese characteristics will have been more perfected, and the country’s governance system and capacity will have been modernized.
The Plenary Session laid out plans for China’s development over the next five to ten years, specifying seven approaches to reform and development focused on:
- Building a high-level socialist market economy. 2. Developing people’s democracy in an all-round way. 3. Building a culturally strong country. 4. Improving the quality of people’s life. 5. Building a beautiful China. 6. Building a peaceful China at the highest level. 7. Enhancing the Party’s leadership level and its lasting governance capacity.
-In June this year, China and Venezuela celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations. How do you think the friendship between the two countries was forged?
-The leadership of the heads of state is the political foundation of the ironclad friendship between the two countries. President Xi Jinping has visited Venezuela twice, President Hugo Chavez has visited China six times, and President Nicolas Maduro has visited China five times as head of state. During these visits, the top leaders of both countries have laid the political foundation for the development of bilateral relations. From strategic partners for common development, comprehensive strategic partners, to all-weather and all-tough strategic partners, China and Venezuela have forged a strong friendship based on mutual understanding and mutual benefit.
The similarity of development concepts is the internal driving force of the iron-clad friendship between the two countries. The Chinese and Venezuelan governments share similar concepts such as serving the people, complement each other in opposing hegemonism and power politics, have a high degree of understanding and agreement with each other’s national conditions and political systems, support each other in exploring their own development paths, and adhere to the principle that the right to life and development are the first and most basic human rights, working together to safeguard the common values of mankind, which are peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom, promoting an equal and orderly globalization and an economic globalization of common benefit and inclusion, joining hands to promote the building of a community of common destiny for mankind.
Pragmatic cooperation is the guarantee of the ironclad friendship between the two countries. China has built residential housing in Caracas, expanded ports in Bolivar, built a desalination plant in Nueva Esparta, donated to medical facilities in Carabobo, broken up the technological monopoly through space cooperation, and made life easier for people with Chinese products. The Confucius Institute has been spreading the Chinese language and culture, and both countries have long celebrated the Chinese New Year together, maintaining fruitful cultural exchanges.
-What can you tell us about the 50 years of relations between China and Venezuela?
-In June this year, with the support of both presidents, we solemnly celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Embassy and various sectors jointly organized a series of activities, which were attended by President Nicolás Maduro and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and attracted more than 10,000 people from this country. The photo exhibition, concerts and commemorative book presentations provided a cultural feast.
-What is China’s vision for further deepening bilateral cooperation?
-We will continue to support each other on issues related to the core interests of each party. China firmly supports Venezuela in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, dignity, socio-economic stability and right to self-determination, in its fight against unilateral sanctions. We will strengthen cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the UN, the China-CELAC Forum and the BRICS, and continue to support each other in multilateral diplomatic activities.
-On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, what would you like to say to Venezuelans?
-I would like to express my sincere thanks to all friends who contribute to the development of China and China-Venezuela relations. The future of China and Venezuela is bright, the future of China-Venezuela relations is bright, and the great mission of the two countries to jointly build a community of common destiny for mankind is bright. Under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of both countries, the embassy continues to work to continuously promote the all-weather, all-tough strategic partnership.
Conviasa’s Caracas-Guangzhou route is about to make its first flight and we welcome Venezuelan friends to visit China, experience the country’s development achievements and bring back the seeds of friendship between the two nations.
