Xi says China will safeguard world peace

President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the nation's foreign policy goal of safeguarding world peace and promoting common development on Monday, saying that Beijing will always advance the common values of humanity and advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world.

Addressing a grand reception to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the president said China will continue to play an active part in the reform and development of global governance, and will endeavor to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

"In advancing Chinese modernization, we must adhere to the path of peaceful development," he told thousands of dignitaries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"We will always stand on the right side of history and human progress," he said, adding that China will also vigorously advocate "peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, and do our best to promote world peace and tranquility and human progress".

The reception, held one day before National Day, brought together dignitaries including Party and State leaders, foreign envoys and recipients of national honors.

In his speech, Xi called the founding of the People's Republic of China 75 years ago a landmark event that demonstrated that the Chinese people had stood up, ushering in a new epoch in history toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

China has been profoundly transformed, and "our nation is marching forward on an irreversible historical course of rejuvenation", he emphasized.

Meanwhile, the president pointed out that the best way to celebrate the nation's birthday is to carry forward the unprecedented cause of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization.

He reiterated the need to uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China, saying that the Party should always be at the core, leading and coordinating all efforts and undertakings.

"We should consistently enforce full and rigorous self-discipline of the Party, and steer China's great social transformation through the Party's self-renewal."

Xi reiterated pledges to deepen reform and opening-up across the board and to promote high-quality development.

"We will ensure that the future development and progress of our country are in the hands of the Chinese people," Xi said.

He highlighted the need to put the people above everything else in advancing Chinese modernization.

"We should never forget that the people always come first. Everything we do should be for the people, and we should rely on the people in everything we do. We should ensure that all the Chinese people will benefit from our joint cause of promoting reform and development."

The president also highlighted Beijing's unwavering commitment to "one country, two systems", under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of autonomy.

"We will resolutely safeguard and promote the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao. With the strong backing of the motherland, our compatriots in Hong Kong and Macao will surely create an even brighter future," he said.

As for the Taiwan question, Xi underscored that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are members of one and the same family bound by blood, and "blood runs thicker than water".

He pledged steps to deepen cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, bring the hearts of fellow Chinese on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait closer to each other, and resolutely oppose separatist activities for "Taiwan independence".

"Complete reunification is the common aspiration of all Chinese from home and abroad. It is an irresistible trend and a righteous cause reflecting the will of the people. No one can stop the wheel of history."

In addition, the president warned that the road ahead for the cause of Chinese modernization won't be smooth, saying that there could be obstacles and difficulties and even major challenges.

He concluded the speech on an upbeat note, saying that the Chinese nation, with a civilization spanning over 5,000 years, will create greater splendor on its new journey in the new era, and will make greater contributions to the noble cause of the peace and progress of humanity.

The foreign dignitaries at the reception lauded China's contributions to global development over the past decades, especially in tackling common challenges facing humanity.

Nicholas O'Brien, Ireland's ambassador to China, said his country remains committed to deepening its "strong and vibrant relationship with China", and to jointly promoting an open trading system and rules-based global order.

Seeram Ramakrishna, a senior professor of materials engineering at National University of Singapore and a winner of this year's Chinese Government Friendship Award, said that China has emerged as one of the leading countries in responding to challenges such as climate change.

"China has clearly been focusing on building an ecological civilization by putting a lot of resources in the sector," he said. "That is one of the key reasons we believe the continuous modernization of China will present a huge opportunity to the world."