Dear influencers , dear recommenders,

distinguished guests, dear friends,

ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to be invited to the "Australian Influencer Self-Promotion Conference" today.

The conference today is very exceptional. The Influencers carefully shot and produced videos to tell their "China story in my account", which fully reflects their friendly feelings towards China and make me deeply impressed. First of all, I would like to extend my congratulations on the success of this event and the wonderful performance of every one of the influencers!

Today's conference is convened to tell China stories. China is an ancient civilization with a history of 5,000 years, as well as a large developing country with a population of 1.4 billion. Chinese food, Chinese language, Chinese kung fu and tea are treasures favored by people all over the world. Then what is the China story about?

-- The China story is about development and prosperity. This year marks the 45th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up. Over the past 45 years, China has lifted over 800 million people out of poverty and over 400 million people into the middle-income group. Skyscrapers are springing up in Chinese cities, and "beautiful villages" shine like stars in rural areas. The length of China's high-speed rail has exceeded 42,000 kilometers, and the travel time by train from Beijing to Shanghai has been reduced from about 10 hours to about 4 hours. China has realized full coverage of 5G network in urban and rural areas, and online shopping and "scanning code" payment have become a living habit of Chinese people.

-- The China story is about mutual benefit and win-win. China is committed to high-level opening-up and has held the China International Import Expo for five consecutive years, which is the first import-themed national exhibition in the history of world trade. From 2013 to 2021, China contributed an average of 38.6 percent to world economic growth, more than the G7 countries combined. China has been Australia's largest trading partner since 2009. The wind farms and photovoltaic farms invested and built by Chinese company Beijing Energy International in NSW have generated good economic and social benefits, and Chinese company Yancoal with its investment has provided nearly 3,400 jobs for local people, and brought 1.2 billion Australian dollars in fiscal revenue for governments at various levels of Australia.

-- The China story is about peace and cooperation. On December 31, 1953, Premier Zhou Enlai first put forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in their entirety. Since then, China has been an advocate and faithful practitioner of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China is the largest contributor of military personnel to peacekeeping operations and the largest contributor of assessed peacekeeping contributions among developing countries. In the face of the changes of the world, the changes of the times, and the changes in history, China has put forward Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, and actively promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China has set the goal of reaching carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, and will steadfastly make joint efforts to build a clean and beautiful world.

Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

The China story is a story of unity of the 56 ethnic groups across the country in pursuit of a better life. It is composed of individual stories of every hard-working Chinese people, as well as the stories of China-Australia friendly exchanges and cooperation. Before COVID-19, Sydney had direct flights with 17 Chinese cities, and there were about 180 round-trip flights between China and Australia every week. In Sydney CBD, there is a Chinese garden named "Garden of Friendship", in which a "Friendship bridge" is being built to symbolize the friendship between China and Australia. The Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival have become an important part of Australia's multiculturism, and in the small town of Tinga in northern NSW, the local people celebrate the Lantern Festival every year. Since Mak Shiying arrived in Sydney in 1818, the Chinese community have been in Australia for more than 200 years. They have long been actively integrating into and giving back to society, making outstanding contributions to the economic and social development of Australia and the friendship between China and Australia.

Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Australia. Over the past 50 years, China-Australia bilateral relations have grown smoothly on the whole, and practical cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. At present, China-Australia relations are at a critical crossroads. The long-term and sound development of China-Australia relations requires the joint efforts of both sides and depends on the sound public opinion foundation of both countries. We need more people to know about the China story, tell the story of China-Australia friendly exchanges and cooperation, and gather more positive energy for China-Australia relations. The influencers present today are a bridge of understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Australian people. I hope you will continue to play an active role and make greater contributions to China-Australia friendly exchanges and cooperation.

Thank you!