第二，中国是经历了深重苦难的国家。在工业革命发生前的几千年时间里，中国经济、科技、文化一直走在世界的第一方阵之中。近代以后，中国的封建统治者夜郎自大、闭关锁国，导致中国落后于时代发展步伐，中国逐步成为半殖民地半封建社会。外国列强入侵不断，中国社会动荡不已，人民生活极度贫困。穷则思变，乱则思定。中国人民经过逾百年前赴后继的不屈抗争，付出几千万人伤亡的巨大牺牲，终于掌握了自己的命运。中国人民对被侵略、被奴役的历史记忆犹新，尤其珍惜今天的生活。中国人民希望和平、反对战争，所以始终奉行独立自主的和平外交政策，坚持不干涉别国内政、也不允许别人干涉中国内政。我们过去一直是这样做的，今后也会这样做下去。

Second, China has gone through many vicissitudes. For several thousand years before the industrial revolution, China had been leading the world in economic, technological and cultural development. However, feudal rulers of the 18th and 19th centuries closed the door of China in boastful ignorance and China was since left behind in the trend of development. The country was subdued to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. As a result of incessant foreign invasions thereafter, China experienced great social turmoil and its people had to lead a life of extreme destitution. Poverty prompted the call for change and people experiencing turmoil aspired for stability. After a hundred years of persistent and unyielding struggle, the Chinese people, sacrificing tens of millions of lives, ultimately took their destiny back into their own hands. Nevertheless, the memory of foreign invasion and bullying has never been erased from the minds of the Chinese people, and that explains why we cherish so dearly the life we lead today. The Chinese people want peace; we do not want war. This is the reason why China follows an independent foreign policy of peace. China is committed to non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, and China will not allow others to interfere in its own affairs. This is the position we have upheld in the past. It is what we will continue to uphold in the future.

第三，中国是实行中国特色社会主义的国家。1911年，孙中山先生领导的辛亥革命，推翻了统治中国几千年的君主专制制度。旧的制度推翻了，中国向何处去？中国人苦苦寻找适合中国国情的道路。君主立宪制、复辟帝制、议会制、多党制、总统制都想过了、试过了，结果都行不通。最后，中国选择了社会主义道路。在建设社会主义实践中，我们有成功也有失误，甚至发生过严重曲折。改革开放以后，在邓小平先生领导下，我们从中国国情和时代要求出发，探索和开拓国家发展道路，形成了中国特色社会主义，提出要建设社会主义市场经济、民主政治、先进文化、和谐社会、生态文明，维护社会公平正义，促进人的全面发展，坚持和平发展，全面建成小康社会，进而实现现代化，逐步实现全体人民共同富裕。独特的文化传统，独特的历史命运，独特的国情，注定了中国必然走适合自己特点的发展道路。我们走出了这样一条道路，并且取得了成功。

Third, China is a socialist country with Chinese characteristics. In 1911, the revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen overthrew the autocratic monarchy that had ruled China for several thousand years. But once the old system was gone, where China would go became the question. The Chinese people then started exploring long and hard for a path that would suit China’s national conditions. They experimented with constitutional monarchy, imperial restoration, parliamentarism, multi-party system and presidential government, yet nothing really worked. Finally, China took on the path of socialism. Admittedly, in the process of building socialism, we have had successful experience and also made mistakes. We have even suffered serious setbacks. After the “reform and opening-up” was launched under the leadership of Mr. Deng Xiaoping, we have, acting in line with China’s national conditions and the trend of the times, explored and blazed a trail of development and established socialism with Chinese characteristics. Our aim is to build a socialist market economy, democracy, an advanced culture, a harmonious society and a sound eco-system, uphold social equity and justice, promote all-round development of the people, pursue peaceful development, complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eventually achieve modernization and ensure prosperity for all. The uniqueness of China’s cultural tradition, history and circumstances determines that China needs to follow a development path that suits its own reality. In fact, we have found such a path and achieved success along this path.