Remarks by Ambassador Cui Tiankai At the Closing Dinner of the Horasis China Meeting

女士们，先生们，朋友们：

　　很高兴参加“霍瑞西斯中国论坛”。两天来，论坛就中国发展和中美经贸关系等问题进行了广泛深入的探讨，可以说恰逢其时。

　　今年是新中国成立70周年。70年来，中国经历了历史性变化，取得了前所未有的发展成就。同时，中国的发展进入新阶段，面临更加复杂的内外环境，中美关系也面临严峻挑战。

　　展望未来几十年中国的发展前景，从政治和经济结合的角度来观察分析，将有助于我们更好地理解中国所面临的问题和政策选择，及其伴随的机遇和挑战。为此，我们特别要关注以下几点：

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Dear Friends,

It is my great pleasure to attend the Horasis China Meeting. Horasis is known for convening the global visions community, people who look unwaveringly to the future. In the last couple of days, the Horasis China Meeting had in-depth exchanges on almost all aspects of China's development and China-U.S. economic relations. The timing could not be better. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. China has gone through historic transformation in these 70 years and made unprecedented achievements. At the same time, as China enters a new era, it also faces a more complex domestic and international environment, which has not been made easier by the strained relations between China and the United States.

As we look forward to China's developing contexts for the coming decades, it is helpful for us to put things in a perspective that combines economics and politics, so as to have a better understanding of the issues and policies, as well as challenges and opportunities. For that purpose, we have to keep in mind the following:

　　第一，以人民为中心的发展理念，为中国发展提供不竭动力。

　　一个国家的发展，人是决定性因素。人民对美好生活的向往就是我们的奋斗目标，也是创造不尽商机的来源。我们将在更高水平上促进人的全面发展，不断提高人民的获得感、幸福感、安全感。

　　中国医疗保险已覆盖超过13亿人，基本养老保险覆盖超过9亿人。明年中国将全面建成小康社会，中华民族将历史上首次整体消除绝对贫困。

First, China pursues a development model that places the people at the center, which has proved to be an unfailing driving force for China's development.

People play the decisive role in any country's development. In the case of China, it is the people's aspiration for a better life that guides our policies. It also represents unlimited business opportunities. We will do what needs to be done to further promote the all-round development of our people, enhancing their sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

For example, our web of medical insurance now covers more than 1.3 billion people, which means that practically everyone is medically insured in China. We have brought over 900 million people under the umbrella of basic old-age insurance. A year from now China will have eliminated absolute poverty and will become a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

　　中国有4亿多中等收入群体，未来15年有望翻倍。14亿中国人民不断增长的购买力和经济潜力，在中国发展进程中是前所未有的。中国人民的信心、主动性、创造力，是中国经济发展和国家未来的根本保障。正是由于中国人民的创造力和奋发进取，尽管面临贸易战等复杂外部因素，中国今年前三季度GDP增长6.2%，主要经济指标运行在合理区间，充分显示了韧性、活力和潜力。

China's expanding middle-income population now comprises 400 million people, and this number is set to double over the next 15 years. The purchasing power and economic potential of the 1.4 billion Chinese people has seen unprecedented growth as China continues to develop. The confidence, proactiveness and creativity of the Chinese people promise a bright future for our country and its economic development. As a result of the ingenuity and zeal of its people, China's GDP expanded by 6.2% in the first three quarters of 2019, in spite of the trade war and other external complexities. Major economic indicators have also remained positive and sound, which speaks of the resilience, vitality and potential of the Chinese economy.

　　第二，中国将继续坚定不移深化改革、扩大开放，因为我们坚信这是进一步破解发展难题、保持中国经济长期向好的关键一招。

　　我们已经全面放开制造业，服务业开放也在持续推进。《外商投资法》将于明年全面实施，准入前国民待遇和负面清单管理正在全面铺开。外商投资负面清单一年比一年缩短。2019年中国自贸试验区增至18个，对外开放版图更加完善。

Second, China remains committed to deepening reform and opening the country even wider because we believe that this is the key for us to overcoming development challenges and ensuring the long-term vibrancy of the economy.

China has fully opened its manufacturing sector, and the services sector is also catching up. The Foreign Investment Law will go into force next year, providing a legal safeguard for foreign investment. The application of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list is extending to the whole spectrum of the Chinese economy. In particular, the negative list, which provides for the areas not open to foreign investment, is getting shorter every year. This year, the number of China's pilot free trade zones rose to 18, making our opening-up sectorally more inclusive and geographically more balanced.