On September 20th, the Trianon Convention Center in Mauritius was decorated with lanterns and festoons, guests filling the hall in a festive atmosphere. The Chinese Embassy in Mauritius hosted National Day Reception here to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
More than 800 people including the Mauritian Acting President Vyapoory, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, Deputy Prime Minister Collendavelloo, Minister Mentor Sir Anerood Jugnauth and his spouse, Speaker of the National Assembly Hanoonmanjee and her spouse, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade and Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport Bodha, Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation Sawmynaden, Minister of Arts and Culture Roopun, Minister of Agro Industry and Food Security Seeruttun, Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment Alain Wong, and friends from the political, business, cultural fields, press officers, foreign envoys, Chinese-funded enterprises, and overseas Chinese attended the reception.
Ambassador Sun Gongyi and President Vyapoory proposed a toast with the playing of the national anthems of China and Mauritius. On behalf of the Mauritian government and people, Vyapoory wished the People's Republic of China prosperity and the friendship between Mauritius and China everlasting. The guests drank a toast to the 70th anniversary of New China.
In his heartening speech, Ambassador Sun Gongyi highlighted that since the founding of the People's Republic of China for 70 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, through the arduous struggle of the Chinese people, China's economic strength has risen dramatically and the people's living standards have greatly improved, which has contributed greatly to world peace and development. The total economic output of China has increased by more than 450 times compared with the initial period of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The per capita disposable income of residents has increased by 59.2 times, and more than 700 million people in rural areas in China have been lifted out of poverty. Currently, China has become the world's second largest economy, the largest trading partner of more than 120 countries and regions in the world, and the first engine to propel global economic growth. China has joined more than 100 intergovernmental international organizations, signed more than 300 international conventions, and sent about 40,000 people to participate in 24 UN peacekeeping operations. China has also proposed the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the building of a community of shared future for mankind and actively contribute to world peace and development with Chinese wisdom and solutions.
Ambassador Sun Gongyi underscored that since the establishment of the diplomatic ties between China and Mauritius 47 years ago, the friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in various fields has continued to deepen. At present, the international situation is complex and volatile. Protectionism and unilateralism have posed many challenges and uncertainties to international rules and the global economy. However, the keynote of Sino-Mauritian friendship has not changed. The overall pattern of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between China and Mauritius remains the same. The relations between the two countries have always developed steadily and contained great potential. Following the "Ten Cooperation Plans" of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China proposed the"Eight Major Initiatives"at the Beijing Summit of FOCAC last year as the key areas of implementation. This will not only promote the pragmatic cooperation and exchanges between China and Africa in various fields, but also benefit the general public of African countries, including Mauritius, writing a new chapter of promoting China-Africa cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win.
The guests watched the video clip "China 2019" with great interest. The short video showcases China's high-speed rail technology, artificial intelligence, 5G communication technology, mobile payment development and the pictures of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and high-level exchanges and cooperation between China and Mauritius. The guests were amazed at China's development speed as well as China-Africa and China-Mauritius cooperation.
Accompanied by Ambassador Sun Gongyi, Vyapoory, Pravind Jugnauth, Collendavelloo and other Mauritian dignitaries watched the photo exhibition on the theme of"Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China"and the photo exhibition name "Beautiful China" . The photo exhibitions display comprehensively the glorious achievements and magnificent natural scenery, the rich and colorful culture as well as fruitful achievements of China's cooperation with the world for 70 years since the founding of New China. The guests said that the photo exhibitions showed an overall, real and multi-dimensional China, commending highly the great achievements of China's development.
During the reception, Acting President Vyapoory received an interview with CCTV for a program named "Faraway Hometown". He congratulated China on its 70th anniversary and wished Sino-Mauritian friendship everlasting.
Ambassador Sun Gongyi briefed the journalists on the results of the cooperation between China and Mauritius in the field of humanities in the exhibition area of the works of the painting competition featuring " Adding Colors to Sino-Mauritian Friendship".
"Xi Jinping: The Governance of China", "Chinese Festivals" and other Chinese books attracted many guests. High-tech exhibitions and tea art exhibitions held by Chinese enterprises also caught the eye of lots of guests.The atmosphere of the reception was warm and friendly, with the guests talking with each other happily and the Mauritian police band playing Chinese traditional folk music such as "Jasmine" and "Bu Bu Gao (Rising Higher Step by Step)".
The guests congratulated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, lauding China's 70 years of brilliant achievements, which attracted worldwide attention, and commending China's outstanding contribution to the promotion of world prosperity and maintaining of world peace and stability. They wished China's development flourishing and Sino-Mauritian friendship permanent, expecting that the friendly cooperation between the two countries will continue to develop in depth.
The representatives of overseas Chinese are proud of the growing strength and splendid achievements of their motherland in the past 70 years, saying that they will continue to support the development of their motherland and contribute to the promotion of Sino-Mauritian friendship.
Xinhua News Agency, CCTV, MBC, "Le Defi", "L'Express", "Le Mauricien" and other mainstream media from China and Mauritius covered the reception.