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付吉军大使在青岛啤酒节上的讲话(英文)
2020-05-19 17:34
 

  Remarks at the “Belt and Road Tsingtao Beer Festival”

  By H.E. FU Jijun, Ambassador of China to Liberia on Dec. 20, 2019

  His Excellency Nathaniel McGill, Acting President and Minister OF State for Presidential Affairs,

  Honorable Legislature Members,

  Honorable Cabinet Ministers,

  Honorable Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee,

  Respected Mr. Wilson Nyanneh, CEO of Nyanneh Group,

  H. E. Doyan and colleagues of diplomatic corps,

  Dear Liberian friends and Foreign Guests,

  My dear fellow Chinese compatriots,

  Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen,

  I will begin to thank Mr. Wilson Nyanneh and his company for holding such a splendid festival and inviting me to make a remark. The festival is just timely ahead of the upcoming holiday season. I believe that it will surely bring more seasonal happiness to Liberian people. Taking this opportunity, I would like, on behalf of Chinese government and people, and in my own name, to extend to Liberian government and people a seasonal greeting of Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

  Excellencies,

  Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

  I highly appreciate that Mr. Wilson Nyanneh and his company named this event as Belt and Road Tsingtao Beer Festival and Qingtao Brewery Corporation sponsored this important event. I have the pleasure to welcome the representatives of Qingdao Brewery Corporation and the journalists from Xinhua New Agency, Shangdong TV, Qingdao TV, Popular Daily and Qingdao Daily to visit Liberia and report the Festival. I wish them a fruitful and pleasant tour. I believe their reporting will greatly help promoting Liberia to their audiences and the Chinese people at large.

  As you know, the One Belt and One Road Initiative or simply called BRI was proposed by H.E. Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. Its main aim is to promote the connectivity of the world, establish and strengthen partnerships, set up connectivity networks, and realize independent, balanced and sustainable development. It will help the participating countries to align and coordinate the development strategies, tap market potential, promote investment and consumption, create demands and job opportunities, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and mutual learning among the peoples, and enable them to understand, trust and respect each other and live in harmony, peace and prosperity.

  Since it was proposed, the Initiative has become a successful collaboration platform among member countries. So far, 137 countries and 30 international organizations have signed agreements or MOU for joining in or supporting BRI. In the past 6 years, the total trade volume between China and BRI countries exceeded US$6 trillion. The infrastructure, manufacture and agriculture projects that Chinese financial institutions and enterprises have invested in these countries are worth more than US$90 billion. These investment have paid over US$2 billion in taxes to the host countries and created nearly 300,000 jobs, and brought more convenient living conditions, better business environments, and more diverse development opportunities to the people of these countries. The people’s bond of the BRI countries has been enhancing through increasing exchanges of scholarships, a variety of seminars, academic conferences, tourism and cultural activities. I appreciate that His Excellency Minister McGill signed the MOU on behalf of Liberia for joining in the BRI last April. I sincerely wish China-Liberia collaboration to be further enhanced within the BRI framework.

  Excellencies,

  Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

  I am glad that the festival is indeed in line with the spirit of BRI for promoting trade, sports, tourism, and strengthening the mutual understanding and friendship among peoples of the world. Just like the other famous beer festivals such as Munich Beer Festival of Germany and Qingtao International Beer Festival of China, this festival is also accompanied by a series of activities such as mini-marathon, football game, business conference, gala and so forth. It will not only bring more business people to Liberia, but also be a good platform to show Liberian arts and cultures and promote Liberian image as an attracting tourist destination. 

  Actually, Qingdao beer itself is a fruit of multilateral collaboration. Its technology originated from Middle East and improved by German technicians. A German company brought the technology to China. After more than 100 years development, Qingtao Beer has become a popular brand widely welcomed by the world beer enthusiasts. A lot of investors from the United States, Britain, Japan and so on have its shares and earned good return. The headquarter of Qingdao Brewery Corporation is located in Qingdao, a beautiful coastal city of China on the west shore of the Pacific Ocean. Today’s Qingdao is a dynamic economic hub in China and an important port city connecting the BRI countries. In a sense, it has similar strategic importance to China as Monrovia to Liberia. I am glad that Hon. Jefferson Koijee, Mayor of Monrovia City and Hon. Meng Fanli, Mayor of Qingdao city, signed the MOU for establishing sister-city relations last April. I hope and wish that will open a new gate for China-Liberia collaboration through enhancing the bonds of the two sister cities.

  At the support of Qingdao municipal administration,  the first Qingdao International Beer Festival was held in 1991, and has been held annually ever since. The festival has become a big business and cultural event for attracting foreigners as well as Chinese tourists. During the festival, the people can not only simply taste Tsingtao Beer, but also enjoy many varieties of international beer and a lot of cultural and art activities. I have the pleasure to encourage the producer of the Liberian Club beer to take part in the Qingdao International Beer Festival for showing its products to the Chinese and international tourists.

  Excellencies,

  Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

  Free trade and investment based on international principle is not only the driving force for world progress, but also brings people huge benefits for enjoying high quality products of the world with reasonable price. I appreciate that Liberian government recently joined in the Africa Free Zone and approved the WTO trade facilitates. Both BRI and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which Liberia as a member, uphold multilateralism and encourage free trade and investment for building a more just and equitable international order and a community of shared future for the mankind. I am confident that, with the joint efforts of Liberian government and its people, and at the help of the other international partners, Liberia will surely rise to the challenges it is facing now and make great achievements in implementing the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development.

  I wish the Belt and Road Qingtao Beer Festival a great success! I thank you for your attention.

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