The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded its third plenary session not long ago. At the session, the Central Committee adopted more than 300 reform measures, and made clear the overall requirements for further deepening reform and advancing the Chinese path to modernization. It sent a strong message to the world that in the new era, China will stay committed to reform and opening up. For our friends who are interested in China and China-Israel relations, I'd like to highlight some key points of this session to demonstrate its significance.
First, the session charted a roadmap for China to comprehensively deepen reform. China's reform and opening up began more than 40 years ago, and it has entered a critical stage where the relatively easy reforms have been completed, while the remaining ones are all hard nuts to crack. The reform measures proposed at this session, covering all aspects of Chinese modernization, are unprecedented in terms of their effects, range, and the determination they reflect. Looking back on history, China's development has never been smooth sailing. We made all the progress and breakthroughs while we encountered and solved problems that kept showing up. And China's reform will not stop. Through effective institutional reforms and innovation of development paradigms, instead of reaching a peak, the Chinese economy will demonstrate greater vitality and make more contributions to global development.
Secondly, the session drew a new blueprint for China's opening up to reach a higher level. It's been proved by history that China can't grow by shuttering itself off from the world, and the world can't flourish if China is left out. Reform and opening up are complementary. For China, the successful experience is opening up the country for deeper reform and better development. At present, the world is undergoing great changes unseen in a century, with the trends of anti-globalization, unilateralism and protectionism on the rise. Despite that, China's door to the world will never close; it will open even wider. In the next stage, as decided in the session, China will further improve the system and mechanism for its high-level opening up, promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, stimulate market vitality, and optimize the business environment. By doing so, our friends from Israel and all over the world will enjoy greater convenience and many more choices when they invest, start businesses, visit and study in China.
Third, the session added positive energy to world peace and stability. The session emphasized that the Chinese path to modernization features peaceful development. China will continue pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, fostering a community with a shared future for humankind, and practicing the common values of all humankind. China will keep implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. We will continue advocating an equal and orderly multi-polar world, and inclusive economic globalization that benefits all. Today, humanity is living in an era of endless challenges, accumulated risks, increasing uncertainties and instability. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China will remain a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order.
After decades of development, China has become the world's second-largest economy, the largest industrial producer, and the largest trader of goods. It is also home to the world's largest education system, the most complete industrial system, and the largest middle-income group. In the first half of this year, while the global growth remained sluggish, China's economy maintained its recovering trend and registered a 5% year-on-year growth, demonstrating strong resilience and a huge potential.
It was declared, yet again, in the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee that China will not go backwards on its reform and opening up. While growing itself, China will continue bringing peace, stability and thus more certainty to the world, as well as more positive energy of development and cooperation. The new journey of China's development will offer greater development opportunities for Israel and all other countries, and a broader prospect for China-Israel relationship going forward.
His Excellency Liu Song is the chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Embassy of the People 's Republic of China in the State of Israel
