Distinguished DG Müller,
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning!
On behalf of the Permanent Mission of China in Vienna, I would like to express our warmest congratulations on the opening ceremony of “Bridge for Cities”. Themed on “Innovative Solutions for Cities of Tomorrow”, this year’s event will explore cutting-edge topics such as low-carbon urban transformation, poverty reduction, and the application of artificial intelligence. We believe that through in-depth exchanges and discussions, new sparks of ideas can be ignited, more targeted policy recommendations and solutions can be found.
In the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing this September, President Xi Jinping emphasized that modernization is an inalienable right for all countries and that no country should be left behind on the path to modernization. In the context of global modernization, how to promote sustainable urban development through sustainable industrialization is a shared challenge for countries, particularly those of the Global South. For this reason, the “Bridge for Cities” is a wonderful idea that builds a platform for communication and cooperation to promote the sustainable development of cities around the world. It should make greater contributions to promoting North-South exchanges, expanding South-South cooperation, and advancing the modernization process of the Global South.
In Chinese Path to Modernization, urbanization has been a significant chapter, with cities becoming key engines driving economic growth. To address a series of issues brought about by rapid urbanization, such as environmental pollution and traffic congestion, the Chinese government has put forward a new concept of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development. China has been actively exploring sustainable urban development paths, continuously improving infrastructure, optimizing transportation systems, promoting low-carbon transformation, enhancing public services, and actively applying new technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to improve urban governance.
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held in July this year, made systematic arrangements for further deepening reform and advancing Chinese Path to Modernization. It will further expand high-standard opening-up, bringing new opportunities and impetus to the Global South and world modernization. After that, the Chinese government issued the “Five-Year Action Plan for the In-depth Implementation of the People-oriented New Urbanization Strategy”, which will further enhance the quality and level of urbanization, and build livable, resilient and smart cities.
“Bridge for Cities” is in line with and highly consistent with China's major initiatives and practical measures in the field of global development. While achieving its own economic growth and improving the living conditions, China, together with the global South, advocates the promotion of modernization that is fair, reasonable, open and win-win, people-oriented, diverse and inclusive, eco-friendly, peaceful and secure. Through high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, as well as implementation of global development initiatives, China has contributed a lot for urban construction and common development with practical actions. China's urban development can provide useful experiences for urban construction in the global South. With the help of the “Bridge for Cities” platform, we stand ready to share our experiences and practices with all parties, jointly explore innovative solutions, make the cities we live in better and more livable, and promote stronger, greener and healthier global development.
Every Chinese city has its own wonderful story. Xi'an, which participated in the "Bridge for Cities" event this year, is the 15th Chinese city to share its story on this platform. Xi'an is not only the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties in history, but also the starting point of the "Silk Road". It has played an important role in promoting cultural exchanges and trade between the East and the West. Today, Xi'an is one of the most dynamic cities in China. In the Mayors Dialogue session tomorrow morning, Mayor Ye Niuping will share with you his experiences in urban construction and governance. The Xi'an delegation also brought a wealth of exhibits to show the modern look of the ancient city. I believe that through this event, everyone will be more willing to visit Xi'an and experience the natural beauty, cultural heritage and modern charm of this ancient city.
I wish “Bridge for Cities” this year a great success, and I hope that our exchanges and cooperation bear fruitful results, writing a new chapter for the realization of sustainable development of cities around the world!
Thank you all!