Speech at the opening of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre

Speaker: Professor Haotao Huang, Secretary General, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Date: 14 April, 2009

Location: Hunter Building, Victoria University

Distinguished Vice Chancellor Pat Walsh, Deputy Vice Chancellor Neil Quigley, Honorable Dr. Wayne Mapp, Charges de’ affaires Mr. Zhao Yanbo, Ladies and gentlemen.

First of all, on behalf of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, I would like to extend warm congratulations on the inauguration of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Center. Meanwhile, it gives me great pleasure to meet with professors and scholars here from New Zealand prestigious universities and would like to convey my sincere greetings and wishes for everyone present here.

New Zealand is a beautiful country with colorful and diverse culture, and enjoys the reputation of “Kingdom of Green Garden”. In recent decades, New Zealand has made achievement on boosting economy and improving peoples’ livelihood, playing an important role in international and regional affairs. I am delighted to see your achievements and sincerely wish you a more prosperous future.

Wang Bo, a Chinese poet in Tang Dynasty, once said: “A bosom friend afar brings distance near.” Being separated by vast oceans, however, amity between people from China and New Zealand can be traced back to more than 200 years ago. During the Japanese aggression to China in 1930s, New Zealand people showed deep sympathy and extended a helping hand to us. This will always be remembered in Chinese people’s hearts.

Rewi Alley, a renowned social reformer from New Zealand, dedicated 60 years of his life in China and his friendly sentiment to China has handed down as popular topic. Since the establishment of diplomatic relationship between the two countries in 1972, great importance has been attached to developing bilateral relations. Frequent high-level visits have been exchanges, political mutual trust had been deepened the practical cooperation in the fields of trade, business and tourism has been constantly expanding and the exchanges in education and academic fields keep increasing. We are quite optimistic about our prospect in developing mutually beneficial and win-win relations.

It has been 30 years since the implementation of China’s reform and opening-up. In the past 30 years, we have completed the transition from a centralized planned economy to a vibrant socialist market economy and from a closed or semi-closed society to one that fully embraces world. China has enjoyed sustained and fast economic growth, significant improvement in people’s livelihood and marked progress in various social undertakings. The reform and opening-up have invigorated the whole society and enabled people to freely pursue a happy life through hard work, frugality and wisdom.

To a developing country with 1.3 billion people, China has greatly contributed to the world peace and development. At the same time, we are keenly aware that China remains the largest developing country in the world, and its actual situation of large population, poor foundation and unbalanced development. The difficulties and problems we face in the course of development are rarely seen elsewhere in terms of both their scale and complexity. We still have a long way to go before we can build the country into a moderately prosperous society in all respects and at a higher level to the benefit of the over one billion Chinese people and achieve basic modernization and common prosperity for the entire population. We must continue with our arduous efforts.

Beginning from last year, China’s economic growth started to slow down and faced more difficulties under the impact of global financial crisis and apparent economic downturn. In response to the financial crisis, China has taken a range of measures, including strengthening macroeconomic control, adjusting policies and boosting domestic demand to ensure our sound and fast growth. These measures will give strong impetus to China’s economic development and contribute to the world economic growth.

Some scholars from New Zealand had showed interest and conducted research on China long before, establishing a rapport between us. The opening of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Center will further play an active role in promoting the mutual understanding and cooperation among scholars between our two countries. In the meantime, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences would like to establish academic relations with New Zealand Contemporary China Research Center, Victoria University, Otago University, University of Cantebury and Auckland University of Technology.

We would like to consolidate the friendship between China and New Zealand and to intensifying our cooperation. Let us carry forward the cause and forge ahead into the future, making positive contributions and writing a new chapter of Sino-New Zealand friendship.