Nicholas Rosellini, UN Resident Coordinator in China

Seventy years ago, China was still recovering from the war, poverty and hunger, displacement of people, and China now is the second-largest economy in the world. Especially, the last 40 years of the reform and opening-up, you will see that hundreds of millions of people were being lifted out of poverty, the enormous achievements in human development, and public health and education. China plays a big role on the international stage, [campaigning for] solutions on some of the global challenges. The days of financing projects are over. We are not a donor, but a development partner.

José Luis Bernal Rodriguez, Mexican Ambassador to China

We have also been studying the way that the opening-up and reform policy works in China and [what] it means in terms of supporting specific sectors in companies to be able to compete in the international market, and how we can continue to further develop our own economy and address social needs. We might not understand each other's languages, but we can understand each other's minds and aspirations. I cannot explain in words to you what is happening in China, so you have to go out and see it.

Vladimír Tomšík, Czech Ambassador to China

This year is a very special year for both countries as it marks 70 years of the Founding of the PRC and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic has a lot to offer to Chinese tourists and audiences. Also, the Czech people admire China for its history and culture, especially for traditional Chinese medicine. So once we are talking about bilateral ties between the two countries, there are a lot of things that help us to get to know each other better. I would like to build up bridges between both nations.

Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian Ambassador to China

Each country cannot stand alone. We need to cooperate with each other. China now is moving towards that direction. You are the leader in the region and even in the world, and with the Belt and Road Initiative, will contribute a lot to closing the gap between developing and developed countries, and to closing the gap between poor and rich in each of the countries, in particular the participating countries of the BRI. So I would like to see that the 70th anniversary of the PRC will continue to bring China in that direction.

José Augusto Duarte, Portuguese Ambassador to China

If you read a bit about what China was in 1949 and what China is nowadays, you will realize the huge progress that China has achieved in terms of the country and its citizens. Materially speaking, it's not comparable. It's also very different from 40 years ago when China started launching the reform and opening-up policy…its development has brought about changes in a broader aspect. In our case, we returned Macao to China. Portugal was very proud of the process of negotiations, in the way that it was conducted then and how it is nowadays.

Clare Fearnley, New Zealand Ambassador to China

I look at the huge economic progress over the last 40 years, with the reform and opening-up, and I just think that the lifting of seven hundred million Chinese people out of poverty has been one of the most remarkable changes that we saw through the 20th and the 21st centuries. That has a huge impact not only on China but on the region. Now, there is a lot of interest and curiosity on the New Zealand side about Chinese language and culture.

Mohammad Keshavarz-Zadeh, Iranian Ambassador to China

China has made many contributions to maintaining the balance and stability of the Asian region. China can keep doing it, and deserves heartfelt gratitude from the international community. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has brought peace to the Middle East and the world. Iran and China complement each other in many ways. As for economic cooperation, there is still a lot of potential to explore.

Fernando Lugris, Uruguayan Ambassador to China

Even though our two countries are very different and very far away, and even though Uruguay is a tiny country and China is a huge country, we have a lot of symmetries and values in common and we understand each other. China is helping us to tackle the most difficult issue in any society, which is poverty eradication and alleviation. China is the Number One donator to Uruguay. Chinese elements are always around the Uruguay people.

Martin Charles, Ambassador of Dominica to China

We are very thankful to the Chinese government because the first phase of the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital has been opened, which enables our citizens to have operations at the hospital instead of seeking medical attention abroad. Many countries would have not been where they are today had it not been [for] China. President Xi Jinping and his Belt and Road Initiative have opened up a whole window of opportunities for many countries worldwide. 

Miguel Ángel Ramírez, Cuban Ambassador to China

There is a good saying that Mao Zedong made us stand up, Deng Xiaoping made us prosperous, and Xi Jinping made us strong, which, to me, is a good review of what China has achieved in the last 70 years. Cuba always verifies from China's past experiences, sees what China has done, and how those experiences can be applied to Cuba.