Strengthening Friendship, Deepening Cooperation: Article by Newly Appointed Chinese Ambassador in Armenia

Armenia’s newly appointed Chinese Ambassador Fan Yun has published an article addressing Armenian-Chinese relations, emphasizing the need to deepen cooperation and open new horizons in the relationship between the two peoples.

“Dear readers and friends, on November 20, I presented my credentials to President Sargsyan and became the eighth ambassador of China to Armenia. I am very happy to have the opportunity to communicate with friends from different sectors and layers of society through the 'Republic' newspaper.

2020 is an extraordinary year in the history of humanity. The coronavirus is spreading across the globe, posing a threat to lives and health in all countries. The global economy is experiencing one of its most serious downturns since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

In the face of the challenges posed by the pandemic, China, under the leadership of the Communist Party and the government of the People’s Republic, prioritizes the lives of people, implementing comprehensive, rigorous, and advanced measures to prevent and control the pandemic for every citizen. China has achieved significant results in fighting the pandemic.

The leadership of China is taking coordinated measures to prevent and combat the epidemic. At the same time, active measures are being implemented to support the state’s economy and social development, as well as to restore the production and lives of ordinary citizens. In the first three quarters of this year, China’s economy has managed to achieve positive growth. These achievements demonstrate the high stability and viability of the Chinese economy.

Recently, in the 5th Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the recommendations and goals regarding the development of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) for socio-economic development have been discussed and approved. During the 13th Five-Year Plan, China, under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Comrade Xi Jinping, achieved significant and somewhat revolutionary success in the fields of economic and social development. In 2019, China's GDP reached 99.1 trillion yuan, accounting for 16 percent of the global economy and equal to 30 percent of global economic growth. Preliminary data indicates that China’s GDP will exceed 100 trillion yuan in 2020.

The successes in poverty alleviation have caught the attention of the global community. 55.75 million people in rural areas have been lifted out of poverty. It is expected that by the end of 2020, the living standards of China’s impoverished population will rise to meet current national modern standards.

Basic medical insurance in China covers nearly 1.3 billion people, while basic pension insurance covers about 1 billion people. Significant achievements have been made in state innovation construction. China’s innovative potential has risen to 14th place among 131 economies worldwide. Meanwhile, China's openness to the outside world continues to expand. A vivid example of this expansion is the joint implementation of the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative, under which cooperation is becoming increasingly tangible and effective.

Currently, China has signed 200 cooperation documents with 138 countries and 30 international organizations within the framework of the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative. The remarkable achievements in economic and social development during the '13th Five-Year Plan' are the result of the diligent work of the Chinese people. This fully shows that the Communist Party of China and the socialist regime with Chinese characteristics are the guarantees of the two miracles: rapid economic development and long-term social stability in China.

The Chinese people will steadily advance along the path of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the Communist Party. China will confidently implement a new development concept, strengthen scientific and technological independence and self-reliance, which will serve as strategic support for national development. Additionally, China aims to achieve success in key technology sectors and increase its contribution to scientific and technological progress and global economic growth.

China will continue to adhere to reform and opening policies, accelerating the construction of a new development structure, where the main focus is the domestic economy, and the domestic and international cycles promote each other. The domestic development cycle stimulates the international development cycle, while the international development cycle reinforces the domestic development cycle. Both development phases openly interact, providing new impetus to the Chinese and global economies.

The development of China will also provide more markets and opportunities for countries around the world, including Armenia. Both China and Armenia are countries with ancient civilizations. The two countries have a long history of cooperation. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, the relationship between the two countries has consistently maintained a healthy and stable pace of development. Although the new coronavirus outbreak has had some impact on China-Armenia cooperation, the foundation for cooperation in political, economic, and humanitarian fields has not changed.

The potential for cooperation in economy, trade, investment, technology, infrastructure construction, agriculture, and tourism requires further development. I am confident that after the end of the pandemic, cooperation between the two countries will continue to move forward and reach a new level.

Through recent communications with representatives of the friendly Armenian people, we have analyzed the potential for further development of China-Armenia relations.

First, it is necessary to develop a new direction for China-Armenia cooperation in the field of innovation. Innovation is the key to economic achievements, while the digital economy is a guiding light for future global development. Both China and Armenia view scientific and technological innovation as a priority national development strategy. Both sides should fully leverage their respective advantages and focus on improving the technological content of bilateral cooperation in the fields of information and communication technology, artificial intelligence, professional training, and trade in services.

Second, it is essential to develop China-Armenia cooperation in the fight against the pandemic. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the two countries have worked together and provided mutual support. Within the framework of the long-term fight against the current pandemic and the prevention of future outbreaks, China is ready to continue actively cooperating with the Armenian side, providing comprehensive support, sharing experiences in prevention, and paying special attention to the post-pandemic period.

Furthermore, China is prepared to promote cooperation with Armenia and support it in the exchange of experiences in pandemic prevention and control, as well as to provide pandemic prevention materials. At the same time, China will contribute to the construction of a healthy and hygienic society.

Third, it is necessary to enhance bilateral cooperation in poverty alleviation. Eradicating poverty by 2030 is one of the key goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda. This issue is extremely important, and its solution must be implemented by all countries in the world. Over the past 40 years, thanks to the implementation of reforms and an open policy in China, more than 700 million people have been lifted out of poverty. This figure accounts for over 70% of the global poverty reduction total. China is ready to share the results and experiences of poverty alleviation with Armenian partners. This exchange of experiences will also make a significant contribution to the development of China-Armenia relations.

Fourth, it is necessary to gradually resume people-to-people exchanges. To this end, it is essential to fully utilize the agreements on a visa-free mutual regime between China and Armenia to gradually restore people-to-people exchanges and expert exchanges in various fields after the stabilization of the global pandemic situation. All this will allow the restoration and expansion of cooperation between the two countries in economic, trade, investment, cultural, and tourism sectors.

As the new ambassador of China to Armenia, I would like to maintain close exchanges and communication with our Armenian friends, hear everyone’s opinions on the development of relations between China and Armenia, and continue our joint work in contributing to the further development of China-Armenia bilateral relations and mutually beneficial cooperation. We hope for the prompt stabilization of the pandemic situation worldwide and the emergence of greater opportunities for communication with our Armenian friends.