On 20 April 2023, H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang attended and delivered an address at the UK Chinese Business Association 10th Anniversary Celebration and the Inauguration Ceremony of the Third Council. The full text of Ambassador Zheng Zeguang’s address is as follows:
Working Together for Greater Progress
Chairman Jinlong Zhang,
Baroness Uddin,
Mr Mark Logan,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentleman,
It is my great pleasure to attend the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the UKCBA and the inauguration ceremony of its third Council at invitation. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to you.
As a Chinese saying goes, it takes 10 years to forge a fine sword. In the past 10 years since its inception, the UKCBA has stayed committed to its mission and played an important role in bringing Chinese businesses in the UK together for common development and contributed a lot to exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK in commerce, culture and many other areas.
So far, the UKCBA has successfully held two UK-China Business Leaders Summits, the 15th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention as well as three Chinese entrepreneurship and innovation competitions in Beijing and Shenzhen in 2017, 2018 and 2019. During the COVID pandemic, the UKCBA worked actively with its members to help with the fight against the pandemic in both China and the UK.
These efforts have greatly facilitated engagement and collaboration among businesses from the two countries as well as Chinese enterprises from the rest of the world, winning support from the governments of both countries and wide acclaim across sectors.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I know that Chinese businesses and communities are following the trend of China’s development very closely. Indeed China is embarking on a new journey in a new era.
Last October the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China sounded the clarion call for advancing national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernisation and building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by mid century.
At the Two Sessions last March, namely, the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a new leadership of state institutions and the CPPCC National Committee was elected, a series of institutional reform measures were launched, and an overall plan for China’s economic and social development for 2023 was set out.
General Secretary Xi Jinping was once again unanimously elected President of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. This fully reflects the common aspiration of people of all ethnic groups in China, unleashing a mighty force for building a great country and rejuvenating the nation. The Chinese people have full confidence and firm determination to realise our goals.
Since China adjusted its COVID response measures, life in the country has come back to normal and China’s economy has been recovering at a faster pace. In the first quarter of this year, our GDP grew by 4.5%, total retail sales of consumer goods rose by 5.8%, and export expanded by 8.4%, much better than expected. The China Import and Export Fair in Guangdong and the China International Consumer Products Expo 2023 in Hainan have attracted companies from across the world. The IMF and many other international organisations have revised up their forecasts for China’s growth. 
As the world faces geopolitical turbulence and with the global economy under mounting pressure of recession, China’s continued steady development will bring stability and certainty to the world and inject impetus into the global economy. It will also create new opportunities for Chinese businesses and communities to cooperate with partners in the UK and beyond.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It has been 22 months since I arrived here as the Chinese ambassador to the UK. I have engaged with many UK government officials and people from all walks of life and visited many places of the country. One of the deep impressions I have got is that due to difference in history, culture, social system and development stage, China and the UK have disagreement on some issues which need to be properly handled. In the meantime, the two countries have a lot in common and a vast space of cooperation. 
This is fully borne out by the enormous achievements made by the two sides in cooperation on trade, investment, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges, etc. over the past 51 years of ambassadorial relations. 
Now there are some jarring noises in the UK regarding its China policy. But people in this country want to know more about China and hope to maintain exchanges and cooperation with China. This is the mainstream view in this country.
As such, China and the UK should work in the same direction and properly handle differences on the basis of mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit. This is the way to promote the healthy and steady development of China-UK relations.
Recently, contacts between the governments of the two countries have increased to some extent, and we have also seen close personnel exchanges in business, education, cultural and other fields. I hope this momentum will continue.
Fellow Compatriots,
Friends,
The cause of the UKCBA is closely tied with the development of China as well as China-UK relations. Chinese businesses and communities in the UK have the fine tradition of loving China and loving the UK. I hope that the UKCBA members and Chinese compatriots here will, as always, champion mutually beneficial cooperation, promote the Chinese culture, and advocate friendship between the people of the two countries.
I hope that you will press ahead with an enterprising spirit, help each other out in unity, and demonstrate Chinese businesses’ ambition, resolve, and confidence; break new ground and create new highlights of mutually beneficial cooperation; present the Chinese culture and reduce estrangements and misunderstandings through cultural exchanges and mutual learning; engage with friends and enhance understanding and goodwill between the two peoples; and oppose any attempt to divide China and contribute to the complete reunification of the motherland.
Fellow Compatriots,
Friends,
The Chinese Embassy in the UK will always take “diplomacy for the people” as the guide in our work. We stand ready to maintain close communication with the UKCBA and Chinese businesses and communities in the UK and exert ourselves to provide better services for you. Let us join hands to make new and greater contributions to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and to the healthy and steady development of China-UK relations.
To conclude, I wish the UKCBA greater success, and I wish you all good health, happiness and prosperity.
Thank you.