Featuring a group of children singing My Motherland and I, a reception to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China was held in China's consulate general, in Manchester, England on Thursday.

Consul General Tang Rui recalled in his speech the great achievements made in the 74 years since the founding of New China, and said that, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese nation has lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty and is focusing on implementing the new development concept, promoting high-quality development, and high-level opening-up to the outside world.

"The road of socialism with Chinese characteristics will undoubtedly become broader," said Tang. "China's door of opening-up will only open wider, and we are willing to seek development opportunities and share development outcomes with all countries."

Tang said in the 51 years since the establishment of ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations between China and the United Kingdom, bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields have borne abundant fruit, and noted that the UK's foreign secretary and its minister of state for business and trade have both visited China recently.

"China and the UK have complementary advantages and win-win potential in cooperation," he said. "The Chinese consulate general in Manchester is willing to work hand-in-hand with people from all sectors, to further deepen and solidify regional cooperation in various fields between the two countries, contributing to the stable and healthy development of China-UK relations."

Gerry Yeung, the official representative of the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Mayor of Stockport Graham Greenhalgh, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council Luthfur Rahma, and Lisa Yam, president of the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester, were among the 200 guests who attended the reception ahead of China's National Day, which falls on Sunday.

The guests marked the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the fruitful results of Sino-British cooperation and expressed their willingness to continue to enhance the friendship between the nations and join hands with all parties to promote local cooperation, so as to bring more benefits to the people of the two countries.