Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

This year marks the 35th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. 35 years ago, China made a historic choice. Since then, a land of ancient heritage has been reinvigorated, and a country home to 1/5 of the world's population integrated into the community of nations. China's economy has expanded 142 times in last 35 years, per capita income in urban and rural areas up 71 and 59 times respectively. Recently, at the 3rd Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, comprehensive review was conducted to take stock of the experience and achievements since the beginning of the reform and top level designs and systematic deployments were formulated to deepen the reform in new historical circumstances. The renewed agenda covers economic, political, cultural, societal, ecological and other spheres. Close to 300 major reform measures are specified in 60 chapters in 16 categories. It is unprecedented in its scope and resolve. The guiding objective of this round of reform is to develop and improve the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and modernize China's governance system and capability. The centerpiece is the deepening of the market economic system reform to properly address the relationship between the government and the market with the market playing the decisive role in resource allocation and the government better fulfilling its due roles. We will accelerate the socialist market economy, advance political democracy, promote nourishing cultures, foster social harmony and build ecological civilization so that all people will benefit from development inclusively in a greater and more equitable way.

Promoting China's people-to-people exchanges with the world is an important dimension in the overall reform agenda. China will further open up culturally to present its culture to the global arena. China is also eager to learn from other countries and hope to bring in talented people, technologies and management expertise for the benefit of cultural development. We will encourage social organizations, Chinese companies and other organizations to take part in the development of Confucius Institutes and people-to-people exchanges. The high level commitment and full support of the Chinese government is bound to create new impetus for Confucius Institutes.

At the moment, the people of China are rallying around the Chinese Dream, a vision for the full achievement of a well-off society and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. President Xi Jinping laid out that Chinese Dream is a dream for better education, job security, higher income, dependable social securities, better health care, decent housing and a sound ecosystem. The pursuit of a happy life is an aspiration shared by people across China and beyond. An ancient Chinese axiom "all living creatures grow together without harming one another; all ways run parallel without interfering with one another" captures aptly this common desire. In today's global village, countries in the world are so closely knit that they have become entities of shared interests and even shared destiny. The realization of the Chinese Dream will bring about not just wellbeing for the people in China, but also greater opportunities for world prosperity and win-win cooperation. The people of China hope to achieve their Chinese Dream while joining hands with people around the world to achieve the world dream of global peace and prosperity.

The Confucius Institute as an effective vehicle for cultural exchanges and an important platform for reinforcing international friendships is where the Chinese Dream, the dreams of all countries and the world dream come to converge. On May 30, President Xi Jinping wrote a congratulatory letter for the establishment of Confucius Institute at the University of California Davis in the US. President Xi stated that learning languages and cultures enhances mutual understanding and friendship and contributes to state relations. He urged the involved parties to engage in close cooperation to make the Confucius Institute a successful endeavor to add to education exchanges and bilateral relationship between the two countries. President Xi's words are more than kind wishes intended for the Confucius Institute at UC Davis alone. They should also resonate with all Institutes as encouragement and expectations. The government and people of China will continue the unwavering support to Confucius Institutes.