Hon. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former President of the Republic of the Philippines,

Hon. Jeffrey Ng, President of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU),

Professor Zhang Weiwei, Director of China Institute at Fudan University,

Distinguished guests,

Dear friends,

Ladies and gentleman,

Good afternoon!

I am delighted to meet all of you online at the Second Manila Forum for Philippines-China Relations, the theme of which is "China's Approach to Modernization and Its Implications". Being an essential part of human development and progress, modernization charts the course for diversified civilizations around the world. For quite some time, the western model of modernization has taken domination, as evidenced by stereotypical notions such as "modernization means westernization". As a consequence, quite a few countries have fallen into "development traps" and remained stagnated by indiscriminately following the western routes to modernity. In contrast, China has stayed committed to pursuing its own path, readily drawing on the prominent achievements of other modern civilizations, thus achieved industrialization in just a few decades which took developed western countries several centuries. Through arduous trials and practices, we have pioneered a new and unique path to modernization of Chinese style. As it turns out, westernization is not a panacea for all, and developing countries should explore their own approaches to modernization. We never tell others that what is the best, but we always remind ourselves that the suitable one is the best. A world of peace and development should embrace civilizations of various forms, and must accommodate diverse paths to modernization while regard democracy as a natural right for the people of all countries to chose and enjoy.

Modernization ought to be advanced in a tailor-made way, rather than trimming the feet to fit in the shoes. Wearing shoes that do not fit will only cause pain, while forcibly pressuring unsuitable situations will only lead to distress. Take China for example, China's approach to modernization has been gradually formed and ameliorated over the past hundred years under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, which is not only deeply rooted in its tradition, history, and reality, but also absorbed advanced experiences of other countries' modernization. It is not just a renewal of Chinese history and culture. Neither is it a copy and paste of the envisioned practice in classic Marxism works or foreign modernization models. China's path to modernization stands out by keeping abreast of the times and fitting itself. As President Xi Jinping puts it, "China's modernization must cover a massive population, lead to common prosperity, deliver both material and cultural-ethical progress, promote harmony between humanity and nature, and proceed along a path of peaceful development."

Our journey ahead will be a long and challenging one. But as long as we press forward with perseverance and wisdom, there will be much to expect. China always appreciates and respects countries that independently explore the path to modernization in light of their own situations. We are willing to share experiences in this regard with all other countries, including the Philippines, so as to achieve common development and prosperity for mankind.

I would like to thank the APCU for organizing this event and extend my appreciation, in particular to our keynote speaker Professor Zhang Weiwei, one of the top scholars on China and international politics. I look forward to his perspective and insight on China's approach to modernization. I wish the Second Manila Forum for Philippines-China relations a complete success.

Thank you and Mabuhay!