With the lighting of the 2008 Olympic torch, the world's attention has focused on Beijing and China. With the successful hosting of the Beijing Olympics, the world has truly experienced China's development up close.
China’s development achievements are closely related to reform and opening up.
Reform and opening up began in 1978, and it has been 30 years now. In the past 30 years, in the blink of an eye, earth-shaking changes have taken place in China. China has changed from weak to strong, from poor to rich, from backward to developed. Over the past 30 years, three generations of leaders of the Party Central Committee have held high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the process of firmly advancing reform and opening up, they have continuously innovated the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics and continued to practice socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The 30 years of reform and opening up have been 30 years of rapid economic development in China. From 1978 to 2008, China's economy developed rapidly, with an average annual growth rate of 9.88%, much higher than the world economy's average growth rate of about 3.3% during the same period; its GDP increased from 364.5 billion yuan in 1978 to 2007 of 24,661.9 billion yuan; fiscal revenue increased from 113.2 billion yuan to 5,130.4 billion yuan; the total import and export trade increased more than 100 times in 30 years, and the savings of urban and rural residents increased more than 700 times. As of 2007, China's economic aggregate ranks fourth in the world, its total foreign trade ranks third, and its foreign exchange reserves rank first.
The 30 years of reform and opening up have been 30 years of political civilization, social stability and harmony, and significant improvements in people's livelihood in China. Over the past 30 years, our party has continuously strengthened its own construction, continuously strengthened the construction of democracy and the legal system, and allowed the people to fully play their role as masters and jointly build our beautiful homeland; we have faced severe floods in the south, the SARS epidemic, and ice and snow disasters that have never happened in a century. As well as the unexpected catastrophes such as the Wenchuan Earthquake, the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation have united as one to stop each and every tribulation at their feet; our material and spiritual products have been greatly enriched, people's living standards have continued to improve, and the number of people living in absolute poverty in rural China has It dropped from 250 million to 21.48 million, and the absolute poverty incidence dropped from 30% to 2.3%.
The 30 years of reform and opening up have been 30 years of rapid development in education, science and technology, and sports. In terms of education, when the college entrance examination system was just restored, only 270,000 college freshmen were admitted nationwide. By 2007, the number of college freshmen admitted nationwide reached 5.67 million. The proportion of people with higher education in the country has increased significantly, and more and more people have been admitted. Chinese sons and daughters have become the world's most advanced talents; in terms of science and technology, from the successful long-range rocket launch test in 1979, to the first manned space flight in 2003, to the launch of my country's first lunar exploration satellite "Chang'e 1" in 2008 , these achievements in aerospace science and technology reflect the rapid development of my country's science and technology level; in terms of sports, since Xu Haifeng won China's first Olympic gold medal in 1984, Chinese athletes have been striving to be the first. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Chinese athletes It also increased the total number of gold medals to 51, achieving impressive results.
The 30 years of reform and opening up have been a 30-year period for China to integrate into the world, influence the world, and continuously improve its international status. Since 1978, China has opened the door to communication, exchanges and cooperation with the world. We have continued to learn and absorb the world's advanced civilization achievements, and have also continued to contribute to world civilization. While the world affects China, China also affects the world. So far, our country's comprehensive national strength has been greatly improved. More than 90% of the countries in the world have established diplomatic relations with our country. Our country is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs and the international stage.
In the past 30 years of reform and opening up, China has made great achievements in politics, economy, military, culture, science and technology, sports and other aspects, creating a miracle in the world's economic history. This fully shows that reform and opening up is in line with China's national conditions and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people, and is the only way to make the country prosperous and rejuvenated. At the same time, we must be clearly aware of our shortcomings and deficiencies, the gap between us and developed countries, and the difficulties and challenges we are about to face; we must be clearly aware that we are still a developing country and socialist construction is still in its primary stage. We also need to think calmly about how we will position ourselves and develop in the next 30 years!
Confucius said: "You stand at thirty." The Chinese nation has used the 30-year journey of reform and opening up to re-stand in the world of nations with a new attitude.
Thirty years of great changes and thirty years of glorious history have created a nation’s century-old dream!