The Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Cyprus, Liu Yantao said that China was ready to work with Cyprus to further deepen the strategic partnership, strengthen cooperation across political, economic, trade, educational and cultural fields, and ensure that the friendship between the two countries would grow.

Speaking at a seminar titled “The Two Sessions: Democracy, development and diplomacy of China”, held by the European University Cyprus, Liu said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, the two countries have adhered to mutual respect, mutual understanding, equality and mutually beneficial cooperation, with the relationship elevated in 2021 to a strategic partnership.

“The two countries continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, with the one-China principle and the one-Cyprus principle standing as unshakeable rock”, he said.

In his speech, the Ambassador presented the results of The Two Sessions. The Two Sessions refers to the annual meetings of China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) that concluded on March 11.

According to the Chinese constitution, the people’s congress system is the fundamental political system of China. The NPC is the highest state organ of power. Various levels of state administration, supervision, trial and prosecution bodies are all produced by, accountable to, and supervised by the people’s congress.

Deputies to various levels of the people’s congress are elected by the people through democratic elections. Coming from different regions, ethnic groups and fields, they listen to and convey the opinions and demands of the people through different forms and channels and perform their statutory duties.

The Ambassador explained how the system works.

“The system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a basic political system of China. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, or CPPCC, comprises various political parties, organisations, and individuals from diverse ethnic groups and sectors of society who share common political foundation and united goals.

“CPPCC members conduct extensive political consultation and democratic oversight, and participate in the deliberation of state affairs, thereby safeguarding the overall, fundamental, and long-term interests of the overwhelming majority of people.”

His presentation focused on democracy, economic and technological development, and diplomacy, describing the process of the Two Sessions as “a concrete example of China’s true and vibrant democracy”.

With 3,000 NPC deputies and over 2,000 CPCCC members participating in the Sessions, authors of the Government Work Report solicited nearly 4,000 pieces of feedback from departments and organisations, he said. They also collected over two million online suggestions from the public, proposing a series of measures.

Liu said that the Chinese economy has demonstrated both stability and progress, maintaining a sustained positive trajectory. In 2024, China’s GDP reached nearly €18 trillion, with a growth of 5 per cent and a contribution to global growth at about 30 per cent.

For 2025, he said that the country’s economic growth target is set at around 5 per cent. “We will implement more proactive and effective macro policies, further intensify counter-cyclical adjustments, and introduce new incremental policies when necessary to provide robust support for sustained economic recovery and stable growth”, he said.

Regarding China’s advances in technological and industrial innovation, he said that in 2024 annual production of EVs exceeded 13 million, it had the first-ever sample collection from the far side of the moon, while DeepSeek, a new AI tool, gained traction.

Moreover, he said that, according to data, China’s total research and development expenditure last year increased by 8.3 per cent reaching $450 billion. The country also leads the world in the number of invention patents.

The Ambassador underlined that, through growth, China has increasingly invested in people, allocating more funds and resources in a more equitable manner.

“The essence of Chinese modernisation lies in human-centred modernisation”, he said, noting that this year China aims to create more than 12 million new urban jobs, to further raise subsidies for basic medical insurance and public health services and will make an effort to build comfortable, eco-friendly and smart quality homes.

China also remained committed to opening-up in an international landscape marked by rising unilateralism. He noted that the country will continue to improve its business environment.

President Xi had met with global business leaders in Beijing and emphasised the vast development opportunities, promising market prospects and stable policy expectations offered by China. And this in a secure environment for foreign business to invest.

Asked to comment on US President Donald Trump’s tariffs war, he said that “a wrong turn” by just one country damages the whole world and threatens human progress. “We hope that President Trump will stop these policies in the face of resistance”, he said, adding that the imposition of tariffs had already been met by global condemnation.

China was prepared for the US the trade war against it. China has taken into account the complicated international situation that would be created by a trade war when setting the target of 5 per cent GDP growth for 2025.

“We don’t hope to see a tariff or trade war, and we hope that if it is only initiated by one country, it will not last long”, Liu said, noting that “only when we work together can we ensure the fairness of the market and smooth functioning of the supply chain”.

Ambassador Liu also highlighted President Xi Jinping’s vision for building a community with a shared future for mankind as the overarching goal of its foreign policy. To advance this vision, President Xi has further proposed the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, for peace, development and cooperation.

Additionally, he noted that China upholds the international order centred on multilateralism and based on the UN-centred system. The country actively advocated greater democracy in international relations, promotes an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation.

On Ukraine, he said that President Xi had put forward four points on what must be done, shortly after the eruption of the conflict. He had said that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be upheld, the legitimate security concerns of all parties must be taken seriously and all efforts conducive to peace must be supported, he noted.

“We call on all relevant parties to establish a balanced, effective, and sustainable security framework as soon as possible, to ensure lasting peace and stability in Europe,” Liu said.

Asked to comment on the meeting in Paris on the Ukraine, and whether China had been aiding Russia, he said that China had been promoting a ceasefire. “We haven’t added fuel to the fire” but had been working hard with both sides to reach a solution, he added.

He also noted that China is not the only country buying Russian oil and gas and added that his country cannot buy all the oil it needs from the US, because it will be too expensive. He described the accusations that China supports Russia as “misguided”.

Furthermore, he said that both Ukraine and the EU have been the victims of this war, noting that the six rounds of EU sanctions imposed on Russia have been damaging the EU itself as well, and called for the European countries to reflect on why this has happened.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said that China has consistently called for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. “We have actively engaged in efforts to de-escalate the situation, protect civilians and provide humanitarian assistance”, he said, adding that China promotes a comprehensive, just and lasting political resolution to the Palestinian issue, with the two-state solution as the fundamental path forward.