y sick person is treated, and every elderly person is taken care of.

China's rapid progress would not have been possible without close interaction with the world, the west in particular. In the past 30 years, China's trade increased from $20.6bn to just under $2.6 trillion, a more than hundredfold rise. Thirty years ago, foreign direct investment in China was virtually nonexistent. In 2008 it grew to $92.4bn, ranking first place among developing countries. As of the end of 2008, China has invested $150bn in 170 countries and regions. In the past 30 years, 1.39 million Chinese studied in 109 countries. In 2008, 45 million Chinese travelled overseas as tourists.

China's rise in the world was not achieved through war or aggression but through exchanges and trading. Seeking friendship and fostering a peaceful and co-operative international environment is China's constant objective. We are learning to fulfill our growing international responsibilities, from restoring global growth to fighting climate change, and will continue to partner Britain in this process. My mother's food coupons will go to the British Museum as I have promised. On this 60th birthday we celebrate our past and our future.

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