Respected General Chiwenga, Commander of Zimbabwe Defense Forces,

Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends:

This year marks the 83rd anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Thank you very much for coming to this reception to celebrate this special day together with us.

In the past 83 years, The Chinese Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) has been growing from small to great, from weak to strong. It has made important contribution to the victory of China’s revolution and for the cause of socialist construction and human progress. In recent years, the PLA also actively participates in exchanges with foreign armed forces and the peace-keeping missions of the United Nations to make contribution to the world and regional peace and stability. Particularly this year, the PLA has been playing a pivotal role in flood relief work which you may have watched on TV. These days, in the Shanghai World Expo, the PLA is also part of security provider in conjunction with other security forces of China.

The friendship between the Chinese armed forces and Zimbabwean armed forces as well as the friendship between our two nations has been existing for nearly half a century since 1960s. Sharing many points in common as developing countries, both nations and armed forces support each other not only in the area of bilateral relations but also in the area of world affairs. Past decades have witnessed the rapid development of friendship between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Zimbabwean Defense Forces. We have been cooperating in the field of personnel training, equipment as well as other fields of national defense. Last June, Gen. Chiwenga, Commander of Zimbabwe Defense Forces also visited China, which enhanced bilateral military relations between us. The multi-level co-operation and exchanges between the armed forces of our two nations have contributed to the further development of this existing friendship.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. China and its armed forces will forever be a friend indeed of Zimbabwe and its defense forces.

Now, I would like to propose a toast,

To the health of President Robert Mugabe,

To the friendship between China and Zimbabwe and that between the PLA and ZDF,

To the friendship between the armed forces of all the countries, To the health of all the friends present here,

GAN BEI! (CHEERS)