Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech at a grand rally to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, October 1 (XINHUA)

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at a grand rally at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on October 1. The following is an edited excerpt of his remarks:

Right at this moment, Chinese people of all ethnic groups and all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad take pride in and give our best wishes to our great motherland with great joy.

Seventy years ago on this day, Comrade Mao Zedong solemnly declared here to the world that the PRC was founded and the Chinese people had stood up.

The founding of the PRC completely changed China's miserable fate of being poor and weak and bullied and humiliated for over 100 years since the advent of modern times.

The Chinese nation has since then embarked on the path of realizing national rejuvenation.

Over the past seven decades, Chinese people of all ethnic groups have made great achievements that have amazed the world through concerted efforts and arduous struggle.

No force can ever shake the status of China, or stop the Chinese people and nation from marching forward.

On our journey forward, we must uphold the principles of peaceful reunification and “one country, two systems, ” maintain lasting prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, unite all Chinese sons and daughters, and continue to strive for the motherland's complete reunification.

On our journey forward, we will stay on the path of peaceful development and pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. We will continue to work with people from all countries to push for jointly building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force should always preserve their nature, purpose and character as the forces of the people, resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and firmly uphold world peace.

China's yesterday has been inscribed in human history, while China's present is being created by the hands of hundreds of millions of Chinese people. China will surely have an even brighter future.

All Communist Party of China members, the armed forces and people of all ethnic groups should unite more closely together, stay true to the founding mission, build on existing achievements and continue to develop our people's republic. Continued efforts should be made to achieve the Two Centenary Goals and realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.