CAIRO, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egypt-China Friendship Association held a ceremony on Sunday in the Egyptian capital Cairo to celebrate China's National Day, which marks the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The ceremony was attended by Egyptian experts in Chinese affairs, university professors of Chinese studies, and former diplomats, as well as Chinese businessmen, company chiefs, representatives of Chinese students in Egypt and members of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt.

In his speech, Egyptian ex-diplomat Ahmed Waly, chairman of Egypt-China Friendship Association, said that the founding of the People's Republic of China over seven decades ago greatly affected the formation of modern international relations after World War II, and the country's appearance on the stage of international politics was a remarkable event.

He added that China implemented a policy of reform and opening-up in 1978 and eventually achieved success that pushed it forward to become the world's second-largest economy.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang made a video call appearance to join the gathering and expressed his appreciation for the ceremony, describing the Sino-Egyptian friendship as "deeply-rooted throughout history."

"Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1956, China and Egypt have always been committed to mutual respect and support and the friendship between their two peoples has been steadfast against challenges," said the Chinese ambassador.

Liao also highlighted the cooperation between China and Egypt in combating the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning of the year through exchanging medical aid and expertise.

Ali al-Hefny, Egypt's former ambassador to China and former deputy foreign minister, congratulated the government and the people of China on the special occasion.

Hefny also focused on the growth of African-Chinese relations, highlighting the role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Chang Weicai, general manager of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) Egypt, said during the ceremony that his firm provides numerous job opportunities to Egyptian engineers and workers and deals with many Egyptian suppliers and subcontractors.

"We have currently more than 6,000 Egyptian workers and established long-term cooperation with nearly 1,000 local suppliers and subcontractors," Chang pointed out.

"Chinese companies in Egypt will continue working on making greater contributions to promoting Egyptian economic development and enhancing China-Egypt friendship," the Chinese manager told Xinhua during the ceremony. Enditem

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