China has successfully dammed the main course
of the Yangtze for the Three Gorges Project on November 8,
1997. President Jiang Zemin made a speech at the ceremony to
mark the success of the river-damming. The full text of the
speech is as follows:
Comrades and Friends,
Today, the world-renowned Three Gorges Water
Conservation Project (TGP) has successfully completed the
damming of the main course of the Yangtze River. This is a
major event in China's efforts to achieve modernization and
also a remarkable feat in the history of the mankind to
reshape the nature and exploit natural resources.
This success will greatly inspire our people
of all ethnic groups who are now engaged in reform,
opening-up and modernization drive with full confidence.
On behalf of the Party Central Committee and
the State Council, I would like to extend our warm
congratulations and cordial greetings to the builders, the
scientific and technical personnel of the project as well as
the cadres and masses of people in the reservoir area, and
express our sincere gratitude to people of all ethnic groups
in the country who have supported the project and to our
compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
(SAR), Macao and Taiwan, overseas Chinese and international
friends who have cared for the project.
Seventy years ago, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, the great
forerunner of China's democratic revolution, raised the idea
of exploiting the water and hydro-electric resources of the
Three Gorges. After the founding of New China, Comrade Mao
Zedong, Comrade Deng Xiaoping and other proletarian
revolutionaries gave a great deal of their time and thought
to the proposed Three Gorges Project. Several generations of
Chinese scientists have put in an enormous amount of hard
intellectual work. The rapid economic d velopment and
markedly increased overall national strength of our country
since the initiation of its reform and opening-up have
provided adequate conditions for the building of this
unprecedented cross-century project. The age-old dream of
the Chinese people to develop and utilize the resources of
the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River has come closer to
becoming true. This proves vividly once again that socialism
is superior in being capable of concentrating resources to
do big jobs.
Since the twilight of history,
the Chinese nation has been engaged in the great feat of
conquering, developing and exploiting the nature. The
legends of the mythic bird Jingwei determined to fill the
sea with small pebbles and the Foolish Old Man resolved to
remove the mountains standing in his way and the tale of the
Great Yu who harnessed the great floods are just some of the
examples of the ancient Chinese people's indomitable spirit
in successfully conquering the nature. Such ancient water
conservation projects as the Dujiangyan completed over 2,000
years ago and the Grand Canal built in the Sui Dynasty all
played an important role in the socio-economic development
of their respective time period. The water conservancy and
hydro-power project we are building today on the Three
Gorges of the Yangtze River, the scale and overall benefits
of which have no parallel in the world, will greatly promote
the development of our national economy, and prove to be a
lasting exploit in the service of the present and future
generations. It also embodies the great industrious and
dauntless spirit of the Chinese nation and displays the
daring vision of the Chinese people for new horizons and
better future in the course of their reform and opening-up.
The successful damming of the river marks the
completion of the first phase of the TGP and the beginning
of its second phase. All participating units in the project
must strengthen management in real earnest, ensure good
quality of work and continue to do a good job in tackling
key scientific problems and conducting experiments so as to
ensure power generation by the first group of generators in
2003.
Throughout the construction of the TGP,
we should act in accordance with the law governing socialist
market economy while giving full play to the socialist
spirit of unity and coordination. We should uphold the
principle of self-reliance and taking the initiative in our
own hands while actively carrying out international
cooperation and exchanges. We should bring the initiatives
of those foreign-funded enterprises into play and make use
of their advantages in capital and technology while fully
tapping the advantages and potentials of our own enterprises
so that they will make greater contributions to the project
and enhance the level of their development up to a new high.
A successful resettlement of the people
affected by the TGP is the key to the progress and eventual
success of the project. The work, which involves the
interests of one million people, is both arduous and
meticulous. Party committees and governments at all levels
in the TGP-affected areas should summarize the good
experience already achieved and constantly do a good job in
this regard.
It is imperative to adhere to the
policy of development-oriented resettlement of the people,
redouble our efforts to afforest the reservoir area and
especially the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, take
comprehensive measures to constantly improve ecological
environment and prevent soil erosion, for it is an important
precondition for ensuring lasting peace and political
stability as well as a sustainable development of the
reservoir area and the entire Yangtze River Valley.
As it is a matter that benefits not only the
current generation but our posterity, we should spare no
effort year in and year out and allow no negligence or delay
at any time.
In short, we should take into
consideration the overall situation and a long-term
perspective, formulate plans on a scientific basis and adopt
practical and effective measures to achieve a coordinated
economic, social and ecological development.
The Yangtze River Valley is one of the cradles
of the Chinese civilization and the reservoir area is dotted
with sites of rich and colorful cultural heritage. We should
be very careful to protect the historical relics in this
area in accordance with the policy of "focusing on the
protection and excavation of key cultural relics".
Leading cadres at all levels involved in the
TGP or working in the reservoir area should carry forward
the spirit of utter devotion and integrity, lead the masses
of people in dauntless struggles and forge ahead so as to
turn the TGP into a first-class project of water
conservation and power generation in the world while
bringing forth a contingent of new talents in this field.
Comrades,
Doing a good job in
building the Three Gorges Project is an important mission
history has entrusted on us and also our highest honor. Let
us, guided by the spirit of the Party's 15th National
Congress and holding high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping
Theory, work hard in unity and make fresh and greater
contributions to the construction of the Three Gorges
Project, the socialist modernization program and the
realization of the great cause of national rejuvenation.
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