Weizman Holds Reception Marking China's Birthday ����Israeli President Ezer Weizman held a reception at his residence in Jerusalem Wednesday evening to mark the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. ����In his address, Weizman highly appreciated the achievements made by the Chinese government and people in various fields in the past 50 years. The new China was founded on October 1, 1949. ����China has a long history, Weizman said. He noted that fifty years ago, China was a poor country under the domination of foreign powers, but during the past 50 years, China has changed a great deal in all aspects and the country is marching toward modernization. ����Recalling his visit to China in April this year, he said China's political and economic developments showed that China is a great and important country in the world now. ����Attending the reception were Regional Cooperation Minister Shimon Peres, Transport Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, Industry and Trade Minister Ran Cohen and others. The reception was also sponsored by the Council for the Promotion of Israel-China Relations (CPICR). ����Peres, also honorary president of CPICR, told the gathering that the revolution of China during the last 50 years was very impressive. ����"When you talk about China you can not forget to say something about China's rich history and culture. But one thing people will never forget, that China provides enough food to 20 percent of the world population with its limited land," he said. ����Not doubt that China has made great achievements in the economic field, but China also played an important role in the world affairs, he said. ����China is a great hope for the future for us all, he added. ����Chinese Ambassador to Israel Wang Changyi briefed the gathering on China's monumental changes in the past 50 years as well as developments in the cooperation between China and Israel. (Xinhua) WorldNews 1999-10-08 Page6 Full Story in Chinese