I am particularly happy to be here tonight to help celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the First Affiliated Hospital of the Shantou University Medical School. I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to our friends and guests here on this joyous occasion.

Ten years ago, this was just a piece of barren land. Now, it has been transformed into a large, modern general teaching hospital, reflecting the concerted efforts of past Deans and Directors. Under the guidance of Dean Xu and Director Li, the Hospital has made particularly excellent use of its resources. Along with the dedication of the rest of the medical staff, the Hospital has greatly improved the quality of its medical services and is aiming to become a first-class hospital in China. Their achievements in the past 10 years have been remarkable. In 1994, the Hospital was named "Top of Grade Three Hospital". This year, it was selected as one of the "Best 100 Hospitals" in China. And most recently, Director Li was named one of the best Hospital Directors in the Country. These awards reflect the hard work that officials, faculty and students have put in, and I take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt congratulations. The eight centers that are being opened simultaneously today will no doubt bring new life and vitality to the Hospital. I firmly believe that the future prospects of the First Affiliated Hospital are boundless.

In recent years, Shantou University Medical College has had great success in establishing hospice care services, medical aid for the poor, as well as collaborative programs with Stanford University and the University of Cambridge. Our latest batch of students was selected from an over-application of students who applied to STU as their first choice. These are all achievements of which we can be proud. I hope our teachers will wholeheartedly nurture our students so that they may continue to practice Shantou University Medical College's aim of providing excellent care for our patients, both in terms of medical skills and ethical standards.

As medical technology continues to advance by leaps and bounds, medical services must progress in tandem with the new technologies being developed. To achieve anything, one must have broad and innovative vision. Officials should spend more time each day planning for the future. I say this from personal experience, and I hope to share this with you today. Neither our medical skills nor facilities can afford to fall behind. We also have to consider the human side of medicine by further improving professionalism and ethical conduct so as to raise the quality and level of service.

Making a success of Shantou University and the teaching hospitals has been my greatest wish for many years. Even though I cannot meet with you all the time, I am always thinking about and caring about the hospital's development. I am very pleased to see that you can initiate reforms and improve the quality of patient care. I will continue to support the development of First Affiliated Hospital as always. I hope you will work together under the motto of "People Come First", and to care for patients and alleviate their suffering by providing professional services and ethical conduct. I take this opportunity to express my greatest respect and admiration to everyone at First Affiliated Hospital and the Medical College. Thank you.

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