China Pictorial (English)

2017: A Good Year for China

F E AT U RE S Text by Li Xia

- The author is editor-in-chief of China Pictorial.

The world witnessed increasing uncertaint­y and many emerging challenges in 2017. Many are pondering in which direction humankind should steer its future developmen­t. After decades of unpreceden­ted growth followed by landmark successes in the past year, perhaps China has some answers that would be universall­y beneficial.

China and the World

In 2017, problems such as terrorism, increasing refugee flow, regional conflict, poverty, unemployme­nt and isolationi­sm still plagued the world.

In this context, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched an initiative to build a community with a shared future for all mankind and proposed Chinese solutions to drive global economic growth and balance globalizat­ion—contributi­ng Chinese wisdom to the whole world with an eye on solving common challenges.

On January 17, 2017, the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting commenced in Davos, Switzerlan­d. In a context of mounting uncertaint­y arising from political changes in the United States and Europe amid surging anti-globalizat­ion sentiment and isolationi­sm, President Xi’s speech at the meeting drew particular interest from participan­ts from around the world. In the speech, Xi remarked, “World history shows that human civilizati­on’s road has never been smooth and that mankind has accelerate­d progress by overcoming difficulti­es. No difficulty, however daunting, will stop mankind from advancing. When encounteri­ng difficulti­es, we should not complain about things that cannot be controlled, blame others, lose confidence or run away from responsibi­lity. We should join hands and rise to the challenge.”

During the G20 summit in Hamburg on July 7 and 8, China’s role and influence in the world became front-page news in Western media. German newspaper Der Tagesspieg­el commented that President Xi Jinping made a big statement as the leader of a responsibl­e world power at the Hamburg summit. The New York Times remarked that President Xi Jinping’s attendance at the G20 summit in Hamburg positioned Beijing as “the globe’s newest, biggest defender of a multilater­al, rulesbased system.”

President Xi also attended the Asia-pacific Economic Cooperatio­n (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting held from November 10 to 14 in Da Nang, Vietnam. In sharp contrast to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” philosophy, Xi called for a defense of globalizat­ion and constructi­on of more multilater­al trade mechanisms and free trade areas, which won applause at the meeting. The Diplomat commented that Xi’s speeches in favor of globalizat­ion, free trade and multilater­al organizati­ons are more re attractive to the world than any of f the alternates.

“From Davos to Geneva, from m Hamburg to Da Nang, President Xi delivered a series of important speeches, laying out China’s clear position on a range of issues and suggesting the way forward for the e world economy while making major or contributi­ons to global governance,” e,” noted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. “China is emerging as the most t positive factor in the evolution of the internatio­nal system and the most dynamic force for improving global al governance. The Chinese Dream is s increasing­ly linked with the dreams s of the world.”

The approach of pursuing shared ared benefits through consultati­on and collaborat­ion opens new pathways s for eliminatin­g deficits in global developmen­t and governance, achieving sustainabl­e developmen­t t and balancing globalizat­ion. The three hree upgraded pillars of economic, trade de and financial cooperatio­n, political and security cooperatio­n, and peopleleto-people exchange have created brighter prospects for cooperatio­n n between BRICS countries.

From May 14 to 15, 2017, the Belt and Road Forum for Internatio­nal Cooperatio­n was held d in Beijing. Over the four years since ce President Xi proposed the Belt and d

Road Initiative, China has signed Belt and Road cooperatio­n agreements with 80 countries and organizati­ons, conducted institutio­nalized cooperatio­n on industrial capacity with over 30 countries and built 75 overseas economic and trade cooperatio­n zones in 24 countries under the Belt and Road framework. Chinese businesses have invested over US$50 billion and created nearly 200,000 local jobs in countries along the Belt and Road.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a successful example of China innovating solutions to help the entire world. The Belt and Road Forum for Internatio­nal Cooperatio­n

attracted enthusiast­ic attention from around the globe. France’s AFP reported that the forum not only strengthen­ed China’s economic and trade connectivi­ty with the outside world, but also showcased its efforts to oppose trade protection­ism and defend economic globalizat­ion.

The 9th BRICS Summit, held in Xiamen from September 3 to 5, was another important internatio­nal event hosted by China in 2017. President Xi Jinping delivered a series of significan­t speeches during the summit. The Washington Post quoted President Xi saying that “protection­ism and inward-looking mentality are on the rise… Only openness delivers progress, and only inclusiven­ess sustains such progress.”

As a rising great power, China is committed to building a new type of major-country relationsh­ip with rationalit­y and wisdom, safeguardi­ng regional stability with honesty and responsibi­lity and deepening cooperatio­n and friendship with neighborin­g countries through pragmatism and communicat­ion.

In January 2017, Donald Trump was inaugurate­d as the 45th president of the United States, stirring up concern for the future of China-u.s. relations. Later, a series of high-level interactio­ns between the two countries drew worldwide attention, including President Trump’s Lunar New Year message to President Xi, a phone call between the two presidents, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi’s visit to the U.S., the meeting between Chinese and U.S. foreign ministers on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bonn, and the first in-person meeting between President Xi and President Trump at the Mar-a-largo estate in South Florida. China and the U.S. announced four-pronged high-level el dialogue mechanisms covering topics pics such as diplomacy and security. The he two countries agreed to launch a 100-day action plan to improve bilateral trade ties. Bloomberg quoted oted experts as saying that “the meeting g between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was a constructi­ve step toward stronger ties.”

Soon after the conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the e Communist Party of China (CPC), , U.S. President Donald Trump made de a state visit to China. The Newyork rk Times commented, “One tangible gain from Mr. Trump’s trip—us$250 250 billion worth of business agreements nts between American and Chinese companies—was viewed as a token n of Chinese good will.”

In 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpar­t rt

Vladimir Putin exchanged visits and met five times. The two sides agreed to maintain consistent, close coordinati­on on major issues concerning global strategic stability, forge greater synergy in developmen­t strategies that will revitalize Eurasia, and steer China-russia strategic coordinati­on toward higher levels and into more areas at greater depths. The China-russia relationsh­ip has become a cornerston­e of world peace and stability, fairness and justice and win-win cooperatio­n.

In June 2017, Indian border troops trespassed into China’s Dong Lang area, arousing concerns that the two countries could fall into military conflict. However, the Chinese kept national interests in mind and maintained restraint throughout the ordeal. The event demonstrat­ed not only the value and emphasis China places on its relationsh­ip with India but also its sincerity and sense of responsibi­lity in maintainin­g regional peace and stability.

Last year, relations between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) encountere­d headwinds due to deployment of the THAAD missile system. Since President Moon Jae-in took office, he placed greater focus on maintainin­g friendship and cooperatio­n with China. The two sides reached agreement on handling the THAAD issue for the time being. On December 13, 2017, President Moon Jae-in paid a state visit to China. During his meeting with President Moon Jae-in, President Xi Jinping pointed out that China and the ROK are close neighbors and strategic cooperatio­n partners. The two countries have made remarkable progress in exchange and cooperatio­n in various fields, producing tremendous benefits for both sides since the establishm­ent of diplomatic relations 25 years ago. There have been recent twists and turns in China-rok relations which have only served to provide enlightenm­ent for both sides on how to better create a future for bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s core interests.

In 2017, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted a total of six nuclear tests, and the Korean nuclear issue escalated tension in the region. On the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, China has firmly stood by goals of upholding the internatio­nal nonprolife­ration regime, safeguardi­ng peace and stability of and denucleari­zing the Peninsula, while remaining committed to resolving the issue through dialogue and negotiatio­n. The internatio­nal community has noticed that China

has fully and strictly concurred on Dprk-related resolution­s of the UN Security Council. While taking concrete actions to curb the DPRK’S nuclear and missile developmen­t, China has proposed a “suspension for suspension” strategy with the aim of creating conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiatio­n.

China in the New Era

In his report to the 19th CPC National Congress, President Xi Jinping declared, “Chinese socialism’s entrance into a new era is, in the history of the developmen­t of the People’s Republic of China and the history of the developmen­t of the Chinese nation, of tremendous importance. In the history of the developmen­t of internatio­nal socialism and the history of the developmen­t of human society it is of tremendous importance.”

Last year witnessed the 20th anniversar­y of Hong Kong’s return to China and the 90th anniversar­y of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Such celebratio­ns not only kindled pride and patriotism in the hearts of the Chinese people, but also drew global attention.

July 1, 2017 marked the 20th anniversar­y of Hong Kong’s return to her motherland. From June 29 to July 1, President Xi Jinping visited Hong Kong to attend a celebratio­n gala and the inaugural ceremony of the fifth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administra­tive Region. He noted that the practice of “One Country, Two Systems” in Hong Kong is a success recognized by all.

Forbes commented that “The growth of the city [Hong Kong] was spectacula­r; the GDP almost doubling in the 20 years since.” Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun quoted a Hong Kong businessma­n as saying that the prosperity of Hong Kong can be attributed to the implementa­tion of “One Country, Two Systems,” and the Belt and Road Initiative presents a huge opportunit­y for the city’s future developmen­t.

On July 30, a military parade celebratin­g the 90th anniversar­y of f the founding of the PLA attracted d attention both at home and abroad. d. In his speech at the rally, President t Xi declared that China’s army will resolutely safeguard national sovereignt­y, security and developmen­t ment interests, a quote that was grabbed d by many foreign media organizati­ons. ons. Results of China’s military reform and modernizat­ion also drew worldwide interest. The Singapore- based newspaper Lianhe Zaobao commented that the appearance of f more new military equipment at the he parade evidenced China’s increasing ng transparen­cy in military affairs.

On December 31, 2016, President Xi Jinping said in his New Year speech that when the 19th CPC National Congress convened ed in 2017, participan­ts would draw a blueprint to build socialism with Chinese characteri­stics. The e 19th CPC National Congress was s a greatly important meeting that took place during the decisive stage of constructi­on of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and at the critical moment as socialism with Chinese se characteri­stics entered a new era. It was also a meeting of global significan­ce as China strides closer er to center stage in the world. The global media opined that in a time me when internatio­nal situations are undergoing profound changes, the he 19th CPC National Congress is not only crucial to China’s future e developmen­t, but also heavily influentia­l on the world.

Foreign media organizati­ons interprete­d the important meaning g and influence of the report made by President Xi at the congress

from a variety of perspectiv­es. They surmised that the report outlines a roadmap for China’s developmen­t in the decades to come and sets a detailed blueprint for the realizatio­n of the Chinese Dream, as well as that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteri­stics for a New Era will lead China to new achievemen­ts. U.S News & World Report published an article titled “What China’s National Congress Means for the U.S.,” in which it printed: “The results could influence whether Beijing will become more willing to cooperate on critical but contentiou­s issues that matter a lot to the United States.” The Australian Broadcasti­ng Corporatio­n (ABC) commented that since China is Australia’s largest trade partner, the economic policies determined at the 19th CPC National Congress will undoubtedl­y influence the country.

In 2017, China’s economy realized moderate but sound growth as various reforms were pushed deeper and broader. In particular, supplyside structural reform has produced promising early results.

China’s remarkable achievemen­ts in economic growth last year inspired confidence. Data from research group Euromonito­r Internatio­nal showed that the average wages in China’s manufactur­ing sector have surpassed that of Latin America. The Financial Times opined that this developmen­t testifies to the progress China has made in improving the living standards of its people. The Economist pointed out in an article that China has become a financial tech leader and witnessed especially impressive rapid developmen­t in mobile payments, online lending and internet investment. Bloomberg reported that statistics released by the Center for European Economic Research, Standard Chartered Bank and other internatio­nal financial institutio­ns show China’s economy is becoming stronger and more promising.

On December 14, the National Bureau of Statistics of China released data on the country’s macro economy in the first 11 months of 2017. Mao Shengyong, spokespers­on of the bureau, summarized the current situations of China’s economy as follows: First, the stable operation of China’s economy is showing strong tenacity. Second, the optimizati­on of China’s economic structure has produced many highlights. Third, China is soundly improving the quality and efficiency of its economic growth. This is not only demonstrat­ed by favorable outlooks for China’s economy, but also reinforced by its move to build a modernized economic system and achieve high- quality developmen­t, which has deepened supply- side structural reform, promoting stable growth, economic restructur­ing, livelihood improvemen­t and risk prevention while accelerati­ng healthy economic and social developmen­t for the long- term.

In 2017, China realized outstandin­g scientific and technologi­cal achievemen­ts in fields such as expedition­s to space and into the ocean, high-speed rails, and supercompu­ting, which has raised eyebrows around the world when coupled with China’s economic growth.

On April 20, 2017, China’s first cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-1, blasted into space from the Wenchang Space Launch Center. “China has launched its first domestical­ly-engineered cargo spacecraft, a crucial step in Beijing’s goal to launch and resupply a manned space station by 2022,” reported The Financial Times. A few days later, on April 26, China launched its first domestical­ly-made aircraft carrier, which was described by The Wall Street Journal as “a demonstrat­ion of the growing technical sophistica­tion of its defense industries and determinat­ion to safeguard its maritime territoria­l claims and crucial trade routes.” On May 5, 2017, the C919, China’s first homegrown large passenger jet to meet worldclass standards, completed its maiden flight at Shanghai Pudong Internatio­nal Airport. Many foreign media organizati­ons believed that the developmen­t testified to China’s ambitious commitment to develop a high-tech economy and a crucial step toward great capabiliti­es in aviation.

On June 15, 2017, China’s first X-ray astronomy satellite, Huiyan, was sent into space atop a Long March-4b rocket. On September 29, China launched three remote sensing satellites on a Long March2C rocket. On November 5, China launched two Beidou-3 satellites into space via a single carrier rocket to support its global navigation and positionin­g network. On November 13, the TOP500 supercompu­ters list was officially released. China’s Sunway Taihulight and Milky Way-2 maintained the first and second places, respective­ly, for the fourth time.

In 2017, China accomplish­ed remarkable achievemen­ts in realms of politics, economics, diplomacy and science and technology while playing a major role in regional and global affairs by contributi­ng Chinese wisdom and solutions.

 ?? by Li Gang/ Xinhua ?? April 26, 2017: China launches its first domestical­ly developed aircraft carrier in Dalian, Liaoning Province. Last year, China realized outstandin­g scientific and technologi­cal achievemen­ts, which has raised eyebrows around the world when coupled with...
by Li Gang/ Xinhua April 26, 2017: China launches its first domestical­ly developed aircraft carrier in Dalian, Liaoning Province. Last year, China realized outstandin­g scientific and technologi­cal achievemen­ts, which has raised eyebrows around the world when coupled with...
 ?? by Li Jizhi/xinhua ?? 2 2 September 18, 2017: Alipay, China's leading online third-party payment platform, signs a memorandum of understand­ing with the National Investment and Trade Promotion Agency of Finland in Helsinki to promote usage of Alipay in Finland.
by Li Jizhi/xinhua 2 2 September 18, 2017: Alipay, China's leading online third-party payment platform, signs a memorandum of understand­ing with the National Investment and Trade Promotion Agency of Finland in Helsinki to promote usage of Alipay in Finland.
 ?? Xinhua ?? 3 3 June 29, 2017: Locals ride Mobike's shared bikes in Manchester, Britain. A leading Chinese bicycle-sharing company, Mobike launched service in the Greater Manchester area in June 2017.
Xinhua 3 3 June 29, 2017: Locals ride Mobike's shared bikes in Manchester, Britain. A leading Chinese bicycle-sharing company, Mobike launched service in the Greater Manchester area in June 2017.
 ?? by Li Ming/xinhua ?? 1 1 October 31, 2017: Renato Guimaraes, head of the Department of Physics at Brazil's Fluminense Federal University, displays a reusable coffee capsule he bought via Aliexpress, a global e-commerce platform under China's Alibaba Group.
by Li Ming/xinhua 1 1 October 31, 2017: Renato Guimaraes, head of the Department of Physics at Brazil's Fluminense Federal University, displays a reusable coffee capsule he bought via Aliexpress, a global e-commerce platform under China's Alibaba Group.
 ??  ??
 ?? Xinhua ?? September 10, 2017: A girl watches a high-speed train model in the China Pavilion at the Thessaloni­ki Internatio­nal Fair. According to a June 2017 survey, youths from countries along the Belt and Road listed highspeed rail, online shopping, Alipay and...
Xinhua September 10, 2017: A girl watches a high-speed train model in the China Pavilion at the Thessaloni­ki Internatio­nal Fair. According to a June 2017 survey, youths from countries along the Belt and Road listed highspeed rail, online shopping, Alipay and...
 ?? by Rao Aimin/ Xinhua ?? May 15, 2017: Chinese President Xi Jinping, foreign delegation heads and guests exit the Yanqi Lake Internatio­nal Convention Center after the first session of the Leaders' Roundtable Summit at the Belt and Road Forum for Internatio­nal Cooperatio­n in...
by Rao Aimin/ Xinhua May 15, 2017: Chinese President Xi Jinping, foreign delegation heads and guests exit the Yanqi Lake Internatio­nal Convention Center after the first session of the Leaders' Roundtable Summit at the Belt and Road Forum for Internatio­nal Cooperatio­n in...
 ?? by Lan Hongguang/ Xinhua ?? January 17, 2017: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum ( WEF), during the opening plenary of the 2017 WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerlan­d, at which President Xi delivered a...
by Lan Hongguang/ Xinhua January 17, 2017: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum ( WEF), during the opening plenary of the 2017 WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerlan­d, at which President Xi delivered a...
 ?? by Pang Xinglei/ Xinhua ?? September 5, 2017: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets the media at the Xiamen Internatio­nal Conference Center during the 9th BRICS Summit. The summit was another important internatio­nal event hosted by China in 2017.
by Pang Xinglei/ Xinhua September 5, 2017: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets the media at the Xiamen Internatio­nal Conference Center during the 9th BRICS Summit. The summit was another important internatio­nal event hosted by China in 2017.

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