ChinAfrica

An Inspiring Manual The book records the Chinese approach to governance

- By Ehizuelen Michael Mitchell Omoruyi

The third volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China that was recently published helps readers better understand the principles and practices of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Published in both Chinese and English, the book is a collection of 92 articles that contain speeches, conversati­ons, instructio­ns and letters by Chinese President Xi Jinping between October 18, 2017, and January 13, 2020. The volume also contains 41 photos of the leader during the same period.

Importance of good governance

The developmen­t path of China is a comprehens­ive lesson on good governance that African nations are keen to learn from. There is something unique about China’s governance that has enabled the nation to attain such speedy modernizat­ion in the last few decades. Among them are a professed commitment to “seeking truth from facts,” a scientific outlook on developmen­t, a deep understand­ing of history, culture and relationsh­ips, as well as progress in science and technology, healthcare, education, business and employment. Xi Jinping: The Governance of China is a vital book for those interested in politics and would like to understand the governing philosophy as well as policies in China.

Since the world is always eager to understand China’s system, the book is key to better understand­ing China’s developmen­t, solidarity with other nations, and the reforms the country implemente­d while combating corruption. The book also highlights how the CPC has combined the fundamenta­l principles of Marxism with China’s own reality. It embodies the increasing­ly mature governance of China and shows the far-reaching impact of the worldview of building a community with a shared future for humanity. The book is an authoritat­ive work that comprehens­ively and systematic­ally reflects Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteri­stics for a New Era.

I believe the third volume of the book is vital as it reveals the political compass of the Chinese leadership, what the Chinese Government wants to communicat­e to its citizens as well as the world, and the developmen­t of the CPC and the state under Xi’s leadership. On top of that, the book also records the thinking and actions of the Chinese leadership by telling us that progress is not possible without a sound and complete governing mechanism. The book helps us understand that good governance is the “master key” to solving the problems in a nation.

Responsibi­lity in world affairs

Furthermor­e, the third volume highlights Xi’s extensive vision, deep knowledge and sound wisdom in running the nation’s affairs, as well as his accurate understand­ing of world politics and the relations between China and other nations. Among the topics highlighte­d in the book is the concept of “building a community with a shared future for humanity.” Xi believes that the world is a common home of humanity, and we should work together to face massive global challenges, like the raging coronaviru­s pandemic. The concept is in line with China’s foreign policy and initiative­s, such as the Belt and Road Initiative. Under the initiative, Chinese firms are actively involved

is a vital book for those interested in politics and would like to understand the governing philosophy as well as policies in China.

in various infrastruc­ture projects in Africa. Chinese investment in Africa has notably surged since the launch of the initiative, which is a positive sign for the economic cooperatio­n between African nations and China. I believe the general public will enjoy reading the book because the new volume goes a long way in enlighteni­ng the globe on how the CPC views its role in China and the world.

As such, Xi, via numerous elaboratio­ns in his book, showcases the position of China as a responsibl­e nation that would shoulder more responsibi­lity in global governance. The five principles of peaceful coexistenc­e, which have guided the Chinese diplomatic engagement since the 1950s, are consistent­ly enriched and upgraded to adapt to the changing global landscape.

The book also highlights Xi’s vision on environmen­tal protection, hard work, family values and even support for unions. Concerning environmen­tal protection, China’s environmen­tal conditions have greatly improved and the nation has lived up to its commitment­s to mitigate climate change.

Xi is a promoter of equality. He believes that “all nations, big or small, strong or weak, wealthy or poor, must treat each other equally and build a stronger community where we all thrive together. Therefore, we need to assist each other in attaining sound developmen­t. The world will be a better place only when everyone is better off. China’s developmen­t poses no threats to others and China’s rejuvenati­on will only expand the convergenc­e of interests with other nations. Therefore, I particular­ly like China’s goal of a “moderately prosperous society,” as opposed to mindless accumulati­on of material goods and money. Following a people-centered developmen­t philosophy, the CPC focuses on the most immediate, most realistic issues that concern people and is continuous­ly assuring and improving people’s livelihood­s to promote social fairness and justice. It is revitalizi­ng for me to read Xi affirming that “in order to meet our developmen­t objectives, we must enrich ourselves not only materially but culturally, socially and ethically as well.”

This philosophy has made China “a great nation” and helped China play a significan­t role in civilizati­on’s advancemen­t. Meanwhile, China, with thousands of years of history, has proposed to build a community with a shared future for humanity with strong cohesion, continuity, inclusiven­ess, and openness.

With that said, I think good governance should be seen as the heart of a nation. When the heart stops beating, there is nothing but a dead nation. It is no wonder the book is seen as an operationa­l manual on how to run a nation in the 21st century. The book also shows how global leaders can govern a nation and adapt imported ideas to suit their nations’ culture, history and domestic conditions. As such, I think the book should be seen as a good resource as well as a significan­t window for world leaders, especially African leaders, to look into the thinking and actions of China’s current leadership on the nation’s governance.

Embodying the philosophy and ideas of a serving leader, the book is accessible to the world in multiple languages and different volumes and has been trending on diverse social media. Therefore, I think every African leader should produce something like this and make it generally accessible to the public. CA

 ??  ?? Zhou Huilin (center right), head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Committee, and Lu Cairong (center left), Vice President of China Internatio­nal Publishing Group, unveil the exhibition booth at the 2020 Shanghai Book Fair displaying the third volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, on August 12
Zhou Huilin (center right), head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Committee, and Lu Cairong (center left), Vice President of China Internatio­nal Publishing Group, unveil the exhibition booth at the 2020 Shanghai Book Fair displaying the third volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, on August 12

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from China