5-year changes lay foundation for new era

China has witnessed great historic changes in the past five years from the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to the upcoming 19th CPC National Congress. The reforms are profound, decisive to the CPC and the country, and have been steadily carried out. More importantly, these reforms have accumulated energy for China’s future development, making new leaps possible and widely anticipated in China after the 19th CPC National Congress.

China realized continuous highspeed growth before the 18th CPC National Congress, but plenty of problems accumulated during the process. In fact, a number of countries experienced rapid economic growth but failed to address the serious problems accompanying economic gains. As a result, high-speed development was disrupted by societal unrest or sudden stagnation and there was no more momentum for those countries’ modernization.

The massive adjustments and reorganization over the past five years made some of us nervous and bewildered in the process. But the country has straightened things out and accumulated energy for future development.

Many did not expect corruption would be so effectively contained. Many had believed that social justice was merely a slogan used to fool ordinary people and it was impossible for this to become a value pursued by the whole country.

For many, China’s prosperity would not avoid the destiny of damaging the environment. Despite dire warnings of unsustainability, China has remained optimistic throughout that things will mend in the end. In fact, both radical and conservative observers never anticipated the drastic changes of the last five years.

The CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core was determined to deepen comprehensive reform. In hindsight we realize that this reform far transcended regular economic and political reform and made a strategic adjustment during China’s rapid development.

China’s reform during the past five years since the 18th CPC National Congress has consolidated the long-term growth momentum for the country. Future reform is expected to win China more advantages.

In the past five years, China has pushed forward its anti-corruption campaign on a never-seen-before scale. The rule of law has also been enhanced alongside a comprehensive economic transformation. While the country places more importance on politics, the principle of people first has been carried out in various sectors. Enormous changes have occurred in an orderly way, improving the authority of the CPC and enhancing social cohesion.

China has had different experiences on diplomatic fronts in the past five years. Major-power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has helped China’s integration with the world and the strategic space has not burst with China’s rise. With China’s advocacy and efforts, there is more hope that we Chinese can avoid the Thucydides Trap in competition with another big power.

The majority of Chinese are living a better life than five years ago, a rare thing in today’s world struggling with recession and populism. Almost all Chinese believe the 19th CPC National Congress will launch a new era of sustainable economic growth and higherquality life, a better political civilization and improved social governance. The past five years have laid a solid foundation for that new era.