Xi’s report ref lects grand vision
Editor’s note: General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Wednesday. Several foreign experts share their views on the report with China Daily’s Wu Zheyu. Excepts follow:
Fulfilling commitment
Remembering Xi Jinping’s leadership in Davos (in January), which reflected a stable and prosperous China is committed to globalization, clean environment and world peace, we are heartened to read in his report that China continues to honor its commitment to opening-up, starting with the Belt and Road Initiative.
Herbert Poenisch is former senior economist at Bank for International Settlements.
Welcome green move
From an environmental and green finance perspective, it is encouraging to see “green” being incorporated into both the concept of development and China’s longterm planning, based on the push toward realizing an ecological civilization.
Xi gave a particularly strong signal: that there is no dilemma between green development and economic growth, rather they are mutually supportive. Internationally, as Xi stressed China’s commitment to fighting climate change, we expect China’s commitments to increase further in the future.
Mathias Lund Larsen is director of International Cooperation and research fellow, International Institute of Green Finance, Central University of Finance and Economics.
Education for all
Over the past few decades, China has been building the foundations to become a modern and prosperous society. However, as suggested by Xi, the rise of China depends on continued efforts to reduce income inequality and create more jobs.
It is good that Xi also addressed the importance of a world-class talent development system to support China’s future. As an educator, I look forward to continuous efforts in reforming and improving education for all in China.
Mark Greeven is associate professor at the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategy Department of Zhejiang University’s School of Management.
Dedicated to mission
Xi’s report shows China is at the intersection of continuity and change. At the core of Xi’s report was a firm dedication to the central missions of the Party: national unity, prosperity and modernization.
Xi also outlined historic changes that reflect the changing contradictions in Chinese society, new challenges of global governance, and China’s changing relationship with the world and its institutions. Overall, Xi’s was a bold, broad and farsighted statement of China’s goals, which also struck a delicate balance between adapting to new circumstances while remaining true to the Party’s fundamental missions.
John J. Kirton is director of the G7 Research Group at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto.
Convincing skeptics
Thanks to the past five years of proactive diplomacy, China has managed to steer clear of the “Thucydides trap”, which would have pitted a rising China against the existing superpower, the United States. In this context, Xi’s focus on China’s soft power, especially culture, should assuage skeptics about his vision, which has found apt expression in his Belt and Road Initiative.
In his speech at Davos, Xi not only defended but also promoted globalization. In line with that speech, Xi promised on Wednesday to “protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors ... to be treated equally” with local entrepreneurs.
While urging all Party members to put in their best efforts to develop China into a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way, Xi premised his call on “uniting Chinese people of all ethnic groups”, which will lay a strong foundation for China to emerge as a “prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful modern socialist country” by 2049.
Swaran Singh is professor of International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Keeping the promise
Xi’s report showed the Party has kept its promise to the Chinese people and how it will continue to do so. In 1949 Mao Zedong famously said, “The Chinese people have stood up.” Taking that further, Xi said on Wednesday that “the Chinese nation now stands tall and firm in the East”, meaning the Party has kept its promise. And the fact that the Party will now aim to basically achieve socialist modernization by 2035 shows how it will continue to keep its promise to the Chinese people.
John Ross is former policy director of Economic and Business Policy of London, and a researcher at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.
Bring yuan into play
The key point Xi highlighted is, how socialism with Chinese characteristics can continue to modernize and rejuvenate China, and contribute toward development for humanity in general and developing nations in particular.
For many developing nations, especially African nations, China has been a great partner.
Still, there are areas where China can improve its level of cooperation with Africa. First, China has made great advances in the internationalization of the yuan, so its currency should become the medium of exchange in Sino-African dealings, as it would remove the two sides’ dependence on the US dollar and euro for trade and investment.
Second, China has made great advances in internet banking and finance technology that will provide Africa with the foundation to develop small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas of the continent.
Jaya Josie is head of BRICS Research Center, Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa.