Chinese Dream to benefit entire world
Editor’s note: On Nov 29, 2012, after being elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Xi Jinping first talked about the “Chinese Dream” while delivering a speech at an exhibition at the National Museum of China, saying the greatest dream of the Chinese people today should be national rejuvenation. Four experts share their views with China Daily’s Zhang Zhouxiang on the significance of the Chinese Dream. Excerpts follow:
The dream of the Chinese people
Xi has said the Chinese Dream, in essence, is the dream of the Chinese people, because it comprises the Two Centenary Goals plus the goal of national rejuvenation of China, which are closely related to the people’s welfare.
Over the past five years, China has taken giant steps toward realizing the dream of the Chinese people. From 2013 to 2017, on average 14 million people were lifted out of poverty each year — and China has vowed to lift the rest of the impoverished population out of poverty by 2020. Which means China will achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 10 years ahead of schedule. Hu Angang, director of the Center for China Studies at Tsinghua University
The past five years have also witnessed constant improvements in the social welfare system — for example, the minimum living standard security program now covers the entire country.
By 2020, more than 90 percent of Chinese citizens will have registered their social security cards, and overall, people will get a safety net that guarantees minimum living standards.
On the education front, the gross pre-school enrollment rate will rise from 77 percent to 85 percent in the next three years, which would be higher than the average of all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development economies put together. And the gross enrollment rate for high school will rise from 87 percent to 90 percent, while that of higher education increase from 42.7 percent to 50 percent. It is thus fair to say that a lot more Chinese youths will have access to higher education.
While unemployment has always been a problem for many Western countries, in China, thanks to the positive employment policies, 50 million new jobs will be created to accommodate the growing labor force.
These data reflect that the Chinese Dream is indeed the dream of the people, and the Chinese leadership is on way to realizing that dream by improving people’s welfare.
Sustainable economy is the key to success
To realize the Two Centenary Goals and the national rejuvenation of China, which are part of the Chinese Dream, sustainable Xu Hongcai, an economist with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges economic growth is necessary, which in turn requires improved productivity and higher living standards.
For the past five years, the Chinese leadership has been endeavoring to make economic development sustainable and develop a truly modern economic system. China has deepened supply-side structural reforms, accelerated economic restructuring, and promoted financial innovation to achieve the three goals. With the process gaining in strength, China will soon occupy a higher position in the global industrial chain and be in a better position to compete with developed economies.
China’s economy has entered the new normal of a mediumhigh growth rate and stronger economic structure. Which means China’s economic growth is now focused more on quality.
Besides, the service sector now accounts for a higher percentage of the national economy, while the contribution of consumption to the economy has been constantly rising. Also, employment remains high, while the consumer price index has been kept in check, which shows that China’s economic system has become more efficient.
In other words, a solid foundation for sustainable development has been laid, and China will further deepen the reforms, expedite the building of socialist market economy, and boost innovation so as to realize the Chinese Dream.
Anti-graft fight means goals are attainable
Ji Naili, a professor of anti-corruption studies at Zhou Enlai School of Governance, Nankai University, Tianjin
Five years have passed since Xi first mentioned the Chinese Dream. The Chinese Dream has many aspects, and a key one is developing a cleaner political environment, because only by rooting out corruption can we make sure all the people benefit from development.
The top leadership has implemented some strict measures to curb corruption.
First, the Party leadership has been strengthened. As a result, various levels of the Party’s discipline inspection commissions have played the leading role in hunting down corrupt officials. And supervisory commissions transformed from Party discipline inspection commissions — a measure piloted in Beijing municipality, and Shanxi and Zhejiang provinces — have successfully monitored officials that are Party members as well as those that are not.
Second, the people have been mobilized to fight corruption. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC has conducted 12 rounds of inspections, and its inspection teams have covered all organizations at or beyond the provincial level and published their contact information to seek clues from the public about the inspected organizations. This is an example of the top leadership mobilizing the public to fight corruption.
And third, the corruption-fighting mechanism has been strengthened with the aim of eliminating corruption from the root so that it doesn’t raise its ugly head again. Moreover by casting a net of supervision, the central leadership had effectively shut power in the cage, which is a strong measure to curb corruption. And the resolve to fight corruption will pave the way for realizing the Chinese Dream.
Helping the world to solve its problems
Lyu Jia, an associate professor of Marxism studies at Tsinghua University
The Chinese Dream, in reality, is aimed at benefiting not only the Chinese people, but also the peoples across the world.
For the past five years, the Chinese economy has maintained a medium-high growth rate, and the Chinese people’s long pursued dream of leading a prosperous life is gradually coming true.
China’s prosperity also means opportunities for the rest of the world. The International Monetary Fund has forecast that China’s contribution to global economic growth this year will increase to 34.6 percent, higher than that of the United States, the eurozone and Japan combined. That’s why China is called the engine of the world economy.
Poverty is a major problem facing humankind. For developing countries, the problem is acute, because they are home to a large number of people living in poverty. It is a major problem for developed countries, too, because their sluggish economies and their development model make it difficult for them to help the poor. That’s why the Western model has been found wanting when it comes to reducing poverty, at least in the short term.
China has set a good example of poverty alleviation. Over the past five years, it has improved people’s welfare and lifted tens of millions of people out of poverty. This in more ways than one will make it possible for all the people to share the fruits of China’s development and realize the Chinese Dream. Also, it offers a potential development model for the developing economies to solve their development-related problems.
To realize national rejuvenation, China needs a peaceful external environment. And China’s peaceful rise will help maintain world peace and development, which in turn will help it to realize the Chinese Dream. This is how the Chinese Dream is set to benefit the Chinese people as well as the peoples in the rest of the world.