China: a new journey towards 2050
‘We envisage a brighter future for more fruitful and mutually beneficial China-South Africa relations – we are ready to work closely’
THE Communist Party of China (CPC) successfully convened its 19th National Congress in Beijing, China, last month.
This was an extremely important meeting for both China and the world – almost 900 congratulatory letters were received from leaders of states and political parties from around the world, including from President Jacob Zuma, the ANC, the SACP and many other African leaders and parties.
More than 2 000 journalists from over 134 countries and regions travelled to Beijing to cover the weeklong event.
After decades of development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, China has emerged as a major developing country. Its per capita GDP has increased from $156 in 1978 to over $8 000 (R113 400) in 2016, creating fundamental changes in China’s economic and social development.
The Congress observed and analysed these changes and made two key judgements: the principal contradiction of the Chinese society has evolved into one between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life, whereas previously it was the one between the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people and the backwardness of social production; socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.
Based on these two judgements, the Congress has drawn up an impressive blueprint for the new era. By 2020, we will secure a decisive success in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects; meaning, as the world’s most populous country, China will completely eradicate poverty from its entire 1.4 billion population, leaving no one behind. It is estimated that by 2020, per capita GDP in China will reach $10 000.
For the period from 2021 to the middle of this century, the congress has drawn up a two-stage overall development plan.
From 2021-2035, we will basically realise socialist modernisation, with estimated per capita GDP at $30 000, reaching the level of a moderately developed country. From 2036 to mid-21st century, we will develop China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.
It was the first time that China put “a beautiful China” in our development vision, demonstrating China’s aspiration for a better world and its wish to contribute an earnest part in our joint efforts to address climate change and environment protection.
With such an ambitious development blueprint, the CPC well recognises the necessity for both a guiding thought to unite the efforts of the Chinese people, and a strong and capable leadership to realise this vision.
The congress has established the historical position of the “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” as a guiding thought and basic policy to unite and lead our party and people to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
The congress then elected a new generation of CPC central leadership, with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core.
This leadership is extremely competent – they have been tested through years of excellence in governance and they have been elected through an extremely strict voting process involving 89 million CPC members. In addition, they have been closely monitored while in office and found to be of the highest integrity.
Most importantly, this leadership is one of unparalleled unity, with General Secretary Xi at its centre and united and guided by the Xi Jinping Thought. With this high level of unity, we get the maximum results when combining our strengths in action. The future prospects for China are indeed bright and encouraging.
A people-centred approach means focusing our efforts on the aspiration of the people to live a better life.
As China marches confidently and comfortably towards its new development goals, we are constantly reminded by our motto: “Remain true to our original aspiration, keep our mission firmly in mind.”
The “original aspiration and the mission of Chinese Communists”, in the words of Xi, is “to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation”.
Since its foundation, the CPC has maintained its purpose of serving people wholeheartedly. Upholding the firm belief that the CPC is a party of the people, for the people and by the people, the CPC is committed to a people-centred approach, always putting the interest of the people first and always striving to ensure the achievements of economic and social progress are shared by the entire population, instead of a small, invested interest group only.
Over the past five years, the CPC, with Comrade Xi at its core, has remained steadfast to the people-centred approach and has solved many tough problems that were long on the agenda but unresolved, and accomplished many things that were desired but not achieved – such as anti-corruption, environmental protection and food safety measures – winning the party strong support among the Chinese people.
The CPC has committed and will continue to commit itself to the people-centred approach because of its deep conviction that the people are makers of history. The CPC comes from the people and will not forget the people.
This deep conviction is what inspires the CPC to keep growing and prospering, and to keep moving from one success to another.
We envisage a new type of international relations and a shared future for mankind.
As a responsible and major member of the international community, China always values its relations with the world and commits itself to striving to make it a better place.
The 19th CPC Congress has maintained this consistency and commitment, and has put forward our vision for the world in a new era: China will pursue a new type of international relations, featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win co-operation.
It will work with people of all countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind in an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.
China calls for mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual respect for each other’s core interests and major concerns, mutual respect for the diversity of human civilisation and mutual respect for each other’s independent choice of social systems and development path.
China is committed to a socialist path with Chinese characteristics.
As we offer our respect to the independent choice by the people of other countries, China naturally looks forward to the same respect from other countries.
In a spirit of fairness and justice, China is committed to stronger representation and a bigger voice in developing countries in the UN and other multilateral forums. China will take a more active part in global governance, make a greater contribution in international development assistance, peacekeeping and international security, and join efforts with developing countries to bring about a more democratic international order that is fair, just and reasonable.
By win-win co-operation, China means to remain committed to the values of friendship, justice and shared interests, and to closely combine China’s development with that of the world.
China will continue to promote international co-operation in terms of the Belt and Road Initiative.
To narrow the gap between the north and the south, China will increase assistance to developing countries, particularly those that are the least developed. Opening up will remain China’s basic policy, and China will continue its efforts to create an open world economy, and make globalisation more open, inclusive, balanced and mutually profitable.
In our vision for a new world, China has expressed its strong resolve to, jointly, build a world of lasting peace and universal security. In the interests of this absolute security, all countries are urged to abandon the traditional international practice of “zero-sum game” politics and the law of the jungle.
Moving forward, China will continue to uphold its fundamental foreign policy goal of preserving world peace and promoting common development.
We are confident that China’s continued prosperity will offer to the world, particularly to the developing countries, a new path and opportunities for modernisation and an answer to the search for a better social system.
We envisage a brighter future for more fruitful and mutually beneficial China-South Africa relations.
Currently, the China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership maintains a robust momentum with unprecedented warmth in strategic and political mutual trust.
As two major emerging powers and important members of multilateral forums such as Brics and G20, China and South Africa have been playing increasingly important roles in promoting world peace and development and in upholding the shared interests of all developing countries.
China and South Africa enjoy strong economic complementarity. Situated in a prime location, and boasting rich resources, sound infrastructure, a well-regulated market and sound legal system, South Africa is the African country that is the most deeply and substantively involved in linking with the Belt and Road Initiative.
China has the capital, technology, market, enterprises, talents and development experience. From the point of view of co-operation and development, both China and South Africa need and complement each other.
Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of China-South Africa diplomatic ties. China will take this important opportunity to work closely with South Africa to promote co-operation in 10 priority areas including infrastructure, human resources, manufacturing and processing, agriculture, tourism, marine economy, finance, security, people-to-people exchange and international co-operation.
China is ready to work closely with our South African friends to make our relations more productive and more beneficial to our two peoples so as to make our relations a locomotive in China-Africa relations.
His Excellency Lin Songtian is the Ambassador of China to South Africa