Planning for a beautiful China
The Communist Party’s congress has drawn up an impressive blueprint for the new era that will eradicate poverty and help create a better world, writes
After decades of development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, China has emerged as a major developing country. Its per capita gross domestic product (GDP) has increased from $156 in 1978 to more than $8 000 last year, creating fundamental changes in China’s economic and social development.
The congress observed and analysed the changes and made two key judgments: the principal contradiction of Chinese society has evolved into the 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 the two judgments, 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 eradicate poverty from its entire population of 1.4 billion, leaving no one behind. It is estimated that by 2020, per capital GDP in China will reach $10 000.
The congress has drawn up a two-stage overall development plan from 2021 to the middle of the century.
From 2021 to 2035, we will 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.
For the first time China has 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 environmental protection.
With such an ambitious development blueprint, the CPC well recognises the necessity for a guiding thought to unite the efforts of the Chinese people and a strong and capable leadership to realise the 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 in order to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
The congress has elected a new generation of the CPC central leadership with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core. Those in leadership are extremely competent – they have been tested through years of excellence in governance, they have been elected through an extremely strict voting process out of 89 million CPC members and they have been closely examined time and again to ensure they have the highest integrity of holding office.
Most importantly, the leadership is of unparalleled unity, with Xi at its core, and united and guided by the Xi Jinping Thought.
With this high level of unity, we get the maximum results when combining our strengths into action.
The future prospect for China is indeed bright and encouraging.
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 by Xi, is “to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation”.
Since its foundation, the CPC has maintained its fundamental purpose of serving people wholeheartedly. Upholding the firm belief that the CPC – a party of the people, for the people and by the people – is always committed to a people-centered approach, always puts the interest of the people first, and always strives to ensure the achievements of economic and social progress should be and must be shared by the entire population instead of only small, invested interest groups.
Over the past five years, the CPC with Comrade Xi at its core has remained steadfast to the people-centered approach and has solved many tough problems that were long on the agenda but never resolved. It wants to ensure we accomplish many things that were wanted but were never done, such as anti-corruption, environmental protection, food safety, and many others, winning the party strong support among the Chinese people.
The CPC has committed and will continue to commit itself to the people-centered approach because of its deep conviction that the people are makers of history. The CPC comes from the people and will not and dare not forget the people.
This deep conviction is what inspires the CPC to keep growing, prospering and keep moving from one success to another success.
As a responsible and major member of the international community, China always values its relations with the world and commits to making it a better place.
The 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, and will work with peoples of all countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind, which is 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 one another’s core interests and major concerns, mutual respect for the diversity of human civilisation, and mutual respect for one another’s independent choice on social systems and development paths.
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
The China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership maintains robust momentum with unprecedented height and 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, a sound infrastructure, a well-regulated market and good 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. Both China and South Africa need and complement each other for co-operation and development.
Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of China-South Africa diplomatic ties. China will take this important opportunity to work closely together with South Africa to promote co-operation in 10 areas of priority namely 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 in order to make our relations a locomotive in China-Africa relations. Lin Songtian is Ambassador of China to South Africa