The upcoming October 1 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and it beckons with anticipation. The city of Beijing has been geared up as a vibrant giant flower basket gracefully rose in Tian’anmen Square and workers wove a colorful tapestry of flowers decorations along Chang’an Avenue to welcome guests from across China and the world. Children laughed with their joyous giggles weaving through the air, and adults captured cherished moments with cameras in hand, sending heartfelt blessings to the homeland.
Over the past 75 years, China has transformed from a poor and backward country into a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Today, China ranks among the world’s leading economic powers and is the largest manufacturing, goods trading, and foreign exchange reserve country globally.
Over the past 75 years, China’s GDP has risen from 67.9 billion yuan ($9.67 billion) in 1952 to 126 trillion yuan in 2023, accounting for approximately 17 percent of the global economy. Its national economic output has grown 223 times, and per capita GDP has increased from 119 yuan in 1952 to over 89,000 yuan last year.
Over the past 75 years, China’s circle of friends has also expanded, with diplomatic relations established with a total of 183 countries as of September, contributing to global stability. In September, leaders from China and Africa successfully convened the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, setting forth plans to enhance China-Africa cooperation in the new era. And more events are anticipated to be held between China and other members ofthe Global South nations in the upcoming months to address development and other global challenges.
As China gradually develops, a discourse represented by “a strong nation must be hegemonic” has emerged. This discourse, which leads to what they call the “China threat” theory, suggests that when a country becomes powerful, its demands inevitably increase, leading it to exercise hegemony abroad to gain excessive benefits. This logic can explain the actions of some Western powers, but will China follow the path of “a strong nation must be hegemonic” like some Western countries?
Firm commitment to peace, stability
While delivering a speech at the conference marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in June this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that “China’s resolve to stay on the path of peaceful development will not change. We will never take the trodden path of colonial plundering, or the wrong path of seeking hegemony when one becomes strong. We will stay on the right path of peaceful development.”
Those who say China will follow the track of some big powers in seeking hegemony either know little about China’s history and the Chinese civilization or project their own shameful moves onto China, Wang Yiwei, a professor at China’s Renmin University in Beijing, told the Global Times.
Chinese civilization is characterized by its unique continuity, inclusiveness, and openness. Since ancient times, China has upheld the principles of valuing harmony and being kind to others. The Chinese nation has consistently pursued diplomatic engagement and trade rather than aggression and expansion, said Wang Yiwei, noting about the example of Zheng He, the Ming Dynasty navigator who led a powerful fleet across the Pacific and Indian Oceans but occupied no land but instead fostered friendly relations with the countries he visited.
Moreover, historically, China has endured significant suffering from colonialism and hegemonism. These experiences have left an indelible mark on the Chinese psyche, fostering deep sympathy for other groups that face exploitation and oppression. From the challenging early years following the founding of the PRC to its subsequent development, China has continuously strived to support other developing regions, advocating for a more equitable global order, said Wang Yiwei.
From working with African countries under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, China is expanding cooperation with other countries worldwide, particularly developing nations and those in the Global South, to promote global development, said Wang Youming, senior research fellow and director at Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International Studies.
According to the latest data released by China Central Television, currently, China is a major trading partner for over 150 countries and regions. The scale of goods traded has surged from $1.13 billion in 1950 to $5.9 trillion in 2023, with the share of its total volume of imports and exports in the international market increasing from less than 1 percent in 1978 to 12.4 percent in 2023.
A force to safeguard global stability
The development over the past 75 years has significantly enhanced China’s national strength, making it an indispensable cornerstone for maintaining global security, analysts said.
Since 2008, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has sent 46 escort task groups to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, providing escort for some 7,300 Chinese and foreign vessels and conducting diverse tasks including anti-terrorism, anti-piracy, joint search and rescues as well as evacuations.
Moreover, China has actively participated in UN peacekeeping operations. China is a main contributor to both UN peacekeeping assessments and the UN’s regular budget, and the largest troop-contributing country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
In recent years, the PLA has earnestly implemented the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, built an 8,000-strong standby peacekeeping force, and sent more than 50,000 peacekeepers to UN peacekeeping missions in over 20 countries and regions. More than 1,700 PLA peacekeepers are, as of May 2024, performed their duties in 6 mission areas, including South Sudan, Lebanon and the Abyei region, making positive contributions to world peace and common development.
Lawrence Freeman, a political economic analyst for Africa, told the Global Times at the security and defense forum in Beijing in September that China’s major initiatives, which are to modernize and develop the economy, expand agriculture, and improve the standard of living, are essential goals that all human beings on this planet, regardless of ethnicity, religion or geographic location, strive for.
Advocating for multilateralism
For the past 75 years ago, China has remained a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a guardian of the international order. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the PRC, China is also voicing its commitment to promoting the establishment of a new type of international relations centered on cooperation and mutual benefit, and fostering a community with a shared future for mankind, making new contributions to global development, analysts said.
On Monday, while attending the UN Summit of the Future, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked about China’s proposals in addressing global challenges.
“All countries, regardless of their size and strength, are equal members of the international community … We need to strengthen the authority of international rule of law, reject the law of the jungle where the strong bully the weak, oppose acts of hegemonism such as unilateral sanctions, protect the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, promote greater democracy in international relations, and uphold international fairness and justice,” said Wang Yi.
For the past decades, China has put forward a series of important proposals and initiatives, including Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, and three major global initiatives, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to maintaining world peace and security and receiving positive responses and support from leaders of various countries, Wang Youming said.
In the face of international issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Palestine conflict, China’s initiatives demonstrate their vitality, said the expert, noting that China is also seeking to resolve disputes through dialogue and political means, standing in stark contrast to certain Western countries that pursue their interests through proxy wars, said Wang Youming.
Moreover, China’s pragmatic cooperation with other countries has encouraged the international community to focus on development issues and fosters high-quality growth for the future, offering Chinese solutions to bridge the development gap for Global South countries, promoting the development of the Global South and injecting positive impetus to global stability, according to the expert.
Analysts also noted that in response to unprecedented global changes, China and developing countries in the Global South are joining forces with a proactive approach, committed to maintaining genuine multilateral mechanisms to achieve common development and share progress with more nations.
GT
