A PDF is a well-known digital file format. When the PDF version of the Report to the 20th CPC National Congress began appearing on various screens, a P.D.F. interpretation of the Report comes into mind, but instead with key words meaning: “People-centered,” “Definiteness” and “Foresight”. These words bear the characteristics of the Report and give clear message to the world.
“People-centered” delivers, standing on the side of the people, represents the fundamental political stance of the Communist Party of China (CPC). A decade ago, when meeting with foreign press, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, took a solemn oath that “the people’s wish for a good life is our goal.” Ten years later, General Secretary Xi re-emphasized that “we should always act for people and rely on them in everything we do.”
The CPC stays true to the vision of people-centered development and has brought about an all-around improvement in Chinese people’s lives over the past decade. Here are some vivid numbers: average life expectancy has reached 78.2 years and per capita disposable income increased from 16,500 yuan (about $2,275) to 35,100 yuan (about $4,840). Over the past decade, close to 100 million poor rural residents have been lifted out of poverty in China.
The word “People” frequently appears throughout the Report. General Secretary Xi always stresses the importance of putting the people first. The state is the people, and the people are the state. As the CPC has led the people in fighting to establish and develop the People’s Republic, it has really been fighting for their support. These resounding words warm the hearts of the people.
A 2020 Harvard University survey among the Chinese people spanning over a decade found that more than 90 percent of respondents are satisfied with the Party and their government. In 2021, as many as 91 percent of Chinese interviewed by Edelman, a top global public relations consultancy firm, said they trust their government, the highest recorded all over the world for years running.
Martin Jacques, a senior researcher at the University of Cambridge, told the media that: China has taken the country out of poverty and made such a rapid transformation in such a short period; the Chinese government and the CPC have been remarkably open-minded and intelligent in solving problems.
D-Definiteness, China’s future development path is featured with definiteness. Amid changes the world has not seen in a century, General Secretary Xi pointed out that the world, the times, and the history are changing in an unparalleled way, and human society is facing formidable challenges. A “scarce commodity” as “certainty” is, China has always been a force for certainty as a major country in the world.
The original aspiration and founding mission of Communist Party is definite. The CPC is dedicated to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It is also dedicated to human progress and world harmony. The central task of the CPC is clear: “to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization”.
The characteristics of Chinese path to modernization are well-defined, namely the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. The overall arrangement of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects is concrete.
The certainty of China’s development benefits both China and the world. China’s “targeted poverty reduction” has gone global from the Shibadong Village in western Hunan Province and has been written into the resolution of the UN General Assembly; China’s model of “green benefit” has been put into practice in Kenya, Brazil, Germany and other countries through technological innovation and international cooperation.
Chinese path to modernization offers a reference for countries to explore their own development paths, and provides clear and precise Chinese wisdom, solutions, and strength to solve common problems faced by humanity.
F-Foresight, it shows General Secretary Xi’s vision as the leader of the CPC, the ruling party in a major country. The world is once again standing at the crossroads of history, and the choice of where to go lies in the choice of people of all countries. The answer offered by China is that it has always been committed to its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development, and it is dedicated to promoting a community with a shared future. China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace. China is the only country in the world that has codified its commitment to peaceful development into its Constitution.
It is committed to promoting a new type of international relations, deepening and expanding global partnerships based on equality, openness, and cooperation, and broadening the convergence of interests with other countries. China is committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world and pursues a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. It strives to create new opportunities for the world with its own development and to contribute its share to building an open global economy that delivers greater benefits to all peoples. China has taken initiatives to lower its tariffs on goods, and its overall tariff level has been slashed to 7.4 percent, even lower than the 9.8 percent commitment made upon accession to WTO.
China plays an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system. It upholds true multilateralism, promotes greater democracy in international relations, and works to make global governance fairer and more equitable. China has put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and it strives to promote the common values of humanity, which are supported by most countries around the world.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a widely welcomed international public good and an international cooperation platform. People are pleased to see that East Africa has the first highway, Belarus has its groundbreaking car manufacturing industry, the Maldives has its first cross-sea bridge, the Greek port of Piraeus has become a major European port again, Indonesia’s first-ever high-speed railway with a speed of 350 km/h (Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway) will be in operation next year.
Recently, leaders of foreign political parties and people from all walks of life have warmly congratulated the successful convening of the 20th CPC National Congress, and gave a “thumbs up” to the CPC and China.
The Report to the 20th CPC National Congress is not just a PDF version on the screen, but a program of action, which will be fully implemented for sure. “People-centered,” “Definiteness” and “Foresight” are only a set of keywords in the Report that contains abundant information, and there are so many other exciting words waiting to be interpreted in the Report by people who are keen to follow a close watch on China.
(Global Times)
