Last Saturday, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has successfully concluded. The seven-day meeting is convened at a critical time as China embarks on a new journey to build itself into a modern socialist country in all respects, with new central leadership elected for its new journey. As the first five-yearly national congress after CPC’s centenary in 2021, the meeting illustrated the achievements of the country and Party in the last decade and unveiled the blueprint for a modernized China in the next five years and beyond.
In the report to the Congress, Chinese President Xi Jinping has hailed the great transformation in the last decade as the milestone of the Party and nation, during which time three “historic feats” has been achieved: the CPC embraced its centenary, ushered in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and eradicated absolute poverty and finished building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus completing the first centenary goal.
Within this milestone decade, China has achieved the high-growth economic miracle and strive to high-quality development. China’s contribution to global economic growth averaged over 30 percent from 2013 to 2021, making it the biggest contributor. Its GDP has come to account for 18.5 percent of the world economy, up 7.2 percentage points over the past 10 years. The world’s second largest economy has become a major trading partner for over 140 countries and regions, leading the world in total volume of trade in goods.
Within this milestone decade, China upholds its people-centered philosophy of development and has built the largest education, social security, and health care systems around the globe. According to statistics, Chinese people’s sense of security has reached 98.6%, with an increase of 11% in ten years. China has become one of the safest countries in the world and the people are more satisfied, happier and more secured.
Within this milestone decade, China undertakes its responsibility to build a community with a shared future for humanity. The Belt and Road Initiative has become a well-received international public good and an important platform for cooperation, while the Global Development Initiative(GDI) and the Global Security Initiative have brought new impetus to the world peace and development. China is firm in safeguarding the international system with the United Nations(UN) at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
The next five years and beyond will witness the new journey of advancing rejuvenation of Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, which is 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, offering humanity “a new choice” for achieving modernization.
Pursuit of common prosperity for all is highlighted in China’s journey of modernization. After persistent hard work in the recent decade, China has lifted about 100 million poor rural residents out of poverty. The Congress has reemphasized the importance of advancing rural revitalization across the board and improving the social security system including elderly care, medical care and housing, so as to substantially grow the middle-income group as a share of the total population, guarantee equitable access to basic public services, and ensure modern living standards of living in rural areas by 2035.
Chinese modernization is one of material and cultural-ethical advancement, harmony between humanity and nature. China stresses the importance of advancing the “Beautiful China” initiative, accelerating the transition to a model of green development, and pursuing prudently toward its goals of reaching peak carbon emissions in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060, so as to achieve the great harmony between human and nature. China will continue to underscore the improvement and development of whole-process people’s democracy, and enrichment of the people’s cultural lives.
The modernization process of China is also part of the journey of humanity’s common progress and development. China has never achieved modernization through colonization or invasion, nor will it seek hegemony, expansion or geopolitical blocks in the future. Chinese modernization is one of peaceful development, with openness, cooperation and sharing as its core. China will be steadfast in deepening reform and opening up across the board, promoting Belt and Road Initiative and GDI with other countries, and striving to improve trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. China will always support developing countries in accelerating development, and to building a human community with a shared future.
This year marks the 47th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Samoa. Over the past 47 years, we have achieved profound mutual trust, expanded practical cooperation, and promoted people-to-people exchanges, with supports to each other on the international platforms. In the new journey, China is ready to expand bilateral cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, focus on deepening cooperation in various aspects, and give priority to cooperation in agriculture and fishery,digital economy and tourism. Our two countries will strive to build an architecture of practical cooperation that has rich substance and delivers tangible benefit to the real needs of both peoples. China is willing to join hands with Samoa to seek greater happiness for the two countries and peoples, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
By H.E. Chao Xiaoliang, Chinese Ambassador to Samoa
Having reached a new historical starting point, the 20th CPC National Congress will embark a new journey of achieving the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. At the same time, it will also bring new opportunities for the development of the world. Let’s see what will happen to China in one minute, what can China bring to the world?
