By Dipendra Shrestha (KATHMANDU, 16 October 2022) – Today, all eyes are set on Beijing, as the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) holds the inaugural meeting of its 20th National Party Congress, where the President of China and General Secretary of the CPC, Xi Jinping, will deliver a work report, which is likely to solidify and expand the development concepts which have emerged during his administration, and which collectively are known as ‘Xi Jinping Thought.’ The concepts in this work report will most likely be enshrined in the Constitution of the CPC, thus becoming a guiding principle for Party and government action. The importance of the 20th NPC is, therefore, not really about the media headline story of President Xi’s groundbreaking third term; rather, it is about the implications for the country’s development pathway.
This congress, as claimed by CPC, will be a historical milestone that relates to the carrying forward of the CPC and national cause, the future of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The congress is assumed to motivate and unite the Chinese people of all regions and ethnic groups to continue their efforts and strive for a new victory in socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The congress is an important event not only for the CPC and China’s politics, but also for the whole world because it concerns China’s relations with other countries. The congress should spare no efforts in calling for developing in unity, and showcase China’s resolve in pursuing peace, achieving sustainable development, and building a harmonious world for win-win cooperation and shared future of humanity as claimed by CPC. China should enhance its role in seeking peaceful development and facilitating dialogues and cooperation around the globe. China’s future development is a big part of global development, which inevitably brings wide international attention on the congress.
CPC has been directed towards Socialism with Chinese characteristics, that may inspire developing countries a new path to achieve modernization, and to accelerate development while maintaining independence. The success of socialism with Chinese characteristics proves the failure of the so-called “end of history” theory proposed by some western scholars, and draws following inspirations for the international community, especially the developing countries to move towards the path of socialism based on their own realities and seek suitable development path thereon. China has proved that poverty is never an inevitable fate that cast over developing countries. In fact, every of us can realize national prosperity if we strengthen our resolve and pay unremitting efforts. As exemplification of the statement, China has lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty, and successfully develops a path and important experience for poverty alleviation with Chinese characteristics.
The congress will take stock of the Party’s work over the past five years, as well as major achievements and valuable experience of the Party’s Central Committee with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core in uniting and leading the whole Party and diversified Chinese people in a unilateral direction, the economic prosperity of China.
This period is essential for China to stick to the right direction under the strong leadership amid the increasingly complicated and challenging international environment, as the uncertainties brought by challenges like the COVID-19 epidemic and the strategic suppression launched by the US have continued to threaten the development and security of China in recent years. Since its 18th National Congress in 2012, the CPC, under leadership of Xi Jingping, has oriented national development based on scientific methods, and made the major political judgement that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, bringing more vigor and vitality to the development of socialism in China. The Party Central Committee with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core has not only deepened its theoretical understanding of the regularities of socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also continued rejuvenation of China. Between 2012 and 2021, China’s per capita GDP rose from $6,300 to $12,500, and its national per capita disposable income increased from $16,510 to $35,128. China has built the world’s largest social security system, with basic medical insurance covering 1.36 billion people and basic pension insurance covering more than 1 billion people.
In 2021, China’s GDP amounted RMB 114 trillion, and its share of global economy increased from 11.4% in 2012 to more than 18%, which consolidated China’s international status as the world’s second largest economy. China’s per capita GDP reached $12,500,000, approaching the threshold of a high-income country. Chinese economy generally contributes around 30% of world economic growth, making it the largest economic engine.
In 2021, China’s imports totaled 17.37 trillion yuan, up by 51.2% compared with 2012. China is the world’s second largest importer with growing volume of imports on advanced technology and equipment, key components, and high-quality consumer goods, which better accommodated domestic production demand and people’s living needs. An opener market has allowed the world to share more dividends from China’s economic growth and consumption boom. In 2021, China’s import growth accounted for 13.4% of the world’s total, contributing greatly to the recovery of global economy. China has ranked second in the world in attracting foreign investment for four consecutive years since 2017. In 2021, China’s absorption of foreign investment reached another record high, exceeding RMB 1 trillion for the first time to 1.15 trillion yuan.
It, therefore, may enshrine the continuation of leadership of General Secretary Xi Jingping for the third term, though the CPC has policy of “Seven Up, Eight Down” (exit from party at or above 68 years). The party made policy for the betterment of party can always be upgraded for the benefit of the party.
The CPC has set two centenary goals: The first was to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021 when the CPC celebrated its centenary, and the second is to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of the century to celebrate the centenary of the People’s Republic of China in 2049.
General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the idea of building a community of shared future for mankind, which has been assumed to connect the future of all countries with shared interests and shared responsibilities as the challenges are also shared by all, thus pointing out the right direction to build a world enjoying lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness and clean and beautiful environment.
The prosperity of China is a common property to people all over the world. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, China has implemented the largest global humanitarian action since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and made Chinese vaccines as global public goods, giving priority to developing countries and making China’s contribution to the global fight against the epidemic. As of April 2021, China has dispatched a total of 27,000 foreign aid medical teams and diagnosed and treated 280 million patients. As of May 2022, China has provided 4.6 billion protective suits, 18 billion test kits, more than 430 billion masks and other anti-epidemic materials to 153 countries and 15 international organizations. To help bridge the “immunity gap”, China has supplied more than 2.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations.
So far, China has provided thousands of project packages and material assistance projects to more than 160 developing countries, carried out tens of thousands of technical cooperation and human resources development cooperation projects, and trained more than 400,000 people of various types. China has also fully implemented the G20 Debt Suspension Initiative, with a total of over US$1.3 billion, making it the country that offers the largest amount of debt suspension among the G20 members.
The CPC has accumulated a lot of valuable experience in national development and construction, which is a common asset to progressive people and countries around the globe and can be used as a reference for many countries. It is expected that the Communist Party of China will share the experience and practices of rejuvenating the country and long-term stable governance with political parties of various countries, and share new ideas, new strategies and new measures, so as to better benefit the people of their own countries. China should share the experience and achievement in the journey to prosperity to outer world, especially the immediate neighbors. Neighbors are those which can never be omitted, neglected and changed. The congress is expected to focus on the development of its neighboring countries; the strength and prosperity of which will eventually benefit China.
Author is Secretary of Nepal Intellectual Council. Comments are expected at [email protected]