The Wanshou Forum themed reform, development and modernization of state governance was convened in the birthplace of the country's rural reform, Xiaogang village in Fengyang county of east China’s Anhui province, on June 2. 

Nearly 200 international political party representatives of 66 political parties from 45 countries and regions attended the forum and shared insights on China's reform practice and experience.

The year of 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up policy. At the forum, the attendees discussed reform in China, rural vitalization, and global governance.

Guo Yezhou, vice minister of the International Department of Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, spoke about China’s achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). 

He said, in the past decades, China has lifted around 700 million people out of poverty and contributed significantly to the world economy. 

Data shows that between 2013 and 2016, China contributed around 30 percent to the world economy, surpassing the sum of contribution rates of the U.S., the Eurozone, and Japan, ranking first in the world.

“China's achievements of development benefit from its reform and opening up policy,” said Zahira Kamal, general secretary of Palestinian Democratic Union, adding that she would like to bring the experience of China to Palestine to attract more investment and promote technology transfer. 

She also said that she has seen firsthand the development of Anhui province and Xiaogang village, and other signature spots of reform and opening up like Shenzhen, the vanguard city of China’s reform and opening up in south China’s Guangdong province. 

“China's reform is people-oriented, which is a sign of healthy and sustainable development,” said Juan Castillo, general secretary of Communist Party of Uraguay. “Communist parties in Latin American countries also hope to implement such practices to enhance people's livelihood and promote social equality.” 

Sayed Abdelghany, chairman of the Arab Democratic Party of Nazareth, also echoed the people-oriented reform of China in his speech. He said this is an approach that political parties across the world should consider, and that socialism with Chinese characteristics has so far been successful. 

On the selection of the forum venue, Luan Jianzhang, director general of the Research Office of International Department of CPC Central Committee, said that Xiaogang is the birthplace of the rural reform.

In 1978, 18 farmers in Xiaogang village signed a secret agreement to divide their communally-owned farmland into individual plots at the risk of being labeled "counter-revolutionary," inadvertently beginning a series of rural reforms across China.

The Wanshou Forum was initiated by the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 2016 as a platform for international exchange and dialogue.

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