Q: An important sign of the century of change is that developing countries and emerging economies have become an increasingly important force on the international stage. In what ways is their development different from the development of the Western countries?

A: Obviously, these countries have had to develop within the systems established and dominated by the West. Rather than relying on expansion through war and colonial plunder, or by monopolizing capital, technology, and trade, they seized every available opportunity that were conducive to peaceful development, catching up by accumulating experience, working hard, and starting at the bottom of the international labor market.

Q: Was this also true for China's development?

A: Of course. China seized the opportunity afforded by globalization to integrate itself into the world. Starting from the low end of the industrial chain, it even went so far as to use the export proceeds from the production of 800 million pairs of sneakers to buy a Boeing aircraft from the U.S. With its accession to the WTO in 2001, China's development has become even more closely linked to the process of economic globalization. Once an insignificant member of the international trading system, China has rapidly risen to become the world's largest trader and the world's most important manufacturer.

China continues to follow a path of peaceful development, relying on independence, reform, and opening up, developing through mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

Q: How would you define China's role and position amid global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century?

A: China's development has been crucial. Above all, China is changing the world by changing itself, especially by creating a Chinese path to modernization and a new kind of civilization which is influencing the world's development.

The reason we can make this claim is that Chinese-style modernization has resolved many tough problems in the development of human society. For example, our modernization does not follow the typical path of Western development: capital-centric, polarized, materialistic, expansionist, and predatory. Instead, this new Chinese path expands the approach towards modernization for developing countries and provides a new option for those countries and peoples of the world that wish to accelerate their development while simultaneously maintaining their independence.

Of course, while other people may choose to focus on the mode and approach of economic development, the momentum of economic development never depends solely on the material and technological level; it is inevitably based on a theoretical, institutional, and cultural foundation. It is in this sense that we can claim that Chinese-style modernization actually embodies a new form of civilization.

The narrative behind China's efforts to influence the course of world history by changing itself also includes the following: in the coming century of momentous changes, what happens in China may turn out to be the world's most important event; what happens in the world may also become China's business. Whether China, which accounts for one-fifth of the world's population, is poor or rich, stable or chaotic, divided or united, closed or open, will exert an influence across the entire world.

The elimination of absolute poverty and the maintenance of domestic stability are not only achievements in which China can take pride, but also constitute a major benefit to the world. If China does not take extraordinary measures to alleviate poverty, and is then struck by internal turmoil, a large number of refugees will flee the country, causing chaos abroad, an outcome most certainly not welcomed by the West.

As it grows stronger, China is contributing more and more to the world. Its contribution to global economic growth of over 30 percent for more than 10 consecutive years makes it the main powerhouse of world economic growth. China has over fulfilled its commitments made at the time of its accession to the WTO, with average tariffs dropping significantly and approaching the level of developed countries. China's carbon emission intensity in 2018 was 45.8 percent lower than that of 2005, fulfilling its commitments to the international community ahead of schedule and becoming the main force in the global response to climate change.

The Chinese people have historically experienced periods of poverty and starvation, but since 2006, China has become the third largest food aid donor after the United States and the European Union. China has sent tens of thousands of agricultural experts to set up agricultural technology demonstration centers, experimental stations and extension stations in nearly 100 countries around the world. Far from posing a threat to the world's food supply, China has contributed its own solutions to meeting global food production demands.

China has taken the initiative to connect its own affairs with those of the world through a wide range of international treaties. From 1949 to 2018, it has concluded more than 25,000 bilateral treaties and agreements and participated in more than 500 multilateral treaties and agreements. The objects of these treaties are constantly expanding, from the Antarctic to the North Pole, from outer space to the ocean floor, to the maintenance of peace, to the protection of rare species, involving political, economic, cultural, social and ecological aspects. China's role in the international system has changed from that of a bystander to that of a participant, and it has become a promoter and contributor to global governance.

It is one thing to sign a treaty or agreement and another to abide by it. Whether a country is considered responsible or not is fundamentally shaped by its ability to comply with treaties and agreements. China's image is that of "a man of his word" who, once a treaty is signed, honors it honestly. This is different from the United States, which, motivated by self-interest, only honors agreements that are favorable to itself, and even breaks treaties and withdraws from groups at the drop of a hat.

Of course, changing the world by changing ourselves is a slow and cumulative process; it is not true that the world will change as soon as China changes.

Q: China still defines itself as a developing country, which people feel it's inaccurate. Looking at China's growing self-confidence, some people feel that China has begun a strategic expansion against the world, and its diplomacy seems to have become more assertive. Does this contradict the idea of "changing the world by changing itself"?

A: A century of momentous changes has allowed more countries to make their voices clearly heard. The world resembles an orchestra, with some countries always leading the singing, others taking the soprano part, and still others the bass part. With complex musical themes, there will also be less harmonious-sounding music. Because China, singing in the chorus, is so large, she makes a more distinct impression with the figure she displays and the voice she uses on stage.

Let us consider the current population of the world's developed countries. The 28 countries of the European Union have a total population of 512 million, North America (comprising the United States and Canada) 364 million, Japan 127 million, Australia and New Zealand 30 million, and the countries and regions that were once known as the "Four Asian Tigers" 90million. This is the total number of developed societies in the world, whose population amounts to about 1.12 billion people.

This is still 280 million less than the 1.4 billion people in China. With 1.4 billion people participating in the "chorus," the world will have no difficulty in hearing their voices, regardless of which part they are in, be it high-pitched part or low-pitched part.

It is a misunderstanding to say that there is a tendency towards "wolf-warrior" diplomacy. China's peaceful foreign policy has never changed. In terms of international public opinion, China has always been in a weak and defensive position. Any expressions of dissatisfaction with certain international viewpoints are basically forced counterattacks in the face of criticism and slander. A failure to speak softly is not the same as "wolf-warrior" diplomacy.

Furthermore, in the past, the United States and the West were relatively gentle towards China, for the simple reason that China was still very weak and unable to give the United States cause for concern. Today, the strategic attitude of the U.S. towards China has undergone a fundamental reversal, making it more and more difficult for China to "turn the other cheek" as it did in the past in exchange for favorable terms for development.

Even when China seeks compromise, when faced with constant external pressure and difficulties from the West, China cannot relieve this pressure, and is forced to temporarily counterattack. It is not difficult to understand why the Western world feels uncomfortable with this. In the eyes of the Chinese, this behavior is normal. Pursuing peaceful diplomacy does not exclude reasoned argument.

Q: China has described herself as "drawing closer to the center of the world stage." The world is concerned about whether China is trying to become a dominant player in the international system.

A: The phrase "drawing closer to the center of the world stage" is followed by another phrase: "continuously making greater contributions to mankind." Taken together, the two phrases are complete: as China's international status rises, it is participating more and more deeply in the international system, and it is increasingly able to make contributions to mankind that are commensurate with its higher international standing.

This is an ethical international mindset. As early as 1949, Mao Zedong said that China could only make greater contributions to mankind after it had developed. By contributions, we mean playing its part to improve the system of global governance and providing the world with more public goods, rather than dominating the world order, let alone playing the role of a moral arbiter, as some major powers have done.

As a major country develops, it will inevitably attract attention. The phrase "drawing closer to the center of the world stage" refers to this inevitable trend. The Chinese are careful to use the words "drawing closer," rather than claiming that they want to occupy the very center of the world stage and play the leading role.

The discourse of global governance is still fundamentally dominated by the West. As the largest developing country, China simply wishes to make its concerns known to the world. Although certain behaviors may have global implications, China's aim is not and cannot be to overturn the existing international system and write a completely different "script," but to work together with other countries to improve the existing "script," so that the world can become a better place.

Q: Perhaps the reason for not reshaping the international system is that China is still in the process of rising. There are fears of a power shift in the future.

A: Diversity and coexistence are traditional Chinese philosophies. Historically, China experienced a period of several hundred years of coexistence among the "seven warring states," with each state attempting to rise to the top. At that time, there were two ways to rise: "benevolent rule," which relied on benevolence, righteousness, and fair competition; and “hegemony,” which relied on force to defeat other countries. By relying on hegemony, it is fundamentally impossible for a people or a country to achieve long-term stability and rejuvenation; only by relying on benevolence will the rise of a nation be accepted by others. This historical conclusion has implications to this day.

While the West likes to speak of China's "rise," the Chinese prefer the term "rejuvenation." It is possible for China's revitalization to go hand in hand with the world's peaceful development without any tension. In its own internal affairs, China has created the concept and practice of "one country, two systems;" surely it has the magnanimity to accept the de facto existence of "one world, many systems."

The Chinese are surprised that some in the West fear that "in the future they will be living in a world dominated by China." Amid global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century, world power is being decentralized and diversified, rather than transferred from one country to another. The idea of power shift is the old thinking of a zero-sum game. China advocates a multipolar world, democratization of international relations, and multilateralism, and is not interested in power games.

Indeed, the world has enough trouble with one dominant player, the United States. People really do not need, let alone want, another country like the United States to speak and act in our global village.

The interviewee is Chen Jin, Former committee member of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Central Committee of CPC.

Liu Xian /Editor    Yang Lin /Translator

Yang Xinhua /Chief Editor    Ren Qiang /Coordinator

Liu Li /Reviewer

Zhang Weiwei /Copyeditor    Tan Yujie /Image Editor

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