19th CPC National Congress: The roadmap towards 'a new era'
- By Earl Bousquet
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E-mail China.org.cn, October 20, 2017
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The Communist Party of China (CPC) opens the 19th National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo) |
Every National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a major national political event. But with China's place and role on the world stage today, this gathering, held every five years, is also of global significance.
This was reiterated in his feature address at the opening of the 19th CPC National Congress on October 18, when General Secretary Xi Jinping outlined the significance of China's contribution to human society today and the development of international socialism in the 21st Century.
The architect of his country's more recent dash into modernity was absolutely pellucid in his assertion that while China is pursuing its own brand of ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,’ its experience along that road is also a contribution to development of 21st Century Socialism globally.
He noted that "Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era" that’s related not only to "building a moderately prosperous society" in "a great modern socialist country," but also "an era that sees China moving closer to center stage and making greater contributions to mankind."
His equally bold assertion that his country has "stood up, grown rich and become strong" is the base reality that allows the CPC to today proudly hold and fly its own red banner sufficiently aloft for the rest of the world to see.
The CPC, under Xi, has indeed led China's billion-plus people along a continuous path of rapid political and economic changes in recent years, dictated both by national needs and global trends.
While addressing the opening session of the on-going Congress, Xi outlined a two-step approach to becoming a great modern socialist country once the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects is completed by 2020.
The CPC and China have been continually adjusting their pace of progress and introducing new development models to stay the course on the designed path to prosperity.
All these experiences have been seen by the world – shared by some and striking fear in others, but each providing living examples of just what can be achieved through hard work and good planning, with people's needs always at front and center.
Of course, the Chinese characteristics of 21st Century Socialism may not all be applicable everywhere else. That’s simply (almost) impossible. But every achievement in China can be possible in similar circumstances elsewhere, if approaches are sufficiently adapted or creatively applied to local realities.
Communist, Socialist and progressive parties worldwide share experiences at and from each other’s congress and the CPC's 19th offers the world an updated version of the continuously developing blueprint on how to build a moderately prosperous society.
Governments the world over also have their eyes peeled on this congress, as its decisions will also surely have implications for relations with China in the new world context.
Whether capitalist or socialist, governments everywhere are interested, for example, in China’s successes in poverty reduction – especially the CPC's aim that by 2020, the state will totally shake off poverty.
Looking ahead (at the world tomorrow), China has already proposed new approaches to international relations based on cooperation and mutual benefit; and Beijing has indeed offered proposals for "building a community of shared future for all humankind."
Planning the future for 1.39 billion people is no easy task. But the nearly 2,300 Congress delegates and the 89 million CPC members they represent are fully aware that their decisions have implications, not only for China but also for its relations with the rest of the whole wide world.
They are to brace (for) and face the challenges and opportunities to confront China – and all of humankind – in the years and decades ahead.
Earl Bousquet is a contributor to china.org.cn, editor-at-large of The Diplomatic Courier and author of an online regional newspaper column entitled Chronicles of a Chronic Caribbean Chronicler.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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