On 12 November, 2022, the Nation, the largest-selling newspaper in Seychelles, published an article entitled Working together for a shared future in the new era - The signed article of Chinese Ambassador H.E. Mrs. GUO Wei on the 20th National Congress of the CPC. The full text is as follows:
From October 16 to 22, 2022, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has been successfully held in Beijing. As a Congress of great importance, it has taken place at a critical time as China embarks on a new journey to build itself into a modern socialist country in all respects and advances toward the Second Centenary Goal. The Congress has laid out well-informed guiding principles and missions of the Party and the country for the next period and drew a great blueprint of advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. The most important political achievement of the Congress is that a new CPC Central Committee has been elected with Xi Jinping re-elected as its General Secretary.
I. The Congress has profoundly summed up the remarkable changes in China in the new era of the past decade.
In the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has summarized the great changes in 16 aspects for the past decade since the 18th National Congress in 2012.The past decade marked three major events of great immediate importance and profound historical significance for the cause of the Party and the people. We embraced the centenary of the Communist Party of China; we ushered in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and we eradicated absolute poverty and finished building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus completing the First Centenary Goal.
The original aspiration and the mission of Chinese Communists is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.Over the past decade in the new era, China has deepened reform across the board and focused on promoting high-quality development, and its economic strength has achieved a historic leap.The GDP has increased from US$ 8.53 trillion to US$ 17.77 trillion, and the proportion of the total economic volume in the world economy has risen from 11.3% to 18.5%, ranking second in the world. China’s average contribution to world economic growth has reached 38.6%, ranking first in the world. The per capita GDP has risen from US$6,300 to over US$12,000, and people’s lives have been improved in all aspects.The scale of China’s manufacturing sector and foreign exchange reserves remain the largest in the world.
Over the past decade we have implemented a people-centered philosophy of development, and we have made further progress in achieving common prosperity for all. We have won the tough battle against poverty. Close to 100 million poor rural residents have worked their way out of poverty and we have achieved the poverty reduction target set out in the UN’s Agenda 2030 ten years ahead of schedule. We have built the world’s largest education, social security and health-care system and China’s average life expectancy has reached 78.2 years. All this hasbrought about an all-around improvement in people’s lives. The people now enjoy a stronger sense of satisfaction，happiness and fulfillment. In the face of COVID-19, we have put the people and their lives above all else and coordinated COVID-19 response with socioeconomic development, which has achieved significant and positive results.
Over the past decade we have pursued a more proactive strategy of opening up, and promoted the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. We have worked to build a globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas and accelerated the development of pilot free trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port. As a collaborative endeavor, the Belt and Road Initiative has been welcomed by the international community both as a public good and a cooperation platform. China has become a major trading partner for more than 140 countries and regions, while leads the world in total volume of trade in goods. China has also become a major destination for global investment and a leading country in outbound investment. Through these efforts, we have advanced a broader agenda of opening up across more areas and in greater depth.
Over the past decade we have acted on the idea that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and China’s ecological conservation systems have been improved. We have persisted with a holistic and systematic approach to conserving and improving mountain, water, forest, farmland, grassland, and desert ecosystems, and we have ensured stronger ecological conservation and environmental protection across the board, in all regions, and at all times. Solid progress has been made in promoting green, circular, and low-carbon development. This has brought us bluer skies, greener mountains, and cleaner waters.
Over the past decade we haveworked actively to foster a new type of international relations and promote the development of a human community with a shared future. We stood firm in protecting international fairness and justice. We have advocated and practiced true multilateralism. We have taken a clear-cut stance against hegemonism and power politics in all their forms. We have actively participated in the reform and development of the global governance system and engaged in all-around international cooperation in the fight against Covid-19. All this has seen us win widespread international recognition.
II. The Congress has pointed out the central task of the Communist Party of China, and drew a great blueprint of advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has stated solemnly in the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China as below. “From this day forward, the central task of the Communist Party of China will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.”
The Chinese path to modernization is a socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. It contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context. It 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.
In line with China’s reality, the Chinese path to modernization takes root in the vast land of China. The successful practice of the Chinese path to modernization indicates that each country can independently explore a modernization path suited to its own national conditions. The Chinese path to modernization has created a new form of human advancement, expanded the ways for developing countries to move toward modernization, and provided Chinese solutions for countries around the world to explore a better social system.
To build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, we have adopted a two-step strategic plan: Basically realize socialist modernization from 2020 through 2035; Build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful from 2035 through the middle of this century.
The Congress has proposed accelerating the creation of a new development pattern by pursuing high-quality development, building a high-standard socialist market economy, modernizing the industrial system, advancing rural revitalization across the board, and promoting coordinated regional development, promoting high-standard opening up. It has proposed invigorating China by developing education that meets the people’s expectations, improving systems for scientific and technological innovation, accelerating the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy, and implementing the workforce development strategy. It has proposed exercising law-based governance on all fronts and advancing the rule of law in China by improving the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics with the Constitution at its core, ensuring strict and impartial administration of justice, and stepping up efforts to establish the rule of law throughout society. It has proposed improving the people’s wellbeing and raising quality of life by improving the system of income distribution, implementing the employment-first strategy, improving the social security system, advancing the Healthy China Initiative. It has proposed upholding and improving the policy of one country, two systems. We support Hong Kong and Macao in growing their economies, improving their people’s lives. We will adhere to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, take resolute steps to oppose “Taiwan independence”, promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and advance the process of China’s peaceful reunification.
III. The Congress has concerned about the people around the world, guiding China’s diplomacy in the new era, and promising a brighter future for China-Seychelles relationship.
Just as President Xi Jinping pointed out, China has always been committed to its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development, and it is dedicated to promoting a human community with a shared future.
On the new journey of the new era, China will remain firm to pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, strive to uphold the basic norms governing international relations and safeguard international fairness and justice. Guided by the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity, and good faith and with a commitment to the greater good and shared interests, China will endeavor to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries and safeguard the common interests of the developing world. China will be committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world and pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, striving to create new opportunities for the world with its own development and to contribute its share to delivering greater benefits to all peoples. China will play an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system and uphold true multilateralism. China has put forward the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative and stands ready to work with the international community to put these two initiatives into action.
China and Seychelles are good friends and partners. China is willing to take the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China as an opportunity to work together with Seychelles to strengthen exchanges on governance, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, seek further happiness for the two peoples and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.