PHIL-CHINA WATCH
By Herman Tiu Laurel
20th Party Congress: National and Global Peace and Prosperity
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The final takeaway from the Communist Party of China (CPC) 20th National Congress is the promise of China’s achievement of its own high-quality modernization and development, national strength against the many challenges being interposed on its path to National Rejuvenation, and the invitation to the developing and the rest of the world to share in the benefits of China’s progress by taking advantage of its opening up to the outside world.
High-quality development in China means breaking through the ceiling of the microchips sector, which is not a matter of it but only of when. China has proven that it can overcome any technological challenges having relied on indigenous development and innovation over the past decades to leapfrog many technologies from Quantum Computing to Artificial Intelligence, from 5G to 6G, to photovoltaics and a host of other technologies. China is able to muster the capital and the talent to succeed.
National Strength is a quality China possesses more than any other nation today with 91 percent of the population trusting the Chinese CPC government and 83 percent believe China’s government is genuinely democratic, both based on Western surveys of 2022, i.e. Edelman Trust Barometer headquartered in New York and Alliance of Democracies based in Europe. American trust in its government is only a dismal 39 percent of the population, and the US democracy perception is not even being published.
For the developing world which comprises 70 percent of the world’s population, China’s opening to the outside world, with particular emphasis on the developing world, is indeed very welcome. China is actively calling on the developing world to partake of China’s economic success and post-pandemic early recovery by exporting China’s huge market, hosting various trade expo’s inviting commodities and services suppliers and investments to partake in the economic growth of China.
The success of the 19th National Congress was resented in the current National Congress, and they are amazing achievements because they have been won despite 10 years of successive attempts of the US to block China’s progress. China overcame the “Pivot to Asia” the US launched to constrict China, the Trade War during the Trump years, the QUAD and AUKUS turmoil, and the Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Taiwan destabilization by the US.
In the 20th National Congress, China can declare its triumph in the past phase of the challenges and now prepares to forge further into the next five and 10 years for greater achievements. Asia and ASEAN watch these developments appreciatively, for as China succeeds so will Asia and ASEAN. China’s strength translates to our region’s stability and peace to allow the peoples of Asia the time and conditions for a strong recovery from the pandemic’s economic residual impact this decade.
The developing world has suffered through half a millennium of the Age of Imperialism and Colonialism, thus China’s initiatives towards a multipolar and multilateral world have always been celebrated by the Third World. The initiative that began visibly in the Bandung Conference in 1955 is now climaxing with the successes of the BRICS plus China is spearheading, the RCEP in our region, Asia-Africa forum and so many other initiatives of China today.
For us around the world what is most important is China’s vision for the future ahead of the global community, Xi said "Let us all join forces to meet all types of global challenges," as China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, strive to sustain basic norms governing international relations and international fairness and justice, standing against all hegemonism, Cold War mentality, and interference in other countries' internal affairs.
Xi said China is guided by sincerity, real results (which we really see) and good faith to the greater good and shared interests, endeavoring to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, safeguarding common interests of the developing world, opening to the outside world for mutually beneficial new opportunities with its own development.
Xi adds, “The Chinese people are ready to work hand in hand with people across the world to create an even brighter future for humanity...” All these are a call to the world’s developing world and the main audience of China for its new song of peace and prosperity to the World. Hence, it is no surprise that the developing world is flocking to the multi-polar and multi-lateral political and economic partnerships China is spearheading in BRICS, RCEP to name a few.
While some parties in the West, particularly the US, campaign to inflame parts of the world, destabilize situations and deconstruct peaceful conditions and environments, China is constructing the political structures and economic infrastructures for development, security and peace. This continuing message from the CPC 20th National Congress paves the way for a decade ahead of a global victory in the pandemic economic recovery and restoration of peace and prosperity in all parts of the world.
The new seven-man CPC Standing Committee members were finally presented to the World on October 23, 2022 with President Xi Jinping elected for a third term as General Secretary. The others members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee elected Xi Jinping are Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. Under the new leadership, China is expected to continue its Long March towards the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the foregoing article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) or any other office under the Office of the Press Secretary.
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About the Columnist
Herman Tiu Laurel is a veteran journalist and founder of think tank PHILIPPINE-BRICS Strategic Studies.