On October 28th , Consul General Tang Zhongdong published signed article on Star, Business Day and Sowetan under the title Advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.
The full text is as follows:
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was convened on October 16 in Beijing, with 2296 delegates attending. On behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a Report titled “Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive in Unity to Build a Modern Socialist Country in All Respects”.
On October 22, the Congress concluded successfully with a resolution on the Report of the 19th CPC Central Committee, a resolution on the work report of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, a resolution on the amendment to the CPC Constitution, and electing of 205 new members of the CPC Central Committee.
On October 23 at the Committee’s first plenary session, Xi Jinping was elected General Secretary of the CPC.
I. The 20th National Congress is of historical and realistic significance.
The Congress marks a very important milestone as China has achieved the First Centenary Goal which is to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects through 2020 and embarked on a new journey towards the Second which is of building a modern socialist country by the mid of the century
The Congress has held high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, fully implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, reviewed the works done in past five years since the 19th Congress and the great changes taking place over the decade, and elaborated on the new frontier in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, the Chinese features and essential requirements of Chinese modernization, and other major issues. It has made strategic plans for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects for future years, thus advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.
The report approved by the Congress is the crystallization of the wisdom of the Party and the people. It is a political declaration and a program of action for the Party to bring together the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in securing new successes.
II. China has made great achievements in the past decade
In November 2012, the CPC held its 18th National Congress and elected the central leadership with Xi Jinping at the core, opening a New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The past decade of the New Era marked three major events of great immediate importance and profound historical significance: Embracing the centenary of the Communist Party of China; Ushering in a New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics; Eradicating absolute poverty and finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus eventually completing the First Centenary Goal.
From 2013 to 2021, China’s GDP grew at an average annual rate of 6.6%. In 2021, China's GDP reached 17.7 trillion US dollars, accounting for 18.5% of the world economy and ranking second in the world. In 2021, China's per capita GDP reached 12,600 US dollars, ranking firmly among upper-middle income countries. The total output of grain ranks first in the world, and the scale of manufacturing industry and foreign exchange reserves rank first in the world.
Over the past 10 years, China has grown stronger in basic research and original innovation, made breakthroughs in some core technologies in key fields, and boosted emerging strategic industries. China has witnessed major successes on multiple fronts, including manned spaceflight, lunar and Martian exploration, deep sea and deep earth probes, supercomputers, satellite navigation, quantum information, nuclear power technology, new energy technology, airliner manufacturing, and biomedicine. China has joined the ranks of the world’s innovators.
The Belt and Road Initiative is highly 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, it leads the world in total volume of trade in goods, and it is a major destination for global investment and a leading country in outbound investment. China has improved its overall diplomatic agenda and worked actively to build a global network of partnerships and foster a new type of international relations. China has demonstrated its sense of duty as a responsible major country, actively participating in the reform and development of the global governance system and engaging in all-around international cooperation in the fight against Covid-19. All this has seen China win widespread international recognition. China’s international influence, appeal, and power to shape have risen markedly.
With full confidence, the CPC and the Chinese people are driving the great transformation of the Chinese nation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. Reform, opening up and the socialist modernization drive have been further advanced.
Chinese modernization 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 practice in a country with huge population (1.4 billion) and large territory (9.6 million square kilometers). It aims to benefit all Chinese people, eradicate absolute poverty, progress as a whole, promote social equality and justice, seek common prosperity for all. It aims to purse high-quality economic development, reach high-level material civilization, develop whole-process people’s democracy, enrich the spiritual world of the nationals, build socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, create a new form of human civilization. It emphasizes the harmony between humanity and nature, the building of a Beautiful China, the green and low-carbon development. It resolutely takes the goal of maintaining world peace, promoting common development in the world and building a human community with a shared future for mankind.
The overall strategic arrangement of Chinese modernization is set into two stages: basically realize socialist modernization from 2020 through 2035; then 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.
Chinese modernization is a kind of modernization which only can be realized with the sole CPC’s leadership. Chinese modernization will provide alternative choices for mankind to reach modernization, contributing more and better Chinese wisdom, solutions and strength for solving common problems faced by mankind.
III. The “Two Establishments” are the fundamental guarantee for continuous achievements in the future
The great achievements of the New Era have come from the collective dedication and hard work of the Party and the people. The greatest political achievement of the CPC in the New Era is the establishment of Comrade Xi Jinping as the core of the whole Party, as well the establishment of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding ideology of CPC (“Two Establishments”). This completely reflects the CPC’s profound summary of historical experience and in-depth grasp of the rules of history and the CPC’s firm confidence.
As the core of CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has become Chinese people’s Leader already passing through testing of history, practice and struggle, most supported and loved by the whole Party and the nation, and absolutely is the best designer of the great rejuvenation process of the Chinese nation.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Marxism and 21st century Marxism, as well the action guide to lead the Party’s great self-revolution and the great social transformation.
A strong leadership core and scientific theoretical guidance are fundamental issues concerning the destiny of the nation and the success of the cause. The “Two Establishments” provides a fundamental political guarantee for building a modern and strong socialist country in all aspects of the future. It is most necessary for Chinese to have a deep understanding of the decisive significance of “Two Establishments”.
IV. China will embrace a better future
The next five years will be crucial for getting our efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects off to a good start. Main objectives and tasks for this period are as follows:
·Make breakthroughs in promoting high-quality economic development; achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology; make major progress in creating a new pattern of development and building a modernized economy
·Make new strides in reform and opening up; make further progress in modernizing China’s system and capacity for governance; further improve the socialist market economy; put in place new systems for a higher-standard open economy
·Further enhance the institutions, standards, and procedures of whole-process people’s democracy; improve the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics
·Enrich the intellectual and cultural lives of our people; enhance the cohesion of the Chinese nation and the appeal of Chinese culture
·Ensure personal income grows basically in step with economic growth and pay rises in tandem with increases in productivity; ensure much more equitable access to basic public services; develop a better multi-tiered social security system
·Substantially improve urban and rural living environments; make notable progress in building a Beautiful China
·Further consolidate national security; fulfill the goals for the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army in 2027; make solid progress in building a Peaceful China
·Further increase China’s international standing and influence; enable China to play a greater role in global governance
V. The prospect of China-South Africa relations will be brighter
It has been 24 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Africa. Under the personal guidance of the ruling party leaders and presidents of the two countries, China-South Africa relations have leaped from partnership and strategic partnership to comprehensive strategic partnership. China has been South Africa’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years. The total trade volume of 2021 rose to $54 billion, of which South Africa exported $33 billion to China, sharing a good surplus. South Africa is also one of the largest investment destinations for Chinese companies in Africa. Incomplete figure shows up to the end of 2021, China has cumulatively invested $25 billion more in South Africa.
On October 17 Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa and the ANC, sent his congratulations in the first instance to the 20th CPC National Congress. He said the ANC cherished the brotherly friendship with the CPC, adding that solidarity and common values were the solid foundation of ties. In a world that is changing, Ramaphosa said, the CPC and ANC would seize the opportunities, meet the challenges and strengthen the bilateral ties. He expected constructive results from the 20th CPC National Congress and wished the CPC develop and grow and head towards common prosperity for all.
We firmly believe that China-South Africa relations will continue to grow on a sound track and bring more tangible benefits to the two countries and their peoples.