Respected friends and experts on China,
Distinguished guests,
It's my great pleasure to have this opportunity to exchange views with a group of distinguished experts on China. Today's seminar comes at the time when the Chinese people just celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the new China. It's a moment for celebration, and also a moment for stocktaking and sober contemplation. In the past six decades, especially since 1978, China has taken tremendous transformations, turning a backward country into the third largest world economy, lifting the Chinese people from an impoverished condition to a moderately prosperous life, changing a closed and inward-looking country into a nation widely open to the outside world, playing an increasingly active and important role in the international arena. What has brought about all these achievements? In my view, the followings are crucial factors:
First, the correct leadership of Communist Party of China (CPC). Since its birth in 1921, the CPC has been totally dedicated to serving the interests of the Chinese people. Under its leadership, the Chinese people surmounted all kinds of difficulties at home and abroad and scored marked achievements. Though it made mistakes and suffered setbacks, the CPC has continuously strengthened itself by summing up experience and addressing mistakes by itself. Since 1949, generations of Chinese leaders developed clear objectives and practical guidelines for China's national development at various stages. Especially in 1978, Mr. Deng Xiaoping set a right direction for China by emphasizing the overriding importance of development. In 1987, "Three Step Development Strategy" was laid out: Step One: to double the 1980 GNP in ten years; Step Two: to quadruple the 1980 GNP by the end of the 20th century; Step Three: to increase per-capita GNP to the level of the medium-developed countries by the mid-21st century, at which point, the Chinese people will be fairly well-off and modernization of the country will be basically realized. In line with this strategy, the Chinese Government specifies relevant action plans to realize it. The 17th CPC National Congress in 2007 highlighted that the target of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects shall be reached by 2020. From their own experiences, the Chinese people came to the conclusion that without the leadership of CPC there would be no new China and no today's achievements.
Second, adherence to reform and opening-up. China's experience for national development is full of ups and downs. Since 1978, China removed the rigid, highly centralized planned economic system, established a dynamic socialist market economic system. Chinese society became unprecedentedly active, and the Chinese people's enthusiasm, initiative and creativity were emancipated. With an open mind, China stepped up its integration into the world. It traded with and welcomed investments from all countries and regions, and absorbed useful advanced management, leading technology, business models, and ideas, combining them with China's national conditions. Today China is closely interrelated with the world. From our experience, China's development cannot be separated from the rest of the world, while the world cannot prosper without China.
Third, seeking truth from facts and keeping abreast with the times. From the very beginning, there was no ready model of the development for a country as big and diversified as China to follow in the world history. China has to "wade across the stream by feeling the stones", as the Chinese saying goes. With courage, innovation, pioneering spirit and pragmatism, the Chinese people identified a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Important principles of seeking truth from facts and keeping up with the times in both theory and practice have been followed consistently. From Deng Xiaoping's Theory to Former President Jiang Zemin's "Three Represents" important thought, and to the Scientific Outlook on Development, the CPC always adjusts policies and measures in light of the changing situation at home and abroad, keeping pace with the times and addressing different tasks and challenges in different ways.
Fourth,striving for the wellbeing of the entire Chinese nation. Since the founding of the new China, the Chinese government is dedicated to the fundamental interests of the Chinese people by adopting the principle of "putting the people first", to ensure that people from all nationalities and all walks of life in China to benefit from the fruits of China's development. It aims at giving everyone equal opportunities for all-round development and promoting stability, harmony and prosperity across the land. Tangible improvements of people's living standards and other benefits made Chinese people firm supporters of all major policies laid out by the Government, especially the policy of reform and opening up, which form solid bedrock for the continuous success of China's development.
Fifth, stick to the path of the peaceful development. China is always a staunch force safeguarding world peace and strives for a peaceful international environment to develop itself and maintain world peace with its own development. In the past 60 years, China developed friendly and cooperative relationships with all countries including developed and developing countries, big and small. Special emphasis has been put on its relationship with developing countries and neighboring countries. Over the years, China has played an active, responsible and constructive role in international affairs. As a result, today China enjoys a peaceful and friendly international and peripheral environment, which is conducive to China's economic development. At the same time, China links its development with that of the rest of the world, combining the fundamental interests of the Chinese people with the common interests of all peoples throughout the world. China is committed to the promotion of building a harmonious world with sustained peace and common prosperity.
60 years' history and experience of development proves, once we choose the correct concept and theories, we will enjoy fast development and make less mistakes. As the most populous developing country, China knows too well the challenges and problems lying ahead. China is yet to overcome these problems and challenges, such as energy shortage, resources scarcity, disparity in regional development, weakness in agriculture, as well as adverse affects on environment, widening income gap, incomplete social security network, call for our further attention. Global financial crisis, food safety, climate change, etc. are posing new challenges. As Chinese leaders have repeatedly said, all problems confronting China only can be resolved through further reforms. Therefore, we will firmly and continuously stick to path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the policy of reform and opening up, upheld the independent foreign policy of peace and the policy of promoting world peace and development. It is the only way that China can overcome various difficulties to ensure sound and fast growth of the national economy and harmonious society.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
China and India as two great civilizations, once led the world both in innovation and commerce. Till 19th century, together they contributed more than half of the global production. It was the systematic invasion and destruction by colonizers that reduced China and India to a pitiful condition. With century-long efforts, today two countries are moving in a direction of regaining their deserved status and are making contribution to the realization of the Asian Age. Today, we are facing with unique opportunities for development and the world is looking on China and India. How should China and India act against the current backdrop? To work together to achieve common prosperity or to fight each other and failed together? It is not only an important question, but also a real issue we must seriously reckon with. China views Indian development positively. We are of the view that India's development is good to China. And China's and India's development is good to Asia as well as to the world. China-India relationship has gone beyond bilateral relations and has acquired global significance. It is true that we still have to resolve the remaining issues left over by history, such as boundary issue. In this respect, I always maintain that, first we should display the spirit of forward-looking; second we should seek the solutions through existing mechanisms; third we should exercise patience and display wisdom. I am happy to see that leaders of two countries are firm and confident about our relationship and are committed to the deepening of our Strategic and Cooperative Partnership cooperation. The academians, media and the public of two countries should contribute their shares.
In face of current global financial crisis and dramatic changes as well as challenges around the world, China and India, as two emerging economic powers and important players in the international configuration, shall join our efforts to ride over the difficulties to promote world peace and harmony, while safeguarding interests of developing countries, making our voices heard in the reconstruction of the international economic and political orders.
