China's modernization path sets the direction for the world

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China kicked off in Beijing on Sunday. At the opening session of the congress, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a keynote speech, in which he summed up the achievements of the previous five years and outlined plans for the next five years. He also touched upon the fundamental points of China's policy and development. Of particular interest was the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind. This is a concept that presupposes peace, the general development of states, and their relationships based on common interests. That is, Beijing promotes the idea of humanity as a single society.

Xi first put forward this concept in 2013 and reaffirmed its importance at the previous CPC Congress. In the past, China has done a lot in the direction of implementing the concept. China continued to build mutually beneficial relations with other countries based on common interests, and not just on the interests of the Chinese side. The second economy of the world, holding practically the whole world in trade and economic networks, does not want hegemony, but strives for mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.

One of the strongest branches of the concept is the Belt and Road Initiative, which has already found a wide response in the world. Today it is a solid platform of cooperation, which the countries of the continent continue to join.

What is a community with a shared future for mankind? This is a world in which security interests will be the same for all. For this, we need to abandon hegemons and vassals, create a secure architecture characterized by equality, justice, co-creation and the sharing of opportunities. Strong countries in order to achieve common goals should contribute to the development of weaker ones. Because it is in the common interest of harmonious and balanced development. It must be said that Beijing stands for an economic globalization characterized by openness, inclusiveness, universal preference, balance and win-win. This eliminates unhealthy competition that leads to conflict and hostility.

A large place in the report was given to the role of China in the system of the world economy and international relations.

The common good is a healthy and just goal. Only a strong and self-confident power was able to offer such a thing, and China was the first to think about the common good. A community with a shared future for mankind is China's main strategic goal, which will eventually begin to gather healthy forces around the Chinese idea.

The government of the People's Republic of China, of course, thinks not only about the welfare of the world, but also about the welfare of its own people. This point in the policy of the CPC is even more important to improve the well-being of the people, to improve the quality of life of the people.

"From this day forward, the central task of the CPC 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," Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said in a report at the opening session of the congress.

The CPC will continue to lead the people on the Chinese path of modernization, and this will be the main task of the Party.

These are not just words. The process of China's development is taking place before the eyes of the whole world and is of general interest. The theoretical basis of this policy is supported by practice. Chinese modernization is the socialist modernization carried out under the leadership of the CPC and China’s economy is rising to the level to become one of the most developed countries in the world.

Taking into account the experience of advanced countries, China has developed its own concept that does not follow anyone else's path. China, as it were, says with its approach that there are different ways for development, and not just one promoted by the West. The path of modernization does not have to be accompanied by the breaking of foundations, and no one here has a monopoly.

China has already proved this truth by its own example. It is suffice to say that poverty has been eradicated in the country and entire regions are moving from extreme poverty to prosperity as a result of socialist reforms.

China's path can serve as an example for other countries. Chinese modernization is modernization without revolutions, conflicts, wars and violence. This is the way of reforms based on national interests. Among the important tasks facing China today are the comprehensive promotion of rural development, the development of agriculture, the consolidation and development of the results of the intensive elimination of poverty, the growth of people's incomes, concern for the health of the people, and so on. 

Bringing benefit to the people is the fundamental principle of governance, Xi said, noting that working for the people's wellbeing is an essential part of the Party's commitment to serving the public good and exercising governance for the people.

The keynote speech of the Chinese leader is addressed not only to the people of China, but to the whole world. It contains a message about the need for unity, cooperation and the development of common goals. History has repeatedly proven that development alone is short-lived. It receives solid foundations when it is a common goal, the result of a unity of interests. China showed the way, now it's up to the rest of the world.

Seymur Mammadov is the director of the international expert club EurAsiaAz and editor-in-chief of Azerbaijan news agency Baku Tribune.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.

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