— as President Xi defines security plan at 20th party congress

By Samuel Sukhnandan in Beijing
CHINA will continue to vigorously pursue a high-quality economic development agenda over the next five years and beyond, as part of the country’s socialist modernisation drive.

President Xi Jinping made this announcement in a report at the opening session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Sunday, which was attended by more than 2,000 delegates at the Great Hall of the People.

“We must fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts; continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy; promote high-standard opening up and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy, and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows,” he said.

According to President Xi, the country will move faster to build a modernised economy, but in doing so, it will ensure that China’s industrial and supply chains are more resilient and secure, thereby expanding its economic output.

He said: “In pursuing economic growth, we must continue to focus on the real economy. We will advance new industrialisation and move faster to boost China’s strength in manufacturing and product quality.”

The Chinese President said the world’s second-largest economy had enjoyed historic growth in the past decade, with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rising from 54 trillion yuan to 114 trillion yuan and its share of the global economy climbing from 11.3 per cent to 18.5 per cent.

In outlining his vision for the emerging global superpower, President Xi said the party will leverage the strength of China’s enormous market, attract global resources and production factors, and amplify the interplay between domestic and international markets and resources.

“We will foster a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationally integrated. We will promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, “he added. He also said the country would speed up efforts to achieve greater self-reliance in science and technology.

Turning his attention to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Xi said the Chinese government had protected people’s safety and health to the highest degree and achieved significant, positive results in coordinating epidemic prevention and control and social and economic development.

The Chinese leader did not give any indication of a possible change in the approach to the pandemic, although it has had a significant impact on China’s economic development this year.

WORLD PEACE
Addressing the opening of China’s most important political meeting in five years, President Xi also recommitted that the country will continue to play a major role in promoting world peace and development and building a human community with a shared future.

He said the deficit in peace, development, security, and governance is growing, and the world has once again reached a crossroads in history, where the future course can only be decided by the world’s people.

“China is prepared to invest more resources in global development cooperation. It is committed to narrowing the North-South gap and supporting and assisting other developing countries in accelerating development, “he added.

Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping told the top brass of the Communist Party on Sunday that Beijing would also do its best to achieve peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but noted that it was up to the Chinese people to find a solution.

“We will adhere to striving for the prospect of a peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and greatest efforts, but will never commit to abandoning the use of force and reserve the option to take all necessary measures,” he said, maintaining that the complete reunification of the country must be realised.

SECURITY
President Xi also called for accelerating military and technological development to propel rejuvenation and said the People’s Liberation Army, the world’s second-largest military after the United States, needs to “safeguard China’s dignity and core interests.”

“We will work faster to modernise military theory, personnel, and weapons.”… “We will strengthen the military’s strategic capabilities in order to defend China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests,” he said in a nearly two-hour speech.

On the domestic front, the Chinese President said his party will continue to work to improve the well-being and quality of life of the Chinese people, advance the Healthy China initiative, pursue green development and continue the campaign against corruption in government.

He also said that the Communist Party, which has 96 million members, has won the largest battle against poverty in human history.

At the conclusion of the congress, President Xi could be reconfirmed as the party’s general-secretary, cementing his position as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

The congress will culminate on Saturday, October 22.

(Reporting courtesy of NCN Editor, Samuel Sukhnandan. Sukhnandan is currently in Beijing on the China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC) 2022 Fellowship at the invitation of the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA).