How Chinese modernization creates new opportunities for global development

SHANGHAI, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from Beijing Review:

To understand Chinese modernization, one must understand the evolution of the Communist Party of China (CPC), participants said at a forum on innovating the international image communication of the CPC on July 6 in Shanghai, home to the site where the Party's First National Congress took place in 1921.

Jointly hosted by China International Communications Group (CICG) and the Central Institute of Socialism, the CPC International Image Innovation Forum gathered around 200 experts and scholars from government institutions, universities, media outlets and think tanks to elaborate on the story of China's path to modernization.

"The CPC has upheld mutual learning among civilizations and driven Chinese modernization to benefit nations around the world. China is promoting neither self-admiration nor 'putting China first.' Instead, in the process of achieving domestic growth, it hopes to create more new opportunities for global development," CICG Vice President Lu Cairong said in his forum address.

The forum can help the international community better understand the CPC's advancement of Chinese modernization and see how the Party has always sought happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, Lu continued.

Xu Shaogang, Academic Dean of the Central Institute of Socialism, stated the Chinese path to modernization, especially its guiding philosophies of common prosperity for all, material and cultural-ethical advancement and harmony between humanity and nature--among others, inspires other nations to seek their own development paths and encourages the world to pursue a shared, brighter future.

Ouyang Hua, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai University, delivered his keynote speech from the perspective of higher education. He said, "We must continue to familiarize people with the history of the CPC and learn from that history to perfect our national governance as well as cultivate more talents to better tell the story of the country and the Party."

Vladimir Imamovich Norov, former Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, delivered a video speech to the forum. In his speech, he said the fundamental principles of the Chinese model, such as prioritizing public interests, strategic planning, and the use of market competition mechanisms, can be considered and adapted by other countries according to their own conditions and needs.

He said, "The Chinese path of modernization can serve as an inspiring example for other countries, especially developing countries that face various challenges and crises in their development, allowing them to learn lessons and apply China's experience in their own development efforts."

David Ferguson, Honorary Chief Editor of the Foreign Languages Press, CICG, commented on China's whole-process people's democracy. In his speech, he said this democratic system is based on three C's--cooperation, consultation and continuity:

• cooperation between the huge number of individuals and groups representing all walks of life who participate in the people's congresses (legislatures) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (the country's political advisory body);
• consultation in that individual citizens have a constitutional right to voice opinions and suggestions on proposed legislation, and the legislative authorities have a constitutional obligation to listen to them; and
• continuity where strategies will be devised, piloted, reviewed and rolled out over periods of years and even decades.

"You cannot vote for prosperity. You cannot achieve prosperity by marking an X in a box," Ferguson said. "You can only achieve prosperity by working for it. And you can only work for prosperity if certain essential conditions are met. Two of the most basic of these are long-term stability and order."

Keynote speakers further included Zhao Qizheng, former Minister of the State Council Information Office, Zhang Weiwei, Director of the China Institute, a think tank at Shanghai's Fudan University, and Rose Oliver, British Culture Specialist with Shanghai University. All shared their understanding of the Chinese path to modernization as well as their suggestions on how to better tell its stories to the world.

During the forum's parallel sessions, participants exchanged views on topics including the CPC's implementation of whole-process people's democracy, and the China-proposed Global Civilizations Initiative,  which calls for respecting the diversity of civilizations and promoting people-to-people exchanges.

The forum also launched the CPC International Image Communication Innovation Joint Research Program. Proposed by the China Center for International Communication Development under CICG, this program aims to facilitate exchanges of information, resources and research findings by gathering the latest in theoretical research from different institutions such as government departments, universities, media outlets and think tanks.

SOURCE Beijing Review