(at the Chinese Embassy’s media center at 11:30 on November 9, 2022)
Dear friends from the media,
Good morning.
On October 22, 2022, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) came to a successful conclusion, receiving worldwide attention. It drew up a blueprint for the new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, charting the course forward for realizing the Second Centenary Goal. President of the Sovereign Council of Sudan Burhan sent a congratulatory message to General Secretary Xi Jinping on the successful convening the 20th CPC National Congress, and multiple political parties of Sudan also sent their congratulatory letters on the Congress. This Congress represents a significant milestone in the history of the development of the Chinese nation and has major influence globally. As the international community including Sudan has paid a close attention to major outcomes and significance of the Congress, I want to take this opportunity to share with you from six perspectives our insights and understanding of this far-reaching Congress.
I. Electing the New CPC Central Leadership with Xi Jinping at Its Core
The new central leadership was elected at the first plenum of the Congress. Comrade Xi Jinping was re-elected General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and will continue to take the helm of the great vessel of China on the journey ahead. Also, the Congress established Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which represents broad consensus among and common aspiration of the entire party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups.
II. Elaborating on the Essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era
To stay at the forefront of the times, a nation must always be guided by the right theories. Since its inception, the CPC has embraced Marxism as the fundamental guiding ideology upon which the Party and the country are founded and thrive. However, the Party does not confine itself to specific ideas of classic Marxist authors. Instead, it has made unremitting efforts to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, establishing in sequence Mao Zedong Thought, a theoretical system for socialism with Chinese characteristics and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era that are guiding our practice.
Our experience in the past century has taught us that, at the fundamental level, we owe the success of the Party and socialism with Chinese characteristics to the fact that Marxism works, particularly when it is adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of our times. Adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times is the key to continued success in the cause of the Party.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era opens up a new frontier in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. It is the Marxism of contemporary China and of the 21st century, embodying the best of Chinese culture and ethos of this era. It is a new breakthrough in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, and is theoretically underpinned by “integration in two aspects” and “six commitments”.
Taking deep root in China, the Thought is the result of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with both China’s specific realities and fine traditional culture. By applying dialectical and historical materialism, we have provided correct answers to the major questions presented by the times and discovered through practice and ensured that Marxism always retains its vigor and vitality. In this way, we have achieved a new breakthrough in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times.
The worldview and methodology of the Thought could be crystallized into six commitments. We must be committed to putting the people first, maintaining self-confidence and standing on our own feet, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, adopting a problem-oriented approach, applying systems thinking, and maintaining a global vision.
Marxism’s great success in China tells us that there is neither orthodox model of development nor one-size-fits-all criteria in development. China is firmly opposed to other countries imposing their own development model on China, and will never “export” the Chinese model or ask other countries to “copy” China’s practice. China insists that every country’s endeavors to independently explore a path to modernization suited to its conditions shall be respected.
III. Reviewing the Great Achievements in the First Decade of the New Era
Over the past decade following the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party has rallied the people and led them in solving a great number of problems that had long gone unsolved, securing many accomplishments that hold major future significance, and achieving impressive advances in the cause of the Party and the country.
The past decade marked three major events of great immediate importance and profound historical significance for the cause of the Party and the people: We embraced the CPC’s centenary; we ushered in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and we eradicated absolute poverty and finished building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus completing the First Centenary Goal.
The past decade has witnessed China’s new heights in terms of economic, scientific and comprehensive national strength. China’s GDP has expanded from 53.9 trillion yuan to 114.4 trillion yuan to account for 18.5% of the world economy, up 7.2 percentage points. China has remained the world’s second largest economy, and the per capita GDP has risen to $12,500. China ranks 11th in the Global Innovation Index, up 23 places from ten years ago. The average life expectancy of the Chinese rose to 78.2 years. Nearly 100 million impoverished rural population has been lifted out of poverty. China now has in place the world’s largest systems of education, social security and medical and health care, and has seen historic, transformative, and comprehensive changes in ecological and environmental protection. Furthermore, China has become a major trading partner for more than 140 countries and regions and led the world in total volume of trade in goods. China’s average rate of contribution to global economic growth has reached 38.6%.
IV. Establishing the Second Centenary Goal of Building a Modern Socialist Country in All Respects
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 modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. Achieving modernization of the country and national rejuvenation has been the dream that the Chinese nation tirelessly pursues.
Building a moderately prosperous society in all respects is the first centenary goal of the CPC. At a ceremony marking the CPC’s centenary on July 1, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping declared on behalf of the Party and the people that through the continued efforts of the whole Party and the entire nation, we have realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This means that we have brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China. This is a big stride on the Chinese nation’s historic path to rejuvenation.
Building China into a modern socialist country in all respects is the Second Centenary Goal of the CPC. To this end, a two-step strategic plan has been adopted: basically realizing socialist modernization from 2020 through 2035; and building 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 when China will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding. This two-step plan is a blueprint for our endeavors in nearly 30 years.
Building a modern socialist country in all respects is an emblem of the realization of national rejuvenation and the greatest aspiration of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. In the nearly 30 years from now on, all work of the Party and the country will focus on and serve this central task.
V. Stressing China’s commitment to the Chinese path to modernization
For how to build a modern socialist country, the 20th CPC National Congress describes China’s approach to modernization as a brand-new Chinese path to modernization, and clearly defines the features and essential requirements of Chinese modernization and major principles that must be firmly adhered to, so that we will be able to keep firmly in our own hands the destiny of the country’s development. Chinese modernization, a new approach to a new form of modernization, have the following distinctive features.
First of all, Chinese modernization is the socialist modernization pursued under the CPC’s leadership. We must ensure the Party Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership, and guarantee that the Party fulfills its core role of exercising overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all sides. It is imperative for us to pursue high-quality development, develop whole-process people’s democracy, enrich people’s cultural lives, and adopt a people-centric approach, so as to keep meeting the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life.
Second, Chinese modernization is the modernization of a huge population. Enabling more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, a huge population that is even higher than the total population of the existing developed countries, to enter a modern society as a whole is an unprecedentedly arduous and complicated task. China has to feed nearly 20% of global population with 9% of arable land available worldwide and 6% of the world’s freshwater resources. There is no ready-made model that can be copied by us. China has always advanced the modernization process according to its national conditions.
Third, Chinese modernization is the modernization of common prosperity for all. In contrast to western-style modernization which results that the rich get richer while the poor become poorer, Chinese modernization is pursued through the people-centered approach, and resolute efforts are made to prevent polarization. The common prosperity we desire is not egalitarianism. To use an analogy, we will first make the pie bigger, and then divide it properly. While allowing some people to become prosperous first, we will push these people to give a helping hand to those following in their wake, so that development gains will benefit all our people in a more substantial and equitable way.
Fourth, Chinese modernization is the material and cultural-ethical advancement. Different from western-style modernization that is centered on modernization of the economy, Chinese modernization is committed to material and cultural-ethical advancement and to harmony between humanity and nature. It is the multi-faceted modernization stressing national strength, people’s wellbeing, politics, democracy, social harmony, spiritual affluence, and ecological beauty.
Fifth, Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. Abandoning the old path of development that was realized at the price of the environment and ecology, we are now committed to ecological conservation. Bearing in mind the idea that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, we have advanced green development. We have persisted with a holistic and systematic approach to conserving and improving mountain, water, forest, farmland, grassland, and desert ecosystems, and ensured stronger ecological conservation and environmental protection across the board, in all regions, and at all times. We have promoted green and low-carbon approach to work and life, and taken a positive path to development that ensures increased production, higher living standards, and healthy ecosystems. By doing so, we are able to build an even more beautiful China with green mountains, clear waters, and fresh air.
Sixth, Chinese modernization is the modernization of peaceful development. Breaking away from the traditional pattern in which rising powers have always sought to dominate, China has forged a new path of peaceful development that never directs China to hegemony. Adhering to the path of peaceful development is the fundamental purpose of Chinese diplomacy and a guiding principle enshrined into the Chinese Constitution. Believing in the ancient wisdom that a warlike state will eventually perish, China will never seek hegemony. We advocate the settlement of disputes through dialogue and negotiation, and pursue a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. No matter how developed China becomes, it will never seek hegemony or expansion. China remains committed to its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development, and dedicated to promoting a human community with a shared future. China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace. China adheres to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in pursuing friendship and cooperation with other countries. It is committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world and pursues a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. China plays an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system and works to make global governance fairer and more equitable. China sincerely calls upon all countries to hold dear humanity’s shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom and join forces to meet all types of global challenges.
It is not hard to figure out that 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 a new, independent path to modernization pioneered by China in line with national conditions, rather than a duplicate of modernization from abroad. It will be a new option for human society to realize modernization. Meanwhile, it is an open and inclusive path to modernization. China will continue to learn from good experience of other countries in pursuing modernization, which embodies the integration of traditional Chinese culture and shared values of humanity. China has put forward humanity’s shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, stressing that “peace and development are our common cause, equity and justice our common aspiration, and democracy and freedom our common pursuit.” Humanity’s shared values take shape based on the consensus on values reached via interaction of civilizations, rather than on the West’s “universal values” derived from their superiority of certain civilizations. The shared values of humanity represent the common aspirations of mankind, and provide guidance on the modernization process of the 21st century. Such values will open a new chapter in the modernization history of humanity.
Chinese modernization represents the right path for achieving rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is the Chinese wisdom and China’s solution to solving common challenges facing mankind, and offers humanity a new choice for achieving modernization.
VI. Setting Objectives and Major Tasks of the Development of Various Sectors for the Coming Period
At the 20th CPC National Congress, strategic plans were made to set out major goals and tasks for China’s development in the coming period. These goals and tasks in terms of economy, politics, culture, society, ecological conservation, science and technology talents, law-based governance, national security, modernization of national defense and the armed forces, work related to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, diplomacy, and the Party’s overall leadership, touch upon reform, development, stability, domestic affairs, diplomacy, national defense, Party self-governance, national governance, and the armed forces. They chart the course and provide fundamental guidance for advancing the cause of the Party and the country in the new era.
Dear friends,
Over the past century, the Party has scored remarkable achievements for the Chinese people. Looking ahead to the second century, under the CPC’s brilliant leadership, we will work tirelessly in line with the programs of action and major policies for the cause of the Party and the country set out at the 20th CPC National Congress. We are convinced that the goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects will become reality and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation will come true.
We believe that while guiding China to new historic changes, the 20th CPC National Congress will bring new development opportunities for Sudan and other countries. We hope friends from the Sudanese media will help publicize the guiding principles of the Congress and encourage people from all sectors in Sudan to seize the historic opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation on various fronts, thus achieving win-win results. Together, we will surely create a brighter future.
Thank you all. Now I am ready to take your questions.