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By Yasir Habib Khan
During the span of 100 years since the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1921, the CPC has been a party adhering to a people-centered governance philosophy, dedicated to improving people’s lives and realizing the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation.
The CPC’s governance model which follows the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics has not only improved the lives of Chinese people but also contributed to better prospects of billions of people living in different corners of the world. With a global vision, the CPC leadership has rolled out the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that connects China with countries and regions along the routes for cooperation and coordinated development; it’s also a platform for building a community with a shared future for mankind. Now, the BRI is becoming an important engine for global economic growth.
During the past century, the CPC’s political vision and governance system has stayed stable. Policies and strategies have been readjusted in light of the demands of the times, but its political focus on the people-centered development roadmap has remained unflinching.
Freeing more than 770 million people from the shackles of poverty is nothing less than a miracle. “Thanks to the CPC, the Chinese people have truly become the master of their country, society, and individual destiny. The elimination of extreme poverty is an achievement that represents 70 percent of the global poverty reduction effort. China has become the first developing country in the world to attain the poverty reduction goal in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals,” said Acting Consul General of China in Lahore Peng Zhengwu.
Usually it happens that after accomplishing a task and coming through it victorious, people will traditionally hanker for respite and rest. Believe it or not, in China, the case is the other way round. President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee rolled a new dice. In an important speech he delivered at the ceremony to present the July 1 Medal, the Party’s highest honor, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on June 29, 2021, he said, “The greater our cause is, the more challenging it is, and the greater the responsibility we need to assume.” President Xi urged all Party members to maintain high morale, work diligently, overcome challenges, and continue the fine traditions of hard work and plain living, and put the interests of the people above personal interests.
From my perspective, consultative democracy is a cornerstone of the CPC’s governance system. The Party comes from the people, has its roots among the people, and is dedicated to serving the people. Consultative democracy engenders social harmony. With consultation on the grass roots level, leadership comes close to the ordinary people, and social conflicts are reduced. With public participation in the decision-making process, polarization winds down. The value of consultative democracy is weighed up in the way it is practiced during the annual two sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
The making of China’s Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 is also reflective of how the CPC-led Chinese governance mechanism and Chinese democracy work with the participation of people in different sections of society.
During the drafting stage of the Outline, President Xi toured different parts of China to listen to the voice of the people, and held several seminars to collect the advice from different areas and social strata. When the annual two sessions were held in Beijing in March 2021, he also discussed the drafted version of the Outline with NPC deputies and CPPCC members multiple times. In August 2020, China began soliciting public opinion online regarding compiling the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development. As a result, a total of over one million comments poured in. As much as 1,000-odd of which were sorted out. The drafting group reviewed these 1,000-odd pieces of advice one by one, and embraced all that deserved to be adopted. The group made 366 amendments and took 546 pieces of advice and proposals from the Chinese society. During the two sessions, the draft version was mulled over by NPC deputies and CPPCC members and 55 amendments were made. These details explain China’s “whole-process democracy” and governance mechanism.
The CPC’s global vision is well-acclaimed on account of its advocacy for multilateralism and practical initiatives in building multilateral platforms for international cooperation and dialogue. The platforms which China has initiated include the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China International Import Expo, Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, China-CELAC Forum, Boao Forum for Asia, China-ASEAN Expo, Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, and World Internet Conference among many others. On the global stage, China has successfully hosted a number of major regional and global summits, involving the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Group of 20, the BRICS, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It also spearheaded the establishments of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
China proposed the BRI in 2013 that aims to reinvigorate the ancient Silk Road trade routes and promote its spirit of peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and win-win results, by building a modern trade and infrastructure network connecting all regions and continents involved. The project has been overwhelmingly well-received by people from participating countries throughout the world.
President Xi has given top priority to BRI projects as ultimately people are the main beneficiary. In November 2019, he visited the Port of Piraeus, some 10 kilometers southwest of Athens, the capital city of Greece, a flagship project of the BRI after China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited acquired a majority stake of the port and took over its management and operations in 2016. Xi talked with local staff representatives and asked them about their work and lives. The staff expressed gratitude to COSCO for providing jobs in difficult times during the Greek debt crisis and said they feel proud and are fully confident in the port’s future.
The BRI is a major platform for building a community with a shared future for mankind, and it is an initiative that promotes common development and also protects human rights. The BRI serves as one of the manifestations of China’s efforts to advance human rights around the world. Upholding the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and pursuing open, green, and clean cooperation, the BRI promotes policy, infrastructure, trade, financial, and people-to-people connectivity, and targets high-standard, sustainable, and people-centered goals.
According to a study released by the World Bank, if implemented fully, the BRI could help lift 32 million people out of moderate poverty – those who live on less than US $3.2 a day. It could boost global trade by up to 6.2 percent, and up to 9.7 percent for the corridor economies. Global income could also increase by as much 2.9 percent. China is striving to help create a just and rational global governance system featuring cooperation and mutual benefit, and eventually build a community of harmony between humanity and nature.
Originally published in China Today. http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/ctenglish/2018/commentaries/202107/t20210715_800253134.html
