On November 8, 2022, Guo Wei, Head of Office of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Palestine, received an exclusive interview by the Ma’an News Agency, introducing the important spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the historic achievements of China’s economic development in the new era, and explaining the scientific connotation, Chinese characteristics and essential requirements of Chinese modernization. The full text is as follows:
I. What is Chinese modernization? What are its characteristics?
It was pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that Chinese modernization is socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. It 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 the modernization of a huge population. China is working to achieve modernization for more than 1.4 billion people, a number larger than the combined population of all developed countries in the world today.
It is the modernization of common prosperity for all. China will endeavor to maintain and promote social fairness and justice, bring prosperity to all, and prevent polarization.
It is the modernization of material and cultural-ethical advancement. China will continue to consolidate the material foundation for modernization, improve the material conditions for people’s wellbeing, and also strive to develop advanced socialist culture, and thus promote all-around material abundance as well as people’s well-rounded development.
It is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. China is committed to sustainable development and will protect nature and the environment as we do our own lives. China will continue to pursue a model of sound development featuring improved production, higher living standards, and healthy ecosystems.
It is the modernization of peaceful development. In pursuing modernization, China will not tread the old path of war, colonization, and plunder taken by some countries. Dedicated to peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, we will strive to safeguard world peace and development as we pursue our own development, and we will make greater contributions to world peace and development through our own development.
II. How to evaluate the achievements of China’s modernization development in the new era?
It was pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that there was a historic rise in China’s economic strength. From 2013 to 2021, the average annual growth rate of China’s economy was 6.6%, which is higher than the global average growth rate of 2.6% in the same period and higher than the average growth rate of 3.7% of developing economies, ranking among the top of major economies in the world. In 2020, facing the severe impact of the COVID-19, China achieved an economic growth by 2.2%, making it the only country with positive growth among major economies.
In 2021, China’s total economic output reached 114.4 trillion yuan, 1.8 times that of 2012 at constant prices. In 2021, China’s per capita GDP reached 80,976 yuan, which was equivalent to $12,551 at the annual average exchange rate, exceeding $10,000 for three consecutive years.
In 2021, China’s GDP accounted for 18.5% of the world economy, which was 7.2% higher than that in 2012. China is the world’s second largest economy, the largest industrial manufacturer, the largest trader of goods. With total grain output, manufacturing scale, and foreign exchange reserves ranking first in the world, and service trade, global investment attraction and domestic consumption market scale ranking second in the world, China has formed the world’s largest and fastest growing middle-income group.
III. How does Chinese modernization affect the world?
In recent years, the once-in-a-century pandemic has had far-reaching effects; a backlash against globalization is rising; and unilateralism and protectionism are mounting. The global economic recovery is sluggish, regional conflicts and disturbances are frequent, and global issues are becoming more acute. The world has entered a new period of turbulence and change. It was pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that Chinese modernization offers humanity a new choice for achieving modernization. The Communist Party of China and the Chinese people have provided humanity with more Chinese insight, better Chinese input, and greater Chinese strength to help solve its common challenges.
China has put forward the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, promoted high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative through joint efforts, and advocated dialogue and consultation, collaboration and shared benefits, mutually beneficial cooperation, exchange and mutual learning, as well as green and low-carbon principles to blow the “assembly call” for development. From 2013 to 2021, China’s average contribution rate to global economic growth reached 38.6%, which exceeded the total contribution rate of the G7 countries, making China become the first driving force to promote global economic growth. China has endeavored to build a system of high-standard opening-up, safeguarded the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, and has become a major trading partner of over 140 countries and regions. China has won the biggest battle against poverty in human history, lifted nearly 100 million poor rural residents out of poverty, historically solved the problem of absolute poverty, and achieved the Agenda’s poverty reduction target 10 years ahead of schedule, contributing over 70% of global poverty reduction efforts.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the opening ceremony of the fifth China International Import Expo on November 4, China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness, jointly overcome the difficulties and challenges confronting global economic growth, and make sure that our commitment to openness will bring about broad prospects for global development.
IV. What does Chinese modernization mean for Palestine?
China and Palestine are partners for development and revitalization. Palestine actively supports and participates in the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. In the past two years, the Ramallah City Ring Road Project and the Ramallah School Project funded by the Chinese Government were successfully completed. We have also provided winter supplies and repaired houses for the people in need, and cooperated with relevant Palestinian departments to rehabilitate water wells. This year, relying on the vaccine factory jointly established by them in Egypt, China and Egypt have donated 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government to the refugees outside Palestine were delivered to the UNRWA for vaccination of Palestine refugees in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The Chinese government has made an annual donation of US$1 million to the UNRWA to safeguard the livelihood of Palestine refugees and support refugee education in the West Bank. China will continue to do its utmost to implement projects that help Palestine develop its economy and improve its people’s livelihood, so as to make Chinese modernization provide more and better benefits to the Palestinian people.