Text: | Print|

Liu Qibao: We are advancing on the correct path

2014-11-21 14:14 Xinhua Web Editor: Gu Liping
1

We Are Advancing on the Correct Path Several Points of View Concerning the Path of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

by Liu Qibao

Key Points

■ The statement that the Chinese path is both correct and viable is not a matter of personal opinion. Rather, it is the powerful answer that has been received through practice, and the profound conclusion that has been reached through historical and international comparisons. China, instead of going down the rigid, "closed-door" path of the past or embarking upon the erroneous path of changing its political system, has pioneered the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

■ The path a country takes and the system it employs are closely linked to one another. Without the right system to support it, the success of a path would be impossible. China's unique system was derived from a process of "washing away the sand to reveal the gold." Since the advent of modern times, China has tried on "shoes" of all shapes and sizes. At one point, it even sought to copy the system of the West. None of these, however, resulted in success.

■ Values constitute the core element of a development path. For this reason, no interpretation of the Chinese path would be complete without affording consideration to values. The deepest and most enduring strength that a nation and country can have lies in the core values commonly recognized in its society.

■ The Chinese path is the choice and the creation of the people. It has been pioneered by the people through their actions under the leadership of the CPC.

■ No one is more qualified to comment on the merits of a path than those who are following it. The Chinese people are able to directly appreciate the correctness of the Chinese path – a feeling which comes from the constant improvements in their standard of living, the huge changes that have taken place to the face of the country, and their strong optimism for the future. Moreover, they genuinely support this path from the bottom of their hearts.

No two leaves in the world are identical. Similarly, the development paths that different countries follow are not exactly the same. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has noted, a nation and country must know who they are, where they come from, and where they are going; once they are clear on these issues, they must advance towards their goals with unyielding determination. Today, China is marching forwards on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Being deeply rooted in history and broadly based on China's present realities, this path has emerged from our great endeavors in reform and opening up over more than 30 years; from our constant explorations since the founding of the People's Republic of China more than 60 years ago; from our profound summary of the Chinese nation's experiences during more than 170 years of modern history; and from our inheritance of more than 5,000 years of Chinese cultural heritage. This path conforms to China's realities, is suited to its features and responds to the needs of contemporary development. It is the path that we must follow if we are to create better lives for the people and achieve the Chinese Dream – the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Embarking on the Chinese path

We have pulled away from the crowd and come to the front position in the "international contest".

The statement that the Chinese path is both correct and viable is not a matter of personal opinion. Rather, it is the powerful answer that has been received through practice, and the profound conclusion that has been reached through historical and international comparisons. If we compare how poor and weak China was at the end of the Opium War, and how poor and backward it was when the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, to how reinvigorated and vibrant it is today, it can be said that history has made a giant leap forward and great advances that few could have imagined, serving as a testament to the Chinese path – the path that the Chinese people have pioneered under the leadership of the Communist Party of China – in the most vivid possible way.

There is no judge better than practice, and nothing more convincing than a comparison. Since the end of World War II, and especially over the last three decades, a discreet contest between the developmental paths and models of different countries has been playing out around the world. In this contest, many countries have made a head start on China, had more abundant resources and enjoyed a more favorable external environment than China. However, after many years of tussling, the outcome of this contest is now becoming evident. Some countries opted to change their banner, only to lead themselves astray and land themselves in a tough predicament; some others opted to copy the systems of other countries, only to discover that these systems were incompatible with their local conditions, producing results very different from the ones intended. Coming in sharp contrast is China, which instead of going down the rigid, "closed-door" path of the past or embarking upon the erroneous path of changing its political system, has pioneered the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

By following this path, China has managed to complete, over a period of several decades, a process of development that took place over the course of several centuries in developed countries, realizing a historic leap from poverty to subsistence and further to moderate prosperity in overall terms. Advancing in great strides, the Chinese nation has caught up with the pace of contemporary development to come in touch with the prospects for its great rejuvenation. Looking at China's economic development, for example, during the period from 1979 to 2012, China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average rate of 9.8% per year –considerably faster than the world average of 2.8% for the same period; China's economy grew to become the second largest in the world – raising its share of the global economy from less than 2% to almost 12%; and China went from a state of material deprivation in which commodities were extremely scarce to being the "world's factory," moving towards the "center of the world stage."

Comments (0)
Most popular in 24h
  Archived Content
Media partners:

Copyright ©1999-2018 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.