Chinese President Xi Jinping
Ambassador Chen Xiaodong
From October 16th to 22nd, 2022, people of the world had
their eyes on the 20th National Congress of the CPC, which
concluded with huge success. The Congress is a meeting of
great importance. It takes place at a critical time as China
embarks on a new journey to build a modern socialist country in
all respects and advance toward our second centenary goal. The
Congress holds high the great banner of socialism with Chinese
characteristics, fully implements the Thought on Socialism with
Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, gives a systematic
overview of the major theoretical and practical issues on
upholding and developing socialism with Chinese
characteristics. The Congress laid out well-informed guiding
principles and missions of the Party and the country for the next
period and drew a great blueprint of advancing the rejuvenation
of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to
modernization. The success of the Congress has important
practical and far-reaching historical significance for inspiring
and mobilizing the whole Party, the entire military, and the
Chinese people of all ethnic groups to: adhere to and develop
socialism with Chinese characteristics, build a modern socialist
country in all respects and advance the great rejuvenation of the
Chinese nation on all fronts.
The most important political achievement of the Congress
is that a new CPC Central Committee has been elected with
Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. The Congress adopted a
resolution on approving the report of the 19th Central
Committee and a resolution on adopting the revised Constitution
of the Communist Party of China. The first plenary session of
the 20th CPC Central Committee elected a new central
leadership. Comrade Xi Jinping has been elected as General
Secretary of the Central Committee and Chairman of the Central
Military Commission. This is a central collective leadership that
has been elected with the full consensus of the whole party, that
meets the expectations of the people and that deserves the full
trust of the whole Party, the entire military, and the Chinese
people of all ethnic groups. This is a central collective
leadership that is politically firm, united, and vigorous, one that
can adapt to the needs for long-term development of the Party
and the country. The results of the election fully reflect the
common will of the Party and the common aspirations of
hundreds of millions of Chinese people. They fully demonstrate
a Communist Party of China that is vigorous, prosperous and
that works with great initiative and enthusiasm.
The re-election of General Secretary Xi Jinping
represents the aspiration of the Chinese people. Since the
18th CPC National Congress, historic achievements have been
made and historic shifts have taken place in the cause of the
Party and the country. The people now enjoy a stronger sense of
satisfaction and gain. We won the tough battle against poverty.
Close to 100 million poor rural residents have worked their way
out of poverty and we achieved the poverty reduction target set
out in the UN’s Agenda 2030 ten years ahead of schedule.
China’s per capita disposable income has risen from around
2500 US dollars to nearly 5500 US dollars. More than 13
million urban jobs have been created each year on average and
1.04 billion people now enjoy basic old-age insurance. Over
1.051 billion Chinese people use the internet, which is over 74
percent of our total population. China’s grain output ranks top in
the world and we have ensured food and energy security for
more than 1.4 billion people. We built the world's largest
education, social security and health-care system and China’s
average life expectancy has reached 78.2 years. In the face of
COVID-19, we put the people and their lives above all else and
coordinated COVID response with socioeconomic development,
which achieved significant and positive results. The Chinese
people have come to realize that for the CPC to write these
grand chapters in the development of the Party and the country
in the new era, the fundamental reason is that we have General
Secretary Xi Jinping's superb leadership. General Secretary Xi
Jinping won the support of all Party members, the armed forces
and all Chinese people. He has become the core of China’s
central leadership.
The re-election of General Secretary Xi Jinping is
mandated by the CPC’s founding mission. The original
aspiration and the mission of Chinese Communists is to seek
happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the
Chinese nation. Over the past decade in the new era, China has
focused on promoting high-quality development, our GDP has
grown to 17.77 trillion US dollars, growing by 6.6 percent
annually on average and ranking second in the world. The scale
of China’s manufacturing sector and foreign exchange reserves
remain the largest in the world. China has built the world's
largest networks of high-speed railways and expressways and a
world-class group of ports. In 2021, China’s urban PM2.5 levels
dropped by 34.8 percent compared with that of 2015. Days with
“A” and “B” classes of air quality accounted for 87.5 percent of
the whole year and ecological and environmental conservation
achieved a historic pivot. The Congress’s resolution on the
Report of the 19th Central Committee makes it clear that the
central task of the Communist Party of China 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 great
modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the
rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a
Chinese path to modernization. The Congress made a series of
strategic arrangements, including to foster a new development
pattern, invigorate China through science and education,
promote people's well-being, modernize the system of
governance and capacity, and exercise full and rigorous self-
governance. With greater journeys and loftier goals ahead, we
need General Secretary Xi Jinping at the helm to lead us to forge
ahead with enterprise, determination and fortitude.
The re-election of General Secretary Xi Jinping
represents the call of the times. The world is now entering a
new period of turbulence and shifts. Major changes unseen in a
century picked up speed. COVID-19 continues to take its toll.
World economic recovery remains sluggish. There are frequent
local conflicts and turmoil. In the face of a complex and severe
development environment, General Secretary Xi Jinping has
developed profound insight into the major international and
domestic trends and worked to ensure both development and
security. He saw to it that China's high-quality development
moved forward steadily, further promoted the building of a
human community with a shared future, and contributed much-
needed certainty to world peace and development. Over the past
decade, China successfully held four China International Import
Expos and set up 21 pilot free trade zones. China has become a
top trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions. We
rank number one in the world in the total trade volume of goods.
We have signed more than 200 Belt and Road cooperation
documents with 149 countries and 32 international
organizations. From 2013 to 2021, China’s total trade volume in
goods with Belt and Road partner countries reached nearly 11
trillion US dollars, and two-way investment surpassed 230
billion US dollars. During the meeting with Chinese and foreign
journalists after his reelection, General Secretary Xi Jinping
emphasized that just as China cannot develop in isolation from
the world, the world needs China for its development. China
will open its door ever wider. We will be steadfast in deepening
reform and opening-up across the board and in pursuing high-
quality development. A prosperous China will create many more
opportunities for the world.
The international community closely follows this Congress.
Leaders of many major political parties as well as dignitaries
around the world wrote messages to the CPC Central Committee
to offer warm congratulations on the success of the Congress
and to General Secretary Xi Jinping on his re-election. South
African political parties and leaders, important political and
social organizations and think tanks also sent their
congratulations to the Congress. Comrade President Ramaphosa,
Comrade TG Mashatile, Comrade President Mbeki, Comrade
President Motlanthe, Comrade GS of the SACP Mapaila and
leaders of COSATU and SANCO have also congratulated
General Secretary Xi Jinping on his re-election. Their support
fully reflects the Comrades plus Brothers special bond between
our governing parties, as well as the China-South Africa
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with deep mutual political
trust.
The CPC is ready to build on the success of the 20th CPC
National Congress and to join hands with the ANC, the SACP
and other parties to strengthen the exchange of experience in
governance. We are ready to work with the South African side
to deepen win-win cooperation, enhance international
collaboration, jointly explore development paths in line with our
respective national conditions, and jointly write a beautiful
chapter of China-South Africa cooperation and create a new era
of China-South Africa friendship!
Chen is the Chinese ambassador to South Africa.