The report of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was adopted at the recently concluded 20th CPC National Congress. Titled “Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive in Unity to Build a Modern Socialist Country in All Respects,” the document was presented by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. It is divided into three parts and 15 sections and contains more than 30,000 Chinese characters. Here are some highlights of the report.
(1) Through painstaking efforts, the party has found a second answer to the question of how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall. The answer is self-reform. By doing so, the CPC has ensured that it will never change its nature, its conviction, or its character.
(2) Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which the party and the country are founded and thrive.
(3) From this day forward, 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 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.
(4) Chinese modernization is socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the CPC.
(5) Development is CPC’s top priority in governing and rejuvenating China.
(6) People’s democracy is the lifeblood of socialism, and it is integral to the efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects.
(7) The CPC will fully, faithfully, and resolutely implement the policy of One Country, Two Systems, under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of autonomy.
(8) Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the way forward for all the world’s peoples.
Xi Steers Import Expo into Global Platform for Sharing Chinese Opportunities
Entering its fifth edition this year, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai has become a vital platform for promoting trade, investment and global cooperation, and a “golden gate” to the vast Chinese market.
This year’s expo gathered 145 countries, regions and international organizations. Enterprises from 127 countries and regions were involved in the event, including those from all the member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest free trade deal yet.
Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the opening ceremony of the fifth CIIE, calling on all countries to work together toward a bright future of openness and prosperity.
“Five years ago, I announced the decision to hold the CIIE for the very purpose of expanding China’s opening-up and turning our enormous market into enormous opportunities for the world. Today, the CIIE has become a showcase of China’s new development paradigm, a platform for high-standard opening-up, and a public good for the whole world,” Xi said.
In the speech, Xi further said: “As the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has underscored, China remains committed to the fundamental national policy of opening up to the outside world, pursues a mutually beneficial strategy of opening-up, and adheres to the right course of economic globalization. We will amplify the interplay between domestic and international markets and resources, strive to create new opportunities for the world with our own development, and contribute our share to building an open global economy.”
According to Xi, “China will work with all countries and all parties to share the opportunities in its vast market. We will step up efforts to cultivate a robust domestic market, upgrade trade in goods, develop new mechanisms for trade in services, and import more quality products. We will establish pilot zones for Silk Road e-commerce cooperation and build national demonstration zones for innovative development of trade in services, so as to encourage innovation in trade and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
“China will work with all countries and all parties to share the opportunities from its institutional opening-up. We will steadily expand institutional opening-up with regard to rules, regulations, management and standards, put into full effect the new Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment, and further develop the national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the service sector. We will implement the strategy to upgrade pilot free trade areas, accelerate the Hainan Free Trade Port development, and tap into their role as pilot platforms for comprehensive reform and opening-up.
“China will work with all countries and all parties to share the opportunities from deepened international cooperation. We will engage fully and deeply in WTO reform negotiations, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and enhance international macro-economic policy coordination, with a view to jointly fostering new drivers for global growth. We will endeavor actively to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) to expand the globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas. We will firmly support other developing countries and assist them in growing faster, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Airshow China Displays Advanced Technology, Shared Market
1. The August 1st Aerobatic Team of the Chinese Air Force.
2. J-20 fighter jets.
3. A Z-20 helicopter.
4. A YY-20, or
Yunyou-20, China’s new-generation aerial refueling aircraf
Chinese Modernization to Stimulate Steady Development in Asia-Pacific
China’s modernization, highlighted in a written speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC CEO Summit, has drawn wide attention and was regarded as of pivotal importance for stimulating regional growth and prosperity by observers.
“China, as a member of the Asia-Pacific, has benefited much from the region. In return, it has shared its development gains with others in the region,” said the Chinese president, adding that China is committed to promoting the building of an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future, and will do more to enhance the stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific.
“In pursuing Chinese modernization, we will follow a new path of maintaining harmony between humanity and nature. This is our responsibility not only for ourselves, but for the world as well,” Xi also said.
China’s Proposals for Stronger Solidarity, Deeper Cooperation at G20 Summit Boost
Confidence in Global Recovery
During the G20 Bali summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping elaborated on China’s visions and solutions to addressing pressing global challenges, calling on all G20 members to take the responsibility inherent in being major international and regional players, and to lead by example in promoting development of all nations, improving the well-being of the whole mankind, and advancing progress of the entire world.
During his meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, on the sidelines of the summit, Xi pointed out that as the world is undergoing momentous changes, it is imperative to put the future of humanity front and center and work in solidarity to tide over the difficulties.
He called on major countries to set a good example and play a leading role, so as to bring more confidence and strength to the world.
While also meeting with United States President Joe Biden ahead of the summit, Xi advocated resolving disputes peacefully through dialogue and consultation.
Economic Watch: China’s Economy on More Solid Ground with Steady Q3 Growth
China’s economy is on more solid ground in the third quarter of this year with major indicators showing positive signs of stabilization, backed by the country’s efforts to balance epidemic control and economic and social development.
The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3.9 percent year on year to 30.76 trillion yuan (about 4.32 trillion U.S. dollars) in the third quarter, 3.5 percentage points higher than that in the second quarter, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have shown.
In the first three quarters, the country’s GDP increased by three percent year on year, 0.5 percentage points faster than that in the first half of 2022, according to the NBS data.
Many major economic indicators saw significant improvements compared with that in the second quarter, with production demand gradually recovering, and prices and employment remaining stable, the NBS said in a statement.
This decent growth did not come easily with policymakers unveiling a slew of supportive policies to shore up the economy. China’s State Council unveiled an additional 19 follow-up policies in August on top of delivering a policy package for stabilizing the economy in May in order to shape greater synergy.
Among these measures to facilitate economic stability are China’s ramped-up efforts to expand its tax and fee incentives and supportive policies to enterprises, offering a “timely rain” to companies in financial drought.
Official data from the State Taxation Administration showed that China’s tax refunds, as well as tax and fee cuts and deferrals, had exceeded 3.4 trillion yuan by Sept. 20.
Despite increasing external uncertainties, Chinese entrepreneurs and bankers became more upbeat about the macroeconomy, and urban residents were more optimistic about future income and jobs in the third quarter, recent central bank surveys have found.
Both the entrepreneurs’ and bankers’ macroeconomic heat indexes, reflecting the two groups’ views on the current macroeconomic situation, climbed quarter on quarter, according to the People’s Bank of China.
The NBS also said that looking into the future, China will pool endeavors to support market entities and stabilize employment and prices, while expanding the effective demand and consolidating the foundation of economic recovery and development, to keep the economy operating within a proper range and work for the best results possible.