Governance
A Message of Altruism
Concept of community with a shared future contributes to world peace
By R Jinith de Silva  ·  2019-11-11  ·   Source: NO.46 NOVEMBER 14, 2019

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, presents the official Party line on China's development in the 21st century and also emphasizes Xi's strong confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics. He believes China's unique cultural traditions, historical experience and national conditions determine that the Chinese people must take a development path that suits the nation's own condition.

In many of the articles, Xi mentions his main objective is eradication of poverty in China. After 2012, the poverty eradication campaign was accelerated and according to the plans, by 2020, China will alleviate its people from extreme poverty.

Under Xi's leadership, giant steps have been taken to alleviate poverty during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period. In 2012, there were 99 million impoverished people in China and this figure was reduced to 16.6 million in 2018. China seeks to maintain an economic growth of 6-6.5 percent in 2019 and double the 2010 per-capita income by 2020.

State officials have been directed to ensure that the funds diverted for the eradication of poverty are used for that purpose. China has already launched a massive anti-graft campaign. Over the last several years, there have been vast improvements in the lives of farmers across China.

Xi promises in the book that the Chinese economy will continue to open up more for foreign investments. In recent years, foreign investors have been given more facilities while the laws have been revised to encourage foreign investment. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Xi has become popular worldwide. Not only China but all countries have been benefiting from it.

For instance, premium goods from the UK are now arriving in the Chinese markets via a modernized railway connecting European countries. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank opened under China's initiative to fund the development of Asian countries.

Chinese direct investments and assistance have been flowing to Asian and African countries under the Belt and Road concept. Infrastructure, ports, power plants and highways are some of the projects started with Chinese assistance. These projects have contributed in a big way to economic development and have created a large number of jobs in many countries.

Sri Lanka is a beneficiary too. The Port City project in Sri Lankan capital Colombo, being built under the Belt and Road cooperation, is a solid testimony to its win-win benefits. Under this project developed by Chinese companies, Sri Lanka is reclaiming 269 hectares from the ocean with jobs for more than 100,000 people.

Under Xi's leadership, China has strengthened its voice against isolationism and protectionism. It remains committed to the Paris Agreement on climate change, promotes multilateral trade, and supports the United Nations. "Indeed, China is a central pillar of multilateralism," UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez said when he addressed the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in 2018. Xi wishes all nations to reap benefits from China's prosperity. This will help China's success to trickle down to other developing nations.

In the book, Xi also mentions his thought on diplomacy. Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy represents the CPC Central Committee's new diplomatic philosophy and strategy to keep pace with the times. His philosophy is that a society should emerge where all resources are equally shared among all communities. It is called a community with a shared future for humanity.

Because of this, I see him as an epitome of selfless altruism. The humanitarian and unselfish aspects of his thinking are truly visible here and will contribute to world peace in a big way. Xi says China will continue to work with people from all countries to jointly build a community with a shared future for all.

The book also indicates his ambition to achieve the Two Centenary Goals—by 2021, the CPC's centenary, to complete building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and by 2049, the centenary of the People's Republic of China, to build a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful—as well as to realize the Chinese dream of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The Sri Lanka China Society has translated Volume I of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China into Sinhala. The translated version will be distributed among university students in Sri Lanka free.

The author is acting president of the Sri Lanka China Society

Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar

Comments to yanwei@bjreview.com

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