The two volumes of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China are a big treat for China observers like me. They provide readers a unique and close insight into Chinese political, economic and socio-cultural philosophy.

The first volume, published in September 2014, was essentially a collection of important speeches and written works by President Xi covering the period from November 2012, when he became general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, to June 2014. It can best be regarded as Xi's vision statement, as he comprehensively articulates it.

The book greatly facilitates the understanding and analysis of the trajectory that China had embarked upon under Xi's leadership. The continuity of the thought process from one statement to another and additional supplementary details systematically unfold the plan of action. Volume I thus outlines a clear but highly challenging agenda and leaves no ambiguity in anyone's mind that Xi means business. An important feature of the book that drew significant attention is the concept of China's remarkable efforts to build a community with a shared future for humanity based on collective peace, development and prosperity.

Volume II is a compilation of Xi's works between August 2014 and September 2017. The book gives a vivid recollection of how Xi continued to pursue the program outlined in his first two years as the top Party leader. A host of new concepts, philosophies and policy approaches enhance the strength of the original plan. The second volume features a gradual progression of these governance ideas enabling readers to gain a full understanding of the incremental and evolutionary development under Xi. A synopsis of the successful policies, progress and achievements using Xi's thought and strategy over the first five years of the implementation of the action plan is comprehensively reviewed.

While world powers, both existing and rising, were engaged in hegemonic designs driven by their quest for dominance, China came up with an initiative of transparent, open, inclusive growth and development for the world. The Chinese model is based on peaceful and harmonious development in an interconnected world.

Xi proposed to build the Silk Road Economic Belt during a visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013. Later during a visit to Indonesia in the same year, he proposed the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Collectively, this became the Belt and Road Initiative.

Little known to the world, however, is the fact that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was the precursor of the Belt and Road Initiative, with the memorandum of understanding for the project signed in July 2013, before the initial launch of the Belt and Road Initiative. CPEC is therefore rightfully regarded as the flagship of the initiative, which has today been joined by countries from Africa, Europe, Latin America and Oceania.

There has always been an unflinching consensus in Pakistan over the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China. The two countries have enjoyed a time-tested friendship and their relations serve as an exemplar of good neighborly ties.

While implementing his vision, Xi is demonstrating to the world that China's development and prosperity are based on the solid foundation of hard work, persistence and resilience. Xi pursues his concept of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation with full sincerity and a sense of purpose to make it a reality.

In pursuance of these set goals, Xi makes it a point to conduct all-around and deeper-level reform in every sphere, including the Party, the general administration of state affairs, public service delivery, revenue collection, security, law enforcement and the judicial system, to make progress permanent and sustainable. Simultaneously, he keeps in view the basic issues that could emerge for the people and the government in the transitional period in a country as big as China.

It was due to Xi's potent resolve and proactive implementation that China was able to bring over 60 million of its people out of poverty, create over 80 million new jobs in urban areas alone, ensure universal free education until the ninth grade, and establish the world's biggest health and social security system.

A landmark development in this regard was the amendment to the CPC Constitution at the Party's 19th National Congress in October 2017 with the establishment of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, joining a league of the visionary guidelines of other illustrious Chinese leaders like Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development. Xi's endeavors to create integrated Chinese and global development was therefore rightfully recognized.

The two volumes are not only elaborate in political content but also reflect a humane aspect of Xi's governance model focused on a development ideology with a face, which takes the sentiments and aspirations of common people on board while planning at the micro and macro levels. There are good lessons for friends like Pakistan to learn such as to focus on people-centric development.

The author is president and editor in chief of Pakistan's The Daily Mail

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

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