China’s New Development Philosophy

speCial reporT

China’s New

Development

Philosophy

By JUAN CARLOS CAPUÑAY

T

HIS year marks the first centenary of the

founding of the Communist Party of China

(CPC). The achievements made by China

during the last 100 years are the result of

the efforts of several generations of Chinese people

under the leadership of the CPC, which has tasked

itself with the mission to seek happiness for the

Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese

nation since its birth.

It is worth mentioning that ever since its first

national congress that was held in July 1921, the ac-

tions and purposes of the CPC have been linked to

the progress of the great nation. The CPC leadership

have been the central vector of the political and

economic changes that China has experienced since

the inception of the People’s Republic and also been

responsible for making it today the second largest

economic power in the world. Among those deeds

and feats accomplished by the CPC, the elimination

of extreme poverty and the pursuit of better well-

being for its population should be highlighted.

China now is seeing a more balanced develop-

ment in its rural and urban areas. The country

pays more attention to meeting the ever-growing

economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological

needs of its people, and promoting well-rounded

human development and all-round social prog-

ress. While having eradicated extreme poverty, the

country has also greatly improved the consumption

level of its population, making it the largest con-

sumer market for goods and services in the world.

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CHINA TODAY

Its middle class of almost 400 million people has

become the largest tourist source for the interna-

tional tourism industry. These are among the great-

est achievements made by the CPC while marking

its centenary.

Role on the International Stage

It should be noted that while the country kicked

off its 14th Five-Year Plan, its new development phi-

losophy is becoming a determining factor in defin-

ing the country’s role on the international stage, as

well as its contribution to the development of the

world. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general

secretary of the CPC Central Committee, pointed

out on many occasions that in the current circum-

stances impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, joint

action is necessary both in the field of epidemic

control and that of economic reactivation. His

vision underpins China’s efforts to cooperate with

the international community in its fight against the

pandemic and revving up the global economy.

China’s contribution includes supporting the

multilateral framework

Among those deeds and

as the best guarantee of

an equitable distribution

feats accomplished by

of necessary resources, so

the CPC, the elimination

as to ensure many devel-

oping countries can also

of extreme poverty and

have available resources to

the pursuit of better well-

overcome the effects of the

being for its population

pandemic, and its delivery

of vaccines to those nations

should be highlighted.

in need but lack funds to

acquire them.

In the economic sphere, in

addition to setting up free trade zones and further

boosting development of special economic zones,

President Xi Jinping in 2013 proposed the Belt and

Road Initiative (BRI), a great connectivity scheme

aimed at mutual benefit and common security by

aligning development strategies of countries along

the routes, improving facilities connectivity, finan-

cial integration, and people-to-people bonding, and

realizing unimpeded trade.

It is not a single model to follow, but a grand

conception and a framework based on cultural

understandings for development purposes. In the

case of Latin America, since 2015 there has been a

proposal to create a “digital Silk Road” as the best

pathway for connectivity with the goal of promoting

cultural and academic exchanges, trade, and invest-

ment. President Xi Jinping’s vision about develop-

ment has not only inspired countries to face the

scourges of the pandemic, but also helped promote

the global economic revival.

During China’s “Two Sessions” this year, its 14th

Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) was adopted, which is a

comprehensive plan for the country’s development

during the coming five years, with new concepts

introduced. It includes proposals aimed at speeding

up the industrialization of agriculture, advancing

urban sustainable development, promoting green

industries, and encouraging the booming develop-

ment of new technologies by taking technical inno-

vation as a main engine for development. Moreover,

what’s very notable is the new development pat-

tern of dual circulation recently introduced by the

country, in which domestic and foreign markets can

boost each other with the domestic market as the

The Peru booth at

the 16th Shanghai

World Travel Fair

on April 18, 2019.

mainstay. It will become the new normal for China’s

economic development.

The plan maps out a blueprint for China’s new

journey toward the comprehensive building of a

modern socialist country. In addition, it’s also a

plan dedicated to further improving people’s daily

life by promising to create more jobs. It accentu-

ates the three major driving forces for the coun-

try’s development: scientific and technological

innovation, the expansion of domestic demand,

and reform and opening-up, which will help fur-

ther unleash the vitality of the country’s huge

market. According to the plan, China will promote

the liberalization and facilitation of trade and

investment, and steadily promote the opening-

up of financial sectors. Surely, the plan reflects the

country’s development philosophy that empha-

sizes openness and inclusiveness, and also shows

its determination to further opening-up instead of

seeking protectionism, isolation, or decoupling in

the face of new challenges.

July 2021

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A Well-Structured Relationship with Peru

Finally, Peru’s relations with China go beyond

solely economic or political ties, and also factor

in people-to-people exchanges, based on the fact

that China’s presence in Peru extends back to the

time of the Shang Dynasty around 3,500 years ago,

and also that Peru is home to the largest com-

munity of overseas Chinese in Latin America. This

has allowed current relations between China and

Peru to be perhaps the best structured in Peru’s

international spectrum, based on the China-Peru

Free Trade Agreement that formally took effective

in 2010, the comprehensive strategic partnership

established in 2013, and the 2016-2021 Joint Action

Plan signed in 2016 between China and Peru. In

each of them, there is a clear commitment at the

governmental level, the active presence of private

economic entities, and participation of the cultur-

al and academic sectors. This provides a guarantee

for the future development of the bilateral rela-

tions, regardless of the ups and downs of national

policies.

An important aspect is the presence of the com-

munity of Chinese expats in Peru. The community

is closely linked to southern China and this offers

Peru a privileged advantage of participating in the

development of Guangdong-Hong Kong and Macao

Greater Bay Area and the special economic zones in

the south of the country. Another important aspect

is the multilateral and regional protocols that have

been agreed upon by both countries. The presence

of both countries in the APEC constitute the basis

for their more active participation in the projects

that the new scheme of the Regional Comprehen-

sive Economic Partnership (RCEP) may develop,

which will represent the largest space for free trade

and investment in the world, to which Peru must be

fully a part of.

The cooperation between the two governments

and the friendship of the two peoples will continue

to strengthen over time. It only remains for me to

wish the Communist Party of China a happy cen-

tenary and also a happy 50th anniversary of the

establishment of diplomatic relations between Peru

and the People’s Republic of China.

C

JUAN CARLOS CAPUÑAY is a former ambassador of Peru to

the People’s Republic of China.

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CHINA TODAY

Eradicating Extreme

Poverty, the CPC’s

Historic Feat

HE Communist Party of China (CPC) turns

100 in 2021, making it a year of celebration

and of historical and symbolic significance

for the Chinese people. Under its leadership,

China has achieved spectacular development and

succeeded in eradicating extreme poverty all over

the country.

With the centennial celebration of the CPC, the

big question that many people have in mind is how

the People’s Republic of China managed to eradicate

extreme poverty on its soil during a span of only sev-

eral decades, a goal set by the United Nations which

seemed at first a utopian, theoretical conception for

many countries, especially in Africa.

China has taught us that we don’t have to be

fatalistic about poverty and has provided a bench-

T

By JÉRÔME KABORÉ