Tuesday, November 6, 2012

18th CPC National Congress: A crucial event for China


The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China set to kick off on Nov. 8 will provide a crucial window into the direction of China in the next five years or a longer period. In this election year for many countries, the world is paying close attention to the CPC’s latest moves, and is curious to know how it will judge the situation, continue to lead China along the path of peaceful rise, and influence global landscapes.

At present, the world economy hit hard by the global financial crisis is still struggling to recover, and China is entering a new historical stage of transforming its economic growth model, deepening reforms, and building a well-off society in an all-round way after more than 30 years of miraculously rapid economic growth thanks to the Reform and Opening-up. The 18th National Congress of the CPC will be a crucial event concerning China’s fate.

Over the past 30 odd years of rapid economic growth, particularly since the 16th and 17th CPC national congresses, China has gained a raft of titles such as “the world’s most populous country,” “the world’s second largest economy,” “a new member of the World Trade Organization,” “the world’s factory,” “a stabilizer of the world economy,” “a new engine for the world economic recovery,” and “the world’s largest exporter and second largest importer.” CPC national congresses have become the crucial links guiding and promoting China’s development and changes.

China is facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, it aims to build an all-round well-off society by 2020, or the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Party, so the time after the 18th CPC National Congress will be particularly crucial. The CPC enjoys a solid foundation for governance and massive public support, and has continued to promote the Reform and Opening-up. China is still in the middle of industrialization, informationization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization, and thus has huge potential for steady development and peaceful rise. 


On the other hand, the country is also facing many difficulties and problems, including increased economic downward pressure. Authoritative research institutions said that China was approaching the end of the miraculous era of nearly double-digit growth. There are still certain systematic and structural problems affecting the long-term healthy development of Chinese society and economy, and the reforms in certain key areas remain timid.

At the 18th national congress, the Party needs to figure out how it will draw on past invaluable experience, open up a path of innovation, meet the people’s needs, solve problems concerning the people’s vital interests, and introduce more suitable policies at the macro and micro levels for improving the people’s living standards.

China is faced with new challenges in handling relations with the big countries, developing countries and its neighbors. In the era of economic globalization, China must map out a new strategy to continue the road of peaceful development, meanwhile avoiding risks and seizing opportunities. Now, China occupies such an important status in the world that a slight change will impact the entire world.

In the face of new problems and challenges, as well as new situation and expectation, China will develop new measures and methods on the occasion of convening the 18th National Congress of the CPC, preparing for further development.

People are looking forward to the convening of the 18th National Congress of the CPC because it may mean the new beginning of a great revolution to China and even the world.
(Source : Xinhua)