The recently held 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) comprehensively summarized the significant achievements and valuable experience of China’s development in the new era, systematically planned the goals and tasks of China’s development in the future and provided a fundamental guideline for the growth of the Party and the Country in the new journey. The conference will not only be of great significance to the CPC and China’s development process, but will also have a far-reaching effect on the world, and inject new impetus for China to join hands with other countries, including Afghanistan, to address challenges and achieve common development.
At this Congress, President Xi Jinping was unanimously elected General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, reflecting the common aspiration of all Chinese people. Many leaders of state, government, political parties and important organizations all over the world have sent letters of warm congratulations, which fully demonstrates the lofty sentiments of General Secretary Xi Jinping as a leader and fully enhances China’s international influence and appeal. Recently, leaders of Vietnam, Pakistan, Tanzania and Germany visited China one after another, which reflects China’s important role in promoting world friendship and cooperation, maintaining world peace and promoting world development.
Over the past decade, the CPC has established Xi Jinping as the core of the Central Committee and the entire Party, and established the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The Thought is the most important political achievement of China in the past decade and is of decisive significance to the development of the Party and the Country in the new era and the historical process of promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Under the wise leadership of President Xi Jinping and the scientific guidance of the Thought, China has made historic achievements and undergone historic changes in its development.
China’s comprehensive national power and economic strength has made a historic leap, with the total economic volume growing from 54 trillion yuan to 114 trillion yuan, and its share of the world economy rising from 11.3% to 18.5%. China’s per capita GDP rose from US$6,300 to over US$12,000. China’s GDP reached $17.5 trillion, firmly ranking second in the world. China’s average contribution to world economic growth exceeded 30 percent, ranking first in the world.
During the past decade, China has improved people’s living conditions on all fronts, with average life expectancy rising to 78 years. China has won the largest battle against poverty in human history, lifting nearly 100 million rural poor people out of poverty. China has achieved the first 100-year goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and made significant contributions to global poverty reduction.
Take the example of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which is adjacent to Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan. In recent years, Xinjiang has implemented the CPC’s strategy for governing the region in a complete and accurate manner. People of all ethnic groups have made great efforts and achieved fruitful results in the fields of economic development, ethnic unity, environmental protection and scientific innovation. At present, all ethnic groups in Xinjiang live together in harmony, the economy continues to develop, freedom of religious belief is fully guaranteed, positive breakthroughs have been made in poverty reduction and rural revitalization, and per capita income continues to rise. Xinjiang presents a good situation of social security and stability, people living and working in peace and happiness.
At the same time, China’s Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) has become a popular international public product and platform for international cooperation. China has become a major trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions, and its total trade in goods ranks first in the world. The CPC and the Chinese people are confidently pushing forward the great leap of the Chinese nation from standing upright to becoming prosperous and growing in strength. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process.
From China’s successful experiences, it could be learned that one country’s philosophy of governance and development path should be combined with its own specific reality and traditional culture. The concept and system copied from other countries will only be non-adapted. The country should adhere to and make good use of its stances, viewpoints, and methods. We must put the people first. We must maintain self-confidence and stand on our own feet. We must uphold fundamental principles and break new ground. We must adopt a problem-oriented approach. We must apply systems thinking. We must maintain a global vision.
The “Six Must” is interconnected and inner-unified as whole, embodying the core ideas of people-oriented, righteousness, innovation and commonwealth in the excellent Chinese traditional culture. It shows the basic principles of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to the world, reflecting the wisdom contained in the process of China’s exploration of its own development path. It provides more and better Chinese wisdom and solutions for solving common problems faced by all countries, and offers new references and choices for those countries that wish to accelerate development and modernization.
In the process of building a modern socialist country in all respects, China not only commits to its own development, but also focuses on strengthening win-win cooperation with other countries. At present, the changes in the world, the era and the history are happening in an unprecedented manner. Human society is facing unparalleled challenges The world is once again standing at the crossroads of history, and the choice of where to go depends on the choice of all peoples.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that China has proposed the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. China is ready to work with the international community to implement those initiatives, calling on all countries to promote the common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom for all mankind, to promote mutual understanding among peoples, to jointly address various global challenges, and to create a better future for mankind together.
The Chinese proposal manifests the profound connotation of the concept of building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind. China will always adhere to its independent foreign policy of peace, firmly uphold international justice and fairness, advocate and practice genuine multilateralism, and flagrantly oppose all hegemonism and power politics. China’s development is a growing force for peace in the world, and no matter how far China develops, we will never claim hegemony or expansion. China has an excellent cultural tradition of faithfulness and harmony, friendship and kindness to neighbors, and will adhere to the diplomatic principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and deepen its friendship and mutual trusts and interests with neighboring countries. China will continue to work as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of international order. China will continue to provide new opportunities for the world with new developments, making new contributions to build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, as well as a better world.
China treats Afghanistan with sincerity. We are linked by mountains and water, and our destinies are connected. The thousands of years of traditional friendly exchanges between the Chinese and Afghan people continue to this day. As Afghan people always say, China is the only major country that has never harmed Afghanistan. As a good neighbor, a good brother and a good partner, China has always cherished the traditional friendship between us and is committed to providing assistance to the Afghan people within our capacity. China has always respected Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, the independent choices made by the Afghan people, and the religious beliefs and ethnic customs. China has never interfered in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, has never sought any private interests in Afghanistan, and has never sought the so-called sphere of influence.
China shares weal and woe with Afghanistan. Last year, in order to help the Afghan people to survive the harsh winter, China provided 250 million yuan in food, medicine, winter supplies and other assistance to Afghanistan. In June this year, after the earthquake and floods, China provided 50 million yuan in emergency humanitarian aid to Afghanistan at the earliest possible time. At present, China and Afghanistan are discussing more aid projects to benefit the livelihood of the Afghan people.
China develops together with Afghanistan. China is committed to strengthening practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including trade and economy. Overcoming our own difficulties, China has opened an ‘air corridor’ to expand the import of high-quality agricultural products like pine nuts. China has given duty-free preferential treatment to 98% of Afghan goods imports. China has actively promoted cooperation with Afghanistan on major projects, helping Afghanistan to increase revenue, promote local employment and enhance the capacity for independent development.
At present, China is embarking on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects. Afghanistan is also at a critical period of transition from chaos to governance. The hardworking, brave and resilient Afghan people have a historic opportunity to truly control own future and destiny, and free from foreign interference and invasion forever. China is willing to develop friendly neighborly relations with Afghanistan on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, following the concept of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, and guided by the Global Development Initiatives and the Global Security Initiatives. China firmly supports Afghanistan in exploring its own modernization path based on its national conditions and independence, taking the future and destiny of the country into its own hands. China is willing to share with Afghanistan its experience in governance so as to achieve common development.
Looking ahead from a new historical starting point, China is willing to continue to increase trade and investment in Afghanistan in line with the principle of mutual benefit, and enhance the level of practical cooperation, so that the people of both countries may share the fruitful results of the in-depth development of bilateral relations. China is also willing to actively promote the BRI initiative to connect with the development strategy of Afghanistan and help Afghanistan achieve peace, stability and development. From now on, China and Afghanistan should enhance political mutual trust and expand people-to-people exchanges, so that the tree of friendship will be deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples.
