[Special attention]
Author: Wu Zhicheng (Central Party School (National School of Administration), researcher of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought Research Center of the Supreme Leader in the New Era, and vice president of the Institute of International Strategic Studies)
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China pointed out that Chinese-style modernization has been continuously promoted in the reform and opening up, and it will certainly open up broad prospects in the reform and opening up. The historic achievements of reform and opening up prove that reform and opening up determine the fate of contemporary China and the success or failure of Chinese modernization, which is an important magic weapon for the cause of the party and the people to catch up with the times in great strides, and the only way to uphold and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. For decades, from "backward times" to "catching up with the times" and then "leading the times", it is the reform and opening up that has profoundly changed the face of China and become the most remarkable feature and magnificent weather in contemporary China.
Therefore, we must adhere to the basic national policy of opening to the outside world, persist in promoting reform, development and innovation through opening up, continue to promote a higher level of opening up, enhance the ability of opening up in expanding international cooperation, build a new open economic system at a higher level, form a new pattern of opening up in a wider range, in a wider field and at a deeper level, and promote the common prosperity and development of the world in the process of Chinese modernization. These important expositions profoundly reveal the internal relationship between opening to the outside world and Chinese modernization, deepen the Party’s regular understanding of Chinese modernization, and also indicate that China will further write a new chapter of Chinese modernization with a more proactive opening strategy and a higher level of opening achievements.
Opening to the outside world at a high level and expanding the development space of Chinese modernization
In today’s world stage, the international community has not only seen the self-confidence and responsibility displayed by the open China, but also felt the mutual benefit and common development brought to the world by the opening of China. Constantly expanding high-level opening to the outside world is an inevitable requirement for promoting Chinese modernization. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "Only an open China will become a modern China." "We should continuously expand high-level opening up, deeply participate in global industrial division and cooperation, make good use of domestic and international resources, and expand the development space of Chinese modernization."
On the one hand, openness is the key driving force to promote economic growth, scientific and technological progress and cultural exchanges under the background of globalization. Since the reform and opening-up, China’s total foreign trade has not only increased significantly in the past few decades, but also maintained its position as the largest country in global goods trade for seven consecutive years, with foreign investment ranking in the top three in the world for 11 consecutive years and capital flows covering 155 countries and regions around the world. Facing the new global economic situation and challenges, only by persisting in opening wider to the outside world can China’s influence and initiative in the restructuring of the global industrial chain be enhanced and the leap from a "manufacturing power" to a "manufacturing power" be promoted.
On the other hand, openness is an important way for China to actively participate in leading the global governance process and promote the construction of new international relations. Through opening to the outside world, China’s domestic economic activities are connected with the world market and efficient economic management system and operation rules, which promotes the continuous improvement of the breadth and depth of opening to the outside world. Through opening to the outside world, China has integrated into the global economic governance system, promoted the construction of an open world economy, and contributed to global economic stability and prosperity while realizing China’s own development. By building a global partnership network, China has strengthened interconnection with relevant regions and countries, promoted regional economic integration and global common development, built a broad stage for China enterprises to "go global", and effectively enhanced China’s international influence and voice. By advocating true multilateralism, China is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs by cooperating with other countries in dealing with global challenges such as climate change and public health crisis. By promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation, China has enhanced mutual understanding and friendly exchanges with other countries and helped to build a new type of international relations.
Opening-up has greatly promoted China’s rapid economic growth, deepened China’s connection with the world, put Chinese-style modernization under the broad background of world modernization, and contributed China’s strength to achieving the UN’s sustainable development goal in 2030 and promoting the process of world modernization.
High-level opening to the outside world highlights the responsibility of a responsible big country.
In today’s world, great changes in the past century have accelerated the evolution, competition and games among big countries have intensified, regional turmoil and local conflicts have continued, unilateralism, protectionism and populism have obviously increased, and individual countries have been arrogant in "building walls and building barriers", "decoupling and breaking chains", unilateral sanctions and extreme pressure. The global development risks and challenges are complex and severe, and the task of cracking the peace deficit and development deficit has become more urgent.
Facing the complicated international and domestic situation, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee reiterated to the world that China will unswervingly hold high the banner of reform and opening up in the new era, which not only points out the way forward for promoting Chinese modernization, but also injects stability and certainty into the chaotic and intertwined world, and injects strong impetus into promoting common development and prosperity of mankind.
Since the founding of New China, especially since the reform and opening-up, the Party has led the people of China to embark on the fundamental interests of mankind and the practice of modernization, and has successfully embarked on a peaceful and developing modernization road by continuously deepening reform and opening up. China has provided a new choice for mankind to realize modernization, and has also made important contributions to maintaining world peace and stability and promoting common development of the world.
History and practice have fully proved that the more China develops, the more open it is, and the more it develops. The basic national policy of opening to the outside world cannot and will not be shaken at any time. China’s open door will not be closed, but will only get wider and wider. Under the long-term global economic downturn, it is the open China that has boosted the confidence of global development. The long-term positive fundamentals of China’s economy and its great resilience and potential have provided strong momentum for the recovery and growth of the world economy. China has signed 22 free trade agreements with 29 countries and regions, becoming the main trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions. On the whole, the contribution rate of China’s economy to world economic growth has remained at around 30%, making it the biggest engine of world economic growth. China will also continue to open to the outside world at a high level to promote high-quality development, constantly release new kinetic energy and new advantages in the huge market, and play a role in strengthening the resilience of the world economy and accelerating the recovery process.
A high level of opening to the outside world promotes a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win situation.
The development of China cannot be separated from the world, and the prosperity of the world also needs China. Reform and opening up is a "two-way trip" between China and the world, and it is also a mutual achievement and common development between China and the international community. High-level opening-up is essentially a mutually beneficial and win-win opening-up with the world. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "We should solidly promote high-level opening up, make good use of the global market and resources to develop ourselves and promote the common development of the world." We should embrace development opportunities with greater openness and seek mutual benefit and win-win results with better cooperation. China’s development will release a steady stream of dividends to all countries in the world, so it is always an important opportunity for world development.
At present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation are developing in depth, and the interconnection and interdependence among countries are more frequent and closer than ever before. Promoting a high level of opening to the outside world is conducive to promoting the common opening of the world through its own opening up, making the cake of the global market bigger, implementing the mechanism of global sharing, and doing things in the way of global cooperation. A high level of opening to the outside world and mutual benefit and win-win situation in the world are reflected in a more open mind and measures to promote the expansion of the consensus on world opening and cooperation, adhere to the concept of global governance of mutual consultation, joint construction and sharing, take the initiative to assume the responsibility of a big country, safeguard the multilateral trading system, eliminate trade, investment and technical barriers, promote the coordination of international macroeconomic policies, and make China contributions to promoting the construction of an open world economy and building a world of common development and universal prosperity.
In today’s world, the characteristics of turbulent change are obvious, economic globalization has encountered countercurrent, and human history is at a crossroads. Is it to promote economic globalization or let anti-globalization emerge, promote open cooperation or move towards closed confrontation, adhere to mutual benefit and win-win or stick to zero-sum game? This choice is related to the common interests of all countries in the world and the future and destiny of mankind. In this regard, China advocated inclusive economic globalization, and stressed that we should resolutely oppose anti-globalization and pan-security, all forms of unilateralism and protectionism, firmly promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, solve structural problems that hinder the healthy development of the world economy, and push economic globalization towards a more open, inclusive, inclusive and balanced direction. These important propositions have profoundly answered the questions about where economic globalization is going, how to promote the times and the world, pointed out the correct direction for the development of economic globalization, and also demonstrated China’s firm stance of defending and leading economic globalization.
Although the changes of the world, times and history are unfolding in an unprecedented way, the general direction of human development and progress will not change, the general logic of tortuous progress of world history will not change, the general trend of shared destiny of the international community will not change, and the general trend of economic globalization will not change. Today, China has become a staunch defender and active leader of economic globalization by adhering to the basic national policy of opening to the outside world and pursuing a win-win opening strategy. In the future, China will continue to open wider to the outside world, always stand on the side of human progress and historical justice, see clearly the essence of economic globalization from the chaos of various times, grasp the inevitable law from the dimension of historical development, grasp the historical initiative of economic globalization, and join hands with the international community to stimulate the power of economic globalization and push it forward.
Open to the outside world at a high level, ensure high quality, and build the "Belt and Road" steadily and far-reaching.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core has planned a high-level opening blueprint from a higher strategic thinking and a broader international space. The "One Belt, One Road" initiative is the strongest voice of China’s opening-up to the world in the new era, and it is also a systematic project for China to expand its opening-up at home and abroad as a whole. It has become the most popular public product and the largest international cooperation platform in the world today, demonstrating China’s determination and attitude to further expand its opening-up. Over the past 10 years, great achievements have been made in promoting the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road".
Internally, building the "Belt and Road" not only brings many central and western provinces a strategic opportunity to achieve a "gorgeous turn", but also enables the open frontier provinces and developed zones in the eastern region to connect and complement each other with the open new highlands in the central and western regions, which is helpful to realize the overall coordination of opening up in different regions of China, create a fairer and more dynamic market environment, build a unified and open national market and a new open economic system at a higher level, and enhance the linkage effect of two kinds of opening up in domestic and international markets.
Externally, building the "Belt and Road" with high quality has effectively promoted the level of global connectivity, promoted the construction of an open world economy, and built a wide network of friends around the world. The policy system has been effectively docked, infrastructure construction has achieved remarkable results, economic and trade cooperation has deepened, the financing system has been continuously improved, and people-to-people exchanges have become increasingly close. At the same time, jointly building the "Belt and Road" will continuously strengthen international cooperation in fighting epidemic, deepening international cooperation in green and low-carbon energy development, deepening international cooperation in ecological environment and climate control, deepening cooperation in digital field and scientific and technological innovation, and promoting greater mutual benefit and win-win for all countries. China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations to jointly build the "Belt and Road", and the strategic planning is deepening. "One Belt, One Road" to build a country has continuously strengthened policy communication, facilities connectivity, smooth trade, financial intermediation, and people’s hearts. It can be seen that China’s foreign exchanges are more balanced and it has achieved true "friends all over the world".
