6 Confidence of a Major Country and the Belt and Road
Zhou Fangye
From the “three aspects of confidence” to “four aspects of confidences”
Since the reform and opening-up policy was launched in 1978, China has maintained its overall social stability and rapid economic development for a long period of time. It has become the world’s second largest economy and the world’s largest manufacturer, and its incidence of rural poverty has fallen from over 30% to below 4%. The two goals—ensuring that people’s basic needs are met and that their lives are generally decent—have been accomplished ahead of time and a great achievement known as the “Chinese miracle” has been made.
On the basis of previous development, China has also proposed two new “Centenary Goals”. That is, we will surely complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021 when the Communist Party of China celebrates its centennial, basically realise socialist modernisation by 2035, and turn China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious when the People’s Republic of China celebrates its centennial by the middle of the twenty-first century.
In 2011, Hu Jintao’s Speech at the Meeting Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China systematically summarised for the first time the scientific connotation of socialism with Chinese characteristics from the three aspects of roads, theoretical systems, and institutions.[1] In 2012, the report to the 18th CPC National Congress further emphasised that the path, guiding theories and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics function as an integral whole in the great practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and proposed for the first time that the entire Party must have firm confidence in the path, guiding theories, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.[2]
At the 33rd Group Study Session of Members of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee in 2016, Xi Jinping introduced the confidence in culture together with the “three aspects of confidence” for the first time and required that the whole Party should have confidence in the path, guiding theories, and system, and most importantly, confidence in our culture. In 2016, Xi Jinping stated in his speech at the Meeting Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China that: “Of all the political parties, countries, and peoples in the world today, none have as much cause to be confident as the CPC, the People’s Republic of China, and the Chinese people” and stressed that “The CPC and Chinese people have every confidence in their ability to provide a Chinese solution to aid the exploration of a better social system for humanity”.
First, confidence in the path. Taking the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics means we must, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and basing ourselves on China’s realities, take economic development as the central task and adhere to the four cardinal principles and the policy of reform and opening up. It means we must unleash and develop the productive forces, develop the socialist market economy, socialist democracy, an advanced socialist culture and a harmonious socialist society, and promote socialist ecological progress. It also means we must promote well-rounded development of the person, achieve prosperity for all over time, and make China a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious.
Second, confidence in guiding theories. The system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a system of scientific theories that includes Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development and Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era. This system represents the Party’s adherence to and development of Marxism-Leninism and MaoTse-Tung Thought.
Third, confidence in the system. The socialist system with Chinese characteristics includes the following: the fundamental political system—the system of people’s congresses; the basic political systems—the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and the system of community-level self-governance; the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics; the basic economic system in which public ownership is the mainstay and economic entities of diverse ownership develop together; and the specific economic, political, cultural, and social institutions based on these systems.
Fourth, confidence in culture. Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics is derived from China’s fine traditional culture, which was born of the Chinese civilisation and nurtured over more than 5000 years; it has grown out of the revolutionary and advanced socialist culture that developed over the course of the Chinese people’s revolution, construction, and reform under the Party’s leadership; and it is rooted in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The confidence in the path, guiding theories, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics is an organic unity. They are both relatively independent and complementary to each other. Among them, the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only path to socialist modernisation and a better life for the people. The theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics are the right theories to guide the Party and people to realise national rejuvenation. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics provides the fundamental institutional guarantee for progress and development in contemporary China. The culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a powerful source of strength that inspires all members of the Party and the people of all ethnic groups in China.[3] The “four aspects of confidence” are unified in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The confidence of a major country must be based on confidence in culture
Confidence in culture is the foundation that supports confidence in the path, confidence in guiding theories and confidence in the system. It permeates into confidence in the path, confidence in guiding theory, and confidence in the system. Without confidence in culture, confidence in the path, confidence in guiding theories and confidence in the system can hardly support the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The confidence of a major country should be based on the confidence in culture. In 2016, Xi Jinping pointed out at the Forum on Philosophy and Social Sciences that “To have firm confidence in the path, guiding theories and system is after all to have firm cultural confidence. Cultural confidence represents a fundamental and profound force that sustains the development of a country and a nation”.[4] In 2017, the Party’s report to the 19th CPC National Congress clearly stated that “We must building stronger cultural confidence and help socialist culture to flourish” and requires that we should develop a socialist culture for our nation—a culture that is sound and people-oriented, that embraces modernisation, the world, and the future, and that both promotes socialist material well-being and raises socialist cultural-ethical standards. In developing this culture, we must follow the guidance of Marxism, base our efforts on Chinese culture, and take into account the realities of contemporary China and the conditions of the present era.
First, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the prosperity of Chinese culture. Having gone through over 5000 years of vicissitudes, Chinese civilisation has always kept to its original root. As the unique cultural identity of the Chinese nation, it contains our most profound cultural pursuits and provides us with abundant nourishment for existence and development.[5] The Chinese people have strong confidence in the path, theories, and system with Chinese characteristics, with their confidence in Chinese culture as the essence, because China is a country with a civilisation over 5000 years old.[6] The Chinese dream will be realised through balanced development and mutual reinforcement of material and cultural progress. Without the continuation and development of civilisation or the promotion and prosperity of culture, the Chinese dream will not come true. The realisation of the Chinese dream is a process of both material and cultural development. As China continues to make economic and social progress, Chinese civilisation will keep pace with the times and acquire greater vitality.[7]
Second, we must consolidatethe guiding position of Marxism and hold firmly the leading position in ideological work. Ideology determines the direction a culture should take and the path it should follow as it develops. In 2013, Xi Jinping pointed out at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work that: whether or not it is possible to do ideological work well relates to the future destiny of the Party, relates to the long-term peace and order of the country, and relates to the cohesion and centripetal force of the nation. To have firm cultural confidence, we must continue to adapt Marxism to China’s conditions, keep it up-to-date, and enhance its popular appeal. We will develop socialist ideology that has the ability to unite and the power to inspire the people to embrace shared ideals, convictions, values, and moral standards.[8]
Third, we must nurture and practice core socialist values and raise the ideological and moral standards of the entire nation. The core values of socialism with Chinese characteristics is to “promote prosperity, democracy, civility, and harmony, uphold freedom, equality, justice and the rule of law and advocate patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendship”. This is a concentrated embodiment of the contemporary Chinese spirit and the ideological and moral foundation that boosts national cohesion. To have firm confidence in culture, we must continuously strengthen the building of the system of socialist core values, make fostering and promoting socialist core values a basic project for spiritual cohesion and foundation consolidation, and implement it in a practical way. We should do more to foster a Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength to provide an endless source of spiritual power and moral nourishment for the cause of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.
Fourth, we must promote advanced socialist culture and improve the country’s cultural soft power. Cultural soft power represents the cohesion and vitality of a country based on culture, and the resulting attractiveness and influence. From a historical point of view, the development process of any major country is not only the process of raising hard power such as economic aggregates and military power, but also the process of raising the soft power such as values, ideology, and culture.
For China, raising the country’s cultural soft power relates to the realisation of the “Two Centenary Goals” and the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Therefore, to have firm cultural confidence, we must promote advanced socialist culture, deepen the reform of the cultural system, create a new surge in promoting socialist culture and bring about its great development and enrichment, inspire the cultural creativity of the whole nation, promote rapid development and all-around flourishing of the cultural industry and cultural services, constantly enrich people’s cultural life and enhance their moral strength, continuously enhance the overall strength and international competitiveness of Chinese culture, and strive to meet the grand goal of developing a strong socialist culture in China.[9]
The Belt and Road highlights the confidence of China as a major country
The Belt and Road Initiative is a Chinese proposal whose aim isto promote peaceful cooperation and common development throughout the world. It helps China to demonstrate its confidence in actively responding to global governance problems and portray itself as a civilised country featuring rich history, ethnic unity, and cultural diversity; as an oriental power with good government, developed economy, cultural prosperity, social stability, national unity, and beautiful mountains and rivers; as a responsible country that advocates peaceful and common development, safeguards international justice, and makes contributions to humanity; and as a socialist country which is open, amicable, promising, and vibrant. It will enhance the understanding and recognition of China by countries along the Belt and Road.
As a road of prosperity, the Belt and Road is a platform for extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits for all countries along the routes. We are ready to share the practices of development with other countries, but we have no intention to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, export our own social system and model of development, or impose our own will on others.[10] However, through promoting policy coordination, connectivity of infrastructure, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and understanding between people, the Belt and Road demonstrates the path, guiding theories, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics to the countries along the routes and thus provide references for all these countries, especially developing countries, to explore their own development path. Meanwhile, during the hard time when we are witnessing abacklash against globalisation by Western countries, especially the United States, China’s confidence in actively promoting globalisation will also help encourage the countries along the Belt and Road to participate more actively in cooperation and work together to build a global economy that is more invigorated, more open, more stable, more sustainable, and more inclusive.
As a road connecting different civilisations, in pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative, we should ensure that when it comes to different civilisations, exchange will replace estrangement, mutual learning will replace clashes, and coexistence will replace a sense of superiority. This will boost mutual understanding, mutual respect, and mutual trust among different countries. The Chinese nation has always been a peace-loving nation.[11] As an important part of Chinese culture, the concept of harmony has a long history and strong appeal. We believe in unity between man and nature, peace among countries, the approach of “agree to disagree”, and the good nature of people. In China’s 5000-year history, the Chinese nation has pursued and maintained the philosophy of peace, friendship, and harmony. Peace is most precious; treat others with kindness; don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you. These ideas have passed from generation to generation and taken root in the mentality of the Chinese and are reflected in their behaviour.[12] This will provide important guidance for the countries along the Belt and Road to put into action the Silk Road spirit of “peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit” and will help to effectively avoid the exclusive praise or belittling of one particular civilisation, thus enriching the colours of various civilisations and the cultural life of people, and opening up still greater alternatives in the future. Meanwhile, China will also fully draw on the beneficial results of the world’s civilisations in the process of building the Belt and Road to further develop and improve the socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. On this basis, China will guide the people todevelop an accurate understanding of history, ethnicity, country, and culture and enhance the spine and confidence of the Chinese people and build stronger cultural confidence in the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
[1] “Speech by Hu Jintao at the Celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China”, Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 1, 2011.
[2] Firmly March on the Path of Socialism withChineseCharacteristicsand Strive to Complete the Building of A Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects, Hu Jintao’s report to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on November 8, 2012.
[3] Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Xi Jinping’s report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on October 18, 2017.
[4] “Speech by Xi Jinping at the SymposiumonPhilosophy andSocialSciences”, Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 18, 2016.
[5] “Speech by Xi Jinping at UNESCO Headquarters”, Xinhuanet Paris, March 27, 2014.
[6] “Remarks by Xi Jinping about Cultural Confidence”, People’s Daily Overseas Edition,12th ed., July 13, 2016.
[7] “Speech by Xi Jinping at UNESCO Headquarters”, Xinhuanet Paris, March 27, 2014.
[8] “Remarks by Xi Jinping about Cultural Confidence”, People’s Daily Overseas Edition, 12th ed.,July 13, 2016.
[9] “Xi Jinping Presided over the 12th Group Study Session of Members of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and Delivered A Keynoted Speech”, Xinhuanet Beijing, December 31, 2013.
[10] “Work Together to Build the Silk Road Economic Belt and The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road—Speech by President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China at the Opening Ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation”, Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 14, 2017.
[11] “Work Together to Build the Silk Road Economic Belt and The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road—Speech by President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China at the Opening Ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation”, Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 14, 2017.
[12] “Speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at China International Friendship Conference in Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries”, Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 15, 2014.