China is providing ever more public goods and platforms of international cooperation, to the benefit of a growing array of countries.
hina is in a new era. The recent annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were in the limelight of the world’s media. The election of new national leadership, the adoption of Constitutional amendments and a new round of national institutional reform have all combined to set new milestones for the country on its way forward.
What are the implications to the rest, especially this part of the world?
History offers some compelling clues. Forty years into its reform and opening-up program, China has grown from poverty and underdevelopment to the world’s second-largest economy, accounting for a steady 30 percent plus to global growth, more than the United States, Japan and eurozone countries combined.
China is a leader by example in poverty alleviation, having contributed over 70 percent of the world’s accomplishments in poverty reduction.
China is a staunch supporter of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals and climate change response efforts, and the largest contributor of UN peacekeeping troops among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. China is providing ever more public goods and platforms of international cooperation, to the benefit of a growing array of countries.
There are always naysayers though. We’ve had a plethora of “China collapse” predictions that have invariably been in serious disagreement with reality. Of late, a new strain of “China threat theory” has surfaced, in the form of the newly minted “sharp power”, accusing China of exporting development models to others. It can’t be further from the truth.
Guidelines of China’s foreign policy in the new era can be found in the master design at the 19th CPC National Congress last October. The overarching objectives are to promote a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.