Op-ed: China's development brings new opportunities for the world

The following is an op-ed by the Chinese Ambassador to Maldives, Wang Lixin. 

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The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held successfully in Beijing from 15 to 18 July. It scientifically mapped out an overall plan to further deepen reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, and released a clear signal to further expand high-standard opening up, which will provide new opportunities for all countries in the world including the Maldives.

The Third Plenary Session injects new momentum into China's development. Reform and opening up is an important method for China to catch up with the trend of the times quickly, and it is a key initiative to determine China's destiny.  Since the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, President Xi Jinping, with great historical initiative, strong political courage and responsibility, has promoted the CPC and China's undertakings to achieve historic achievements and changes, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process. Standing on a new historical starting point, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has comprehensively deployed reforms in various fields and aspects with the economic system reform as the traction, putting forward more than 300 important reforms, and explicitly requesting that "The reform tasks laid out in this resolution shall be completed by the time the People’s Republic of China celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2029", which will continue to inject energy into high-quality development and modernization of China.

The Third Plenary Session brings more new opportunities for world development. The plenary proposed that opening up is a defining feature of Chinese modernization. We must remain committed to the basic state policy of opening to the outside world and continue to promote reform through opening up. Leveraging the strengths of China’s enormous market, we will enhance our capacity for opening up while expanding international cooperation, develop new institutions for a higher-standard open economy and improve the mechanisms for high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. In recent years, China's economic contribution to global economic growth has remained at around 30 percent. China is not only the world's most promising market, but also a major trading partner of more than 150 countries and regions. China has promoted the high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, resulting in more than 3,000 cooperation projects, boosting investment of nearly one trillion dollars, creating 420,000 jobs in countries along the route, lifting nearly 40 million people out of poverty, and creating a lot of landmark projects, including the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. The plenary emphasized that Chinese modernization is the modernization of peaceful development. China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace and is dedicated to building a human community with a shared future. With the advancement of the important reform initiatives put forward by the Third Plenary Session of the Central Committee, China's peaceful development will make greater contribution to world peace, stability and development.

The Third Plenary Session offers new ideas for developing countries to achieve modernization. Chinese modernization has set a model for developing countries to move towards modernization independently, and has provided a brand-new choice for those countries that wish to accelerate development while maintaining their independence. The plenary has summarized and sorted out China's valuable experience in deepening reform in a comprehensive manner since its reform and opening up, especially in the new era, providing useful reference for countries to explore the path of modernization with their own characteristics, and contributing Chinese wisdom to the common challenges faced by the world. Under the leadership of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the Maldives is firmly pushing forward economic reforms and focusing on improving sustainable development. China is willing to share its reform experience with all countries including the Maldives, especially its theoretical and practical experience in promoting integrated urban-rural development, ensuring and improving the people’s well-being, and deepening reform in ecological conservation etc., to improve the well-beings of people and promote common development.

As President Xi Jinping has said, the modernization we are pursuing is not for China alone. We are ready to work with all countries to advance global modernization featuring peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity, and to build a human community with a shared future. China welcomes all countries to actively participate in the process of Chinese modernization and share the great opportunities brought about by China's high-quality development, as well as to join hands in building a human community with a shared future, holding dear humanity’s shared values and embarking on the bright path of common development to create a better future for mankind!