Partners in cooperation, not rivals in competition

The goals set by the 18th Party Congress for China’s development have opened up new space for improving ties with India

December 26, 2012 03:00 am | Updated December 04, 2021 11:14 pm IST

Leading a large developing country with 1.3 billion people to modernisation and national renewal is the cherished “China Dream” of the world’s biggest ruling party. The just-concluded 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) wrought a blueprint to realise that dream.

The path decides destiny. As the report at the 18th Party Congress has stated, China will hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It will free up the mind and implement reform policies. It will open up, pool strengths, overcome difficulties, and strive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society. By 2020, when the CPC celebrates its centenary, China would have doubled its 2010 GDP and per capita income for both urban and rural residents, and built a moderately prosperous society. By mid-century, when the People’s Republic of China marks its centennial, China would have become a modern socialist country — prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious. During more than 90 years of exploration, the CPC’s greatest achievement is the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics, by integrating Marxism with the reality of contemporary China and with the underlying features of the times. Following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is an inevitable path to realising the “China Dream” and creating a good life for Chinese people.

Putting people first

Following this path, China will put people first. It will apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, aiming for comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development. It will push for all-round and coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological fields. China will speed up improvements to the socialist market economy and in the change of the growth model, to maintain sustained and sound economic development. It will improve institutions of people’s democracy, uphold the rule of law and respect and protect human rights. It will improve civic morality all-round. It will fully inspire cultural creativity and enhance cultural soft power. It will tackle problems in the fields of education, employment, social security, health care, housing and so on, so as to raise people’s living standards. It will promote ecological progress, resource conservation and environment protection.

On the path of pursuing the “China Dream,” the nation has made a commitment that it would continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit. It will promote equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutually beneficial cooperation in international relations. It will strive to uphold world peace and promote common development. It will continue to promote friendship and partnership with its neighbours, consolidate friendly relations and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. China’s development will benefit its neighbours.

Year of friendship

For China, India is an important neighbour. Both are important Asian countries and emerging economies. They share a long-standing traditional friendship and cultural bonds and a common historical responsibility to develop the economy and improve people’s well-being. Their destiny and interests are intertwined. China welcomes and positively views India’s development and takes the China-India relationship as one of the most important elements of its foreign relations. It is committed to developing long-term and stable good-neighbourly cooperation. This is the Year of China-India Friendship and Cooperation. The two countries arranged a variety of activities that made the year colourful and meaningful. More important, the deeper China-India relations are, the more they realise that they are partners in cooperation rather than rivals in competition. They have more points of consensus than differences, more common interests than conflicts. The only way they can live with each other harmoniously is by properly handling differences and cooperating.

As leaders of both countries have repeatedly stressed, the global and strategic significance of China-India relations is highlighted as the world goes through profound and complicated changes. China is expecting to join hands with India to enhance strategic and cooperative partnership. This is the way for the two countries to achieve development and bring benefits to one-third of the world’s population that they share, and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity.

The goals and tasks set by the 18th Party Congress for China’s development have opened up new space for China-India cooperation. China is ready to promote high-level exchanges with India, enhance friendly contacts in all sectors, expand cooperation in fields including economic and trade, culture, education, science, technology and tourism. China is ready to strengthen communication and cooperation with India in multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, G20 and BRICS, so as to take a more active role in global governance, better safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and make the international order and system more just and equitable.

China-India relations are embracing a golden period. The development of the two countries provides opportunities to each other. Both sides should seize this historic opportunity to deepen mutual understanding and trust. They should expand friendship and cooperation, and work for mutual benefit and a win-win result. This is the way to realise the shared dream of common development and prosperity and create a wonderful future for the two great peoples.

(Deng Xijun is Chargé d’ Affaires of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India.)

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