Adhering to a“People-oriented”Development Path

By CAO YONGFU

SINCE the reform and opening-up， global attention has been riveted on Chinas enormous economic achievements； yet misunderstandings and prejudices concerning China are also mounting. For instance， certain people hold the view that officials at all levels of the Communist Party of China （CPC） merely focus on pursuing GDP growth and personal achievements whilst being less concerned about improving peoples livelihood. Some consider that Chinas rise will pose a threat to world peace. Others believe that Chinas current political system is without a future， and that the only approach out relies on the acceptance of the Western values and political mechanisms.

The CPC， since its founding， is committed to safeguarding the interests of the working people. In the long process of socialist modernization， it has always adhered to the guiding principle of “peoples supremacy and peaceful development，” which has been studied by many scholars in the fields of politics and history. With long-term study on economics， I believe that the governing principle of the CPC could be fully expounded based on the perspectives of politics， history， and economics.

All for the People

A myriad of ancient Chinese precepts elaborate the relationship between the ruling echelon and the people. For example， “the people count while the ruling stratum is of less importance，” and “water can both carry a boat and overturn it.” They imply that the ruling party， should it fail to garner the support of the general public and serve the peoples interest， will be incapable of staying in power for long.

At the early stage of the reform and opening-up， the peoples living standards were not high， so the CPC Central Committee shifted its focus to economic construction. This change adapted to the urgent needs of the majority of the people.

In order to achieve the goal of promoting employment， a slew of Western countries strive to improve the business environment， and local administrative bodies also compete in attracting investment. The efforts of Chinese local governments in attracting investment are unparalleled around the globe， as they devise extremely detailed assessment methods for attracting investment， and assign the tasks to departments at every level. Government officials， to ensure the implementation of investment projects， work day and night to follow up on projects and keep themselves directly accessible through mobile phones round the clock.

As the local GDP and fiscal revenue grow， related officials get a certain amount of material reward， but a very limited amount； the real benefit is reaped by the general public. A multitude of officials are welleducated， and could reap hefty profits if they were to be engaged in private businesses. The reason why they are dedicated to their work undoubtedly lies in achieving career accomplishment. It is also the result of political incentive. In fact， the incentive is consistent with the officials desire to improve peoples living standards. Those officials who have made achievements in economic development and significantly improved their region win the peoples respect.

The working style with economic development as the central task targets the principal contradiction of the Chinese society， but inevitably produces some negative effects. Certain local governments would sacrifice the environment for economic growth， while others fail to pay sufficient attention to peoples well-being， such as education and healthcare. However， it should be noted that achieving perfection is impractical， and these adverse effects definitely do not reflect the overriding conditions.

Over the past 40 years of reform and openingup， peoples lives have improved tremendously， and Chinas comprehensive national strength has been enhanced markedly. These achievements are the combined efforts of entrepreneurs， workers， and laborers from all walks of life. However， it must be acknowledged that these achievements are inseparable from the hard work and wisdom of officials at all levels.

The CPC， advancing with the times， adjusts its policies accordingly. In its 19th National Congress， the CPC stated that the principal social contradiction has been transformed into the contradiction between the peoples ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. This assertion indicates that the criterion to evaluate the performance of officials at all levels will be adjusted. While continuing to prioritize economic growth， more focus will be directed to issues pertaining to quality of life， such as environmental protection， education， and medical care. The transition， while not proceeding smoothly， is already advancing in the correct direction， as this transition is in sync with the fundamental interests of the majority of people in the new era.

Integration into Globalization

At the beginning of the 20th century， China was a semi-feudal and semi-colonial country， which was subjected to oppression and exploitation exerted by Western powers. After the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949， the foundation for industrialization was established. As its economy raced ahead after the initiation of the reform and opening-up， China gradually grew to be the second largest economy in the world. Many countries fear that Chinas rise will imperil global peace， which has virtually no solid basis.

Historically， wars originated from conflicts in religious ideology or territorial disputes， and the desire for economic resources. In agrarian society， land and grain constitute major economic resources for people to survive on， which has been the source of tribal strife. The central plains of China encountered offensives launched by nomads in the north， which resulted in the plunder of grains by the nomadic peoples suffering from famine.

In the era of industrialization， in addition to land and food， the strategic importance of mineral resources became increasingly prominent. A throng of industrialized powers launched wars and set up colonies， their key goals being to grab oil， coal， iron ore and other resources， because these resources happen to be of significance in ensuring the smooth progress of industrialization.

In the present world， the importance of these essential traditional productive factors has declined significantly. Property rights now go beyond land and resources to include knowledge and virtual spaces. The most vital productive factors are capital and technology.

A nation， as long as it possesses a large number of brilliant scientists and engineers， can consistently generate wealth and stay invincible. At present， the major developed countries have gained comparative advantages in the fields of information technology， pharmaceuticals， aerospace， and advanced manufacturing industries， and henceforth acquired subsequent and proportionate economic advantages.

In the future， rivalry among countries will no longer be confined to military strength， but with comprehensive national power with high-tech at the core. There still exists a huge gap between Chinas current scientific and technological strength and that of the most developed countries in the West. Only in a number of specific industries， has China just joined the ranks of high-tech competition， which contributes to promoting the overall progress of human society.

With the progress of communication technology and the decrease of transport costs， the transnational flow of goods， services， capital， and personnel can benefit all concerned parties. Globalization is inherently irreversible. Trade protectionism provoked by individual countries is a short-term regional phenomenon， which is not sustainable and does not conform to the long-term fundamental interests of all countries. The present global production network closely interconnects all countries， and the economic interests of all countries are integrally interlocked. Clashes and wars will harm all related entities.

Chinas conflicts with certain countries are regional and all manageable. Chinas choice of a peaceful development path and its participation in globalization on the basis of its comparative advantages is rational and in line with the fundamental interests of the Chinese people.

Improving Governance Based on National Conditions

Western countries， like the United States， have always held their liberal values as superior， and believed that they are obliged to spread their values to other countries.

Countries across the world have their own historical and cultural traditions and specific national conditions， and it is doubtful whether the simple application of Western political apparatus in other countries can take root.

Taking the comparison between China and the United States as an example， the latter， at the initial stage of its founding， had an abundance of fertile land. Farms were far apart， and families mostly resided in relatively independent villas. This mode of living has continued up to now， thus forming a cultural tradition of individualism and liberalism.

Historically， China is a country with a large population sharing common land. People living in groups have gradually shaped into numerous villages. Even in contemporary urban areas of China， people mostly reside in apartments rather than houses. The interpersonal bonds are more closely knitted， which will inevitably lead to the tradition of collectivism.

The central plains of China have come under the threat of wars launched by nomads in the north. The middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River， despite being suitable for cultivation， are subject to the scourge of constant floods. The ancient residents of China， to secure survival， built the Great Wall and water conservation facilities under a centralized and unified leadership. Therefore， it is Chinas historical tradition to concentrate strengths on major undertakings.

Diverse historical and cultural traditions of various countries are rooted in their own conditions， which help to shape a unique national character.

There is no distinct superiority or inferiority between different political apparatuses. One nation can only judge whether a particular political system conforms to its national circumstances or not.

In the United States， presidential candidates resort to verbal attacks or sexual scandals to win over voters. Congressmen fight for partisan interests， and the federal government closes due to trivial budget disputes. The California high-speed rail project is in high demand， but has progressed at a glacial pace 10 years after its approval. The federal government failed to urgently mobilize resources when the floods in New Orleans in 2005 led to massive displacement， social unrest， robbery， and arson. In the face of all those， the U.S. elites and public also realized that their political system is far from perfect. The consequences of spreading it to other countries will be a matter of concern.

The economic base determines the superstructure. With the improvement of the living standards of the Chinese people， peoples awareness of fairness and political participation has been enhanced. The reform of Chinas political system has achieved marked progress since the reform and opening-up.

For example， China has established a civil service system， nepotism has been stopped， and official selection and appointment has been standardized. The system of self-governance of villages has been carried out across the nation， promoting values of democracy at the primary level. When ordinary people have a dispute with a certain government department， they will have the option to resort to the law. It is not objective to turn a blind eye to the great progress of Chinas political system reform.

Chinas political system certainly needs to be improved， and this process demands drawing references from the outstanding achievements of civilizations around the globe. But China boasts a long history and brilliant civilization which has sustained for 5，000 years. China is the most populous country in the world. It is not wise to indiscriminately copy the Western systems blindly， when people are fully aware of the existing defects.

In short， with the increase of total economic output， China will inevitably be questioned and criticized more as it is in constant focus， a situation which any power in the world will face in the course of its growth. The CPC adheres to prioritizing the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people， which is the key for the ruling party to avoid being eliminated by historical progress.

China will coexist peacefully and develop jointly with other countries in the world， which is the rational choice in the era of high-tech and intensive globalization. China will adopt a road suitable to its own national conditions. The world will be a beautiful and prosperous place when diversity and inclusiveness are cherished.