Photo: IC

What does a China that is gearing up for higher-level opening-up mean? This is a question that needs to be noted by all countries.

The second China International Import Expo (CIIE), spanning six days, ended on Sunday with tentative deals worth $71.13 billion inked for one-year purchases of goods and services, an increase of 23 percent from the first expo. 

The figure is stunning. However, the significance of the CIIE lies beyond the shining data. The success of the expo is an embodiment of China's strong resolve to further open up, the great potential of China's consumer market, and more importantly, the advantages of China's political system.

The West has long held a bigoted view that China is an authoritarian state with a closed economy and questioned China's sincerity to open up to the outside world. But the reality is at a time when countries are striving to sell more amid a global economic slowdown, China hosted the world's largest import expo to buy more and to provide more economic opportunities to other countries.

Being the so-called democracy defined by the West doesn't necessarily mean being open. 

India, the world's largest democracy, has become more conservative and protectionist, pulling out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade deal out of fear that it would hurt its domestic manufacturing industry. 

The US, whose ignorant politicians like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repeatedly criticize China's political system, has shifted toward protectionism by imposing tariffs and continuously threatening its trade partners. 

On the contrary, China is making strides in moving toward higher level opening-up during which the advantages of its political system are fully underscored. For one thing, the one-Party system ensures China could formulate a road map to further open up and put it into practice without being obstructed by partisan struggles. For another, under the leadership of the reform-minded Communist Party of China, a series of reform measures have been implemented to promote a higher degree of opening up. 

In 2019, China has set up six new pilot free trade zones and granted access to foreign banks and insurance companies to the Chinese market. To build Hainan island into a quality free trade zone, a reform has been carried out to simplify the approval procedures for businesses to better attract foreign investors. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also chief of the leading group on deepening all-round reform and opening-up in Hainan, on Saturday called for pushing forward the construction of a free trade port in Hainan, stressing that the free trade port should be built in line with the world's highest level of opening up.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed at the second CIIE, the door of China's opening-up will open even wider.

Some Western media claim that "China will rise no further" without a Western-style democratic system. However, as Western-style democracy has failed to resolve the social, economic and political conundrums of Western societies, the efficiency and vitality of the Chinese political system are propelling China toward realizing higher-level opening-up and national rejuvenation.