Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

Editor's Note:
China had an epic decade since 2012. Particularly in the last five years, which are truly momentous, extraordinary, the country has successfully dealt with major challenges including turbulent developments in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the COVID-19 epidemic. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will lay out plans for the strategic missions and major measures in the next five years, getting the efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects off to a good start. 

"The success of China's path is an inspiration to developing countries and shows them a bright future," Giancarlo Elia Valori (Valori), an Italian expert on international affairs, shared his views on the ongoing 20th National Congress of the CPC in an interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Yu Jincui. 


GT: Regarding China's development, what has impressed you most over the past 10 years? 
 
Valori: Observers from various Western countries have underestimated the enormous capabilities of the CPC, a century-old party. China has become the world's largest trading nation and has one of the world's largest economies. It is a major trading partner for all other countries in Asia, and so far, 149 countries have participated in China's Belt and Road Initiative, launched in 2013. 

Also, let us not forget a very significant aspect of the history and activities of the Communist Party: Marxism. The history of the CPC is a history of continuously promoting the Sinicization of Marxism, a history of continuous development and innovation of theory. The CPC is also committed to emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and being realistic and pragmatic. It constantly broadens the new horizons of Marxism. The Chinese Communists have insisted on combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's reality and have integrated socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era into the Marxist ideological path, achieving the historical leap that led the development of China to today.


GT: The five years since the 19th National Congress of the CPC have been extraordinary and unprecedented. China has achieved world leading results in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic and in terms of economic development, whilst also defeating attempts at subversion by external forces in Hong Kong. What do these five years mean for the CPC?
 
Valori: In my opinion, in the past five years, China under the leadership of the CPC has led the people to overcome crises and achieve remarkable results, demonstrating the superiority of their system and entering a new era.

As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, the five years since the 19th National Congress of the CPC are momentous, extraordinary. The CPC Central Committee has united and led the entire Party and the Chinese people to effectively respond to the severe and complex international situation and a series of major risks and challenges. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. The CPC is fully committed to completing the construction of a prosperous society, promoting high-quality development, and advancing reforms in a rapid and stable manner. China has given top priority to safeguarding and improving the quality of life of its people. It mobilizes all sectors of society to fight against poverty, and devotes a lot of energy to the construction of ecological civilization.

Giancarlo Elia Valori Photo: Courtesy of Valori

GT: The CPC has led the people toward successfully developing a path of Chinese modernization path, creating a new form of human civilization and expanding the opportunities of developing countries in attaining modernization. What are the lessons and inspirations of the Chinese path for other developing countries?

Valori: The success of China's path is an inspiration to developing countries and shows them a bright future. From my perspective, the Chinese path is worth learning from the following points: putting improvement of people's lives at the top of governmental affairs; formulating a medium-term and long-term development strategy that suits the country's conditions; striving to maintain economic growth and solve the problem of poverty; improving the country's political and economic system; and insisting on opening-up to the outside world and connecting with the world while maintaining independence.

China has gone through a long period of time to achieve independence and truly free itself from the control of the superpowers. China's refusal to join any offensive military bloc is significant. It is based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. These five principles are: mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty; mutual non-aggression; mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs; equality and co-operation for mutual benefit; and peaceful co-existence. It has been the foundation of Beijing's foreign policy.

The general principles and goals of China's policies toward developing countries are firstly based on strategic partnership, political equality, and economic cooperation. It is based on respect for each other's interests and allows all parties to benefit from cooperation.

 
GT: The 20th National Congress of the CPC will lay out plans for the strategic missions and major measures in the next five years. What advantages does transcending the election cycle give the CPC in governing? 
 
Valori: China adopts a system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, and it is a whole-process people's democracy, which is different from the periodic elections in the West. It not only has a complete set of institutions and procedures but also effectively guarantees the full participation of the Chinese people. A comprehensive, extensive and coordinated institutional system has been formed to ensure that the people are the masters of the country and that there are different channels that are open, smooth and orderly. This enables the Chinese people to participate in elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and supervision in accordance with the law and to manage national, economic, cultural, and social affairs in various ways and forms.

Regarding the superiority of China's democratic system transcending the election circle, here are two points.

First, it can ensure the stability of the policy, thereby bringing about the long-term stability of national development. The overall policy of China's reform and opening-up for more than 40 years has been continuous, coherent, and constantly improved. This is the key to China's success. It is completely different from the change of governments and the ensuing sharp policy turns in Western countries. Taking Italy as an example, there have been 63 governments in more than 70 years after World War II. The impact of frequent changes of government on the development of the country can be imagined. Without a fixed and lasting goal, no amount of effort can get you far. China can formulate and implement five-year plans, which is probably unimaginable in the West.

Second, it can ensure that the government's decision-making is fast and its execution is strong. This point goes without saying. Whether it is dealing with the financial crisis in 2008 or the COVID-19 in the past two years, the superiority of the Chinese system has been fully demonstrated.
 

GT: All countries in the world face a series of uncertainties and challenges in the next five years. What does China's stability and certainty as a major power mean for the world?
 
Valori: China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, and respects the development path and social system independently chosen by each country. China has never engaged in systematic competition or ideological confrontation with other countries, and has never used violence to prove that its political system is the best in the world. China does not export its ideology and never seeks to change the internal systems of other countries.

I say all this to emphasize that China's stability and certainty are vital to the well-being of the world and directly affect world peace and development. Only when China maintains stability and certainty can human beings be better able to cope with major changes unseen in a century, both politically and economically.
 

GT: How do you see the significance of the 20th CPC National Congress? 
 
Valori: The 20th National Congress of the CPC is a pivotal conference held at a critical moment when China enters a new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way. The conference will scientifically plan the goals, tasks, and major policies for the development of the CPC and national undertakings in the next five years or even longer. It will not only concern China's future but also affect global development. I take this opportunity to wish the 20th National Congress of the CPC a complete success.


GT: Over the past 100 years, the CPC has led Chinese people to realize its first centenary goal - building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The CPC is marching toward realizing its second centenary goal. Are you optimistic about China's future?
 
Valori: I am optimistic about the future of China. I believe that under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people will achieve the CPC's second centenary goal on schedule and build a modern socialist country with prosperity, democracy, civility, and harmony. The prosperity of China will be a blessing to the world and will bring about a harmonious world of peace, diversity, and shared future.