Photo: Li Hao/GT

On Friday, the new leadership of the state institutions and the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was elected at the two sessions. Xi Jinping was unanimously elected Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission. This fully reflects the common aspiration of the whole Party, the military and the people of all ethnic groups in the country, and fully embodies the high degree of unity of the will of the Party, the will of the people, and the will of the country. Embarking on a journey full of glory and dreams, the sense of direction and certainty brought about by this achievement has further strengthened the firm confidence of Chinese society in its unity and striving.

From the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to the ongoing two sessions, "striving in unity" has always been a key and frequently used word. The development and changes in the internal and external situation has made "striving in unity" more important and urgent, and it has become a rigid demand in China. Today, the international situation is more complicated and turbulent, and the US is stepping up its containment and suppression of China on a wide range of fronts. Although the division among political parties in the US has not eased, being tough on China has become a rare political consensus in the US. Washington is trying to achieve "unity" within the US and in the transatlantic alliance and beyond by making China a common target, even if this unity is only superficial. The strategic game between China and the US is to some extent a competition of unity.

As Xi noted, over the years, the various risks and challenges we have faced have come one after another, and each battle has been won through the united and tenacious struggle of all the people. In the 10 years of the new era, in the face of risks, challenges and tests from politics, economy, ideology, and nature, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi at the core unites and leads the Party, the military, and the people of all ethnic groups in the country to carry out the great struggle with many new historical characteristics. We have won the battle against poverty as scheduled, built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, achieved the first centenary goal, achieved a major and decisive victory in COVID prevention and control, and created a great achievement of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. The main theme running through this great journey is striving in unity.

The judgment on the current situation at the second plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC held not long ago is: "The world is undergoing momentous and rapid changes unseen in a century, and it has entered a new phase of turbulence and transformation. China has entered a development period in which strategic opportunities, risks and challenges are concurrent, and uncertainties and unforeseen factors are rising, and it must therefore be ready to withstand high winds, choppy waters and even dangerous storms." The more this is the case, the more it requires internal unity, and under the leadership of the Party with Comrade Xi at its core, we must be united and as one like tough steel. The spirit that has supported the Chinese people to achieve prosperity and the Chinese nation to realize rejuvenation for a century is more special and precious today than ever before.

The giant ship of China is setting sail, and there are some storms that cannot be avoided. A recent commentary by the Financial Times made an interesting assumption: if there were no Taiwan question and no difference in social systems, would there still be tension and confrontation in China-US relations? The answer is yes, as "it is hard to imagine the circumstances in which America would willingly share the limelight." 

It needs to be recognized that regardless of the pretext used by Washington to contain China, it is essentially due to its own insecurity and rejection of China's continuous development, even though this development brings huge opportunities to the world. This is undoubtedly an action that goes against the tide of history, but it is also the reality that we need to face.

The US is so hostile toward China precisely because of the vigorous momentum and enormous potential of China's development, which has made Washington lack confidence, feel anxious, and fear that their global hegemony is being threatened. For both China and the US, it will be a period of uncomfortable adaptation, and ultimately, internal factors will play a decisive role. Although the US currently appears to be aggressive, it actually shows a tendency of decline. Its front line has been stretched too long and beyond the scope of its capability. 

On March 9, US President Joe Biden announced the budget proposal for the 2024 fiscal year. In order to gain the support of Republican lawmakers in Congress and avoid the dilemma of a "government shutdown," the proposal significantly increases military spending, but ignores the demands of livelihoods. This political orientation that does not prioritize the interests of the American people cannot bridge divergences and achieve true unity.

In a diversified society, differences in interests and public opinions are a reality. Looking around the world, many developed countries are trapped in political polarization, social division, and the quagmire of political parties hijacking national interests. However, the CPC always represents the fundamental interests of the vast majority of the people, and has no special interests of its own. It never represents any interest group, any power group, or any privileged class. This is a prominent manifestation of China's institutional advantages and the deep-rooted driving force behind Chinese society's striving in unity. 

Embarking on a new journey, we will rally even more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi at the core, comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese modernization. The unity and striving of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people belong not only to China but also to the world. This is worthy of respect and also makes people feel exhilarated.