Milestone congress points to new era for China, the world

BEIJING — The curtains are falling at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, but China is rising like it never has before.

About a week ago, Xi Jinping announced the new era: China has stood up, grown rich and become strong. It will move toward center stage and make greater contributions for mankind.

By 2050, two centuries after the Opium Wars, which plunged the "Middle Kingdom" into a period of hurt and shame, China is set to regain its might and re-ascend to the top of the world.

The Communist Party of China, the ruling party that has led China to awe-inspiring achievements, on Tuesday concluded its 19th National Congress with calls for confidence, aspirations and action.

The baton will be passed to the new leadership. The Party has gained a new addition to its guiding ideology: Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Xi said the aim is to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.

Though it will take immense work, the picture is clear -- China is set to become the world's largest economy, and incomes will be high with an effective social welfare system, a responsive and people-serving government, clean politics ensuring people's rights, and a beautiful country loved by its citizens.

The genesis of China's development miracle is socialism, not other "-isms." The country succeeds not by rigidly copying the original ideas of scientific socialism, but by adapting it to China's reality. Xi Jinping's thought will be China's signature ideology and the new communism.

The China approach has been successful, both politically and economically, and will continue to serve the country's future well. Despite the suspicion and attacks it has drawn, it has benefited the rest of the world in commerce, trade, investment and international peace.

By the end of 2016, there were 13 countries whose populations exceeded 100 million. Ten of them are developing countries. China's success proves that socialism can prevail and be a path for other developing countries to emulate and achieve modernization.

China is now strong enough, willing, and able to contribute more for mankind. The new world order cannot be just dominated by capitalism and the West, and the time will come for a change.

In the new era, China needs to tackle the new contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life. China will need to prove it can survive the middle income trap.

As China solves its own problems by increasing its economic weight, boosting its technological prowess, attaining green development, and opening up further, the world only stands to benefit.

The Chinese dream is one of the nation's development, not one of hegemony. A stronger China will only have positive effects.

Those expecting China to fall will be disappointed. Fingerpointing and questioning the legitimacy of the Chinese way are of no avail. It is time to understand China's path, because it appears it will continue to triumph.