Foreign experts applaud China's new goals

Giovanni Cubeddu,

vice-president of business development at Global Broadcasting Times in Italy, and editor-in-chief of Cinitalia magazine, circulated in China and Italy

1. I believe it will lead China in a balanced, strong way, both domestically and internationally. When one reads the 14 points of Xi Jinping Thought, one sees that the idea of developing the country, and its stance in the world is clear and has been thoroughly studied in depth. What strikes a Western observer is that we are facing a country that has great awareness of its values that are thousands of years old and doesn't want to abandon them. In the case of China, when we say that the role of the Communist Party is to serve the people, we mean that it serves the people and all their civilization. And now, to achieve this result properly we need to deepen the reform drive started by Deng Xiaoping and proceed toward the new vision outlined by the current leadership.

2. What impresses above all is the sense of time, the meaning of it. In China, time is required to carry out development plans, but in other countries it is used to try to resolve political crises. The vision of the CPC and the Chinese government uses time as an ally, and this feeds a sense of commitment and confidence in being able to achieve the goals. This is already a great value for itself that makes the Party, the administration and the people more united. Certainly, errors can be made over time, such as corruption, and this is a theme on which we should expand a lot. I believe that many international observers already realize that China must help itself and help the world remain a place of development and peace.

3. Xi's statements in his speech at the congress should be seriously taken into account when he reaffirms the primacy of the real economy (in developing a modernized economy the country must focus on the real economy). Moreover, in the Chinese vision of globalization China will support State capital in becoming stronger, doing better and growing bigger, turning Chinese enterprises into world-class, globally competitive companies. There is a view of economy modernity and this is a signal that the congress has given.

4. I would like to respond to your question with an image. In Xi Jinping's The Governance of China, which offers a selection of his speeches from 2012 to 2014, there are also numerous archive images about his life and political career. One, portraying him in 1983 when he was Party chief of Zhengding county, Hebei province, particularly impressed me: In the photo he's sitting at a table listening to the views of residents, obviously poor people. For me, that image has the power of a Caravaggio painting. Moreover, when Xi reaffirms that China will leverage the fundamental role of consumption in promoting economic growth, he means that not only the poor should be helped, but the middle-income group should be supported as well. These are the basics for the future.