National rejuvenation to have a profound impact on world

Since its founding on July 1, 1921, the Communist Party of China has, along with the Chinese people, nurtured the dream of realizing national rejuvenation. The list of the Party's achievements over the past century is long and impressive: realizing the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eradicating absolute poverty, making China the world's second-largest economy and largest trading nation, constructing the world's largest high-speed rail network, and becoming the largest contributor to the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

And it has made all these achievements without fighting wars, indulging in territorial expansion, or political subversion in other countries.

Yet despite these achievements, China still faces a multitude of internal and external challenges.

Apart from the historic achievements, the measure of China's national capability today also includes the Party's immense organizational capacity to harness innovation. Since the pandemic broke out, the Party has effectively mobilized the entire nation to prevent and control the spread of the novel coronavirus, and largely succeeded in achieving its goal.

To Cambodia, where I am currently sitting-out the pandemic, China has supplied millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines and tons of medical equipment. Not to mention that Belt and Road projects are supporting Cambodia's economy during the pandemic while ensuring its future prosperity.

Similar is the case in many other developing countries. For example, Belt and Road projects and/or Chinese investments in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Iran are in total contrast to the attempts of some countries to interfere in their internal affairs.

In fact, China has made great achievements on almost all fronts because the Party follows the peaceful path to national rejuvenation, seeks to resolve disputes through peaceful talks, and does not believe in interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative is also expected to play a big role in helping China basically realize "socialist modernization" by 2035, and achieve the second centenary goal of developing into a "great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful" by 2050(2049 being the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic).

The Belt and Road Initiative is aimed at improving connectivity between the domestic and international markets and further diversifying the Chinese economy, and ensuring the stable supply of essential commodities and goods across the world. The international community better realizes the importance of the initiative today when pandemic and geo-economic headwinds have reduced foreign direct investment in countries that have put restrictions on the exchange of critical goods and technologies with China, and made it more difficult for Chinese youths to get student visas.

Moreover, the fact that China has adopted the "dual circulation" development paradigm, which centers on "internal circulation" (or the domestic cycle of production, distribution and consumption) and aims to integrate internal circulation with "external circulation" (or the global cycle of production, distribution and consumption) to achieve its long-term development goals, one of which is to develop an ecological civilization.

China is already the world's largest producer of wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels. It has launched a national carbon trading mechanism, and is a global leader in reducing emissions and embracing green development. It has also become a global leader in the fields of 5G, artificial intelligence, big data, internet of things, robotics, quantum computing, and outer space research, and is promoting the digital economy.

All this has been possible because the Party realized knowledge is the most critical factor underpinning overall development, leading to national rejuvenation.

Another important aspect of China's digital transformation has been the increase in the production of films, TV programs, smartphone apps and online games. And the increase in user-generated content and online sales platforms has enabled manufacturers, from small to large companies, to directly sell their products to domestic and foreign consumers. Rising online sales and cross-border transactions during the pandemic are further evidence that information and communications technology has not only helped improve China's logistical capabilities but also boosted its economic development.

China's youths have the capability to boost the development of the creative industries which, thanks to their advantage in ICT, can help enrich the cultural lives of foreign youths with their products including films, TV programs, apps and online games.

In his essay, The Young China, scholar and political visionary Liang Qichao (1873-1929) said: "Today's responsibility lies with the youth. If the youth are wise, the country will be wise. If the youth are wealthy, the country will be wealthy. If the youth are strong, the country will be strong. If the youth are independent, the country will be independent. If the youth are free, the country will be free. If the youth progress, the country will progress. If the youth are better than Europeans, China will be better than Europe. If the youth are more heroic than the rest of the world, China will be more heroic than the rest of the world."

While delivering an important speech to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party on July 1, 2021, CPC Central Committee General Secretary Xi Jinping called on the country's youths to help China realize national rejuvenation. Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has adopted key policies and projects to realize the second centenary goal and national rejuvenation. To achieve that, the youths have to keep the spirit of struggle and sacrifice alive. But for that, they have to be energized and encouraged to participate in the pursuit of national rejuvenation.

The author is with Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, and a visiting international relations scholar at Sichuan Normal University in Chengdu, China. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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