Third plenary session offers a glimpse of path ahead

Ever since my first visit to China in 2017, I have felt that this was a country that was continuously changing. Each time I went, I saw visible changes not only in the airports but also in daily life. The world too changed over the same time, with the fragmentation of the globalized system making China's path even more imperative.

A sign of China's continued commitment to wide-reaching changes was the recent reforms proposed by the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which provided insight into the latest step of this path as well as promised opportunities for cooperation between China and the world.

One of the most notable indications of the course that China will take in the future can be seen in the confirmation of how China will continue on the path of reform and opening-up. Such a path has enabled China to achieve rapid development as well as provided opportunities for promoting mutual benefit and cooperation that has underpinned globalization. As a result, this confirmation can be seen as China's renewed commitment to globalization that has faced the challenges posed by economic nationalism and populism.

A further example of this continuity as well as the opportunities presented by these recent reforms can be seen in the continued development of the Belt and Road Initiative as well as China's long-established partnerships with the developing world.

I saw this expansion of the BRI firsthand while studying at Xi'an Jiaotong University, where students from what had once been the old Silk Road regions came to study, adding to Xi'an's cosmopolitan nature as one of the hubs of the Silk Road as well as making China an increasingly important destination for overseas study.

Most recently, this was demonstrated by the growth of the Digital Silk Road, which has played a notable role in developing the digital infrastructure of nations in Africa and Asia. This was underpinned by the emphasis on technological development presented at the third plenary session as well as demonstrating continuity of China's relations with the developing world, which has been the cornerstone of the country's foreign policy since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

At the same time, the path suggested by the third plenary session has also provided an indication of how China sees itself as well as the wider world. This was illustrated by the CPC's continued commitment to China's traditional culture as well as its socialist values, which has been reflected in the growing interest of Chinese youth in China's traditional culture, symbolized by the popularity of the Hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) and the emergence of the Guochao (a fashion trend featuring modern designs mixed with traditional cultural elements). The former has become a growing industry which saw sales of around $1.9 billion in 2023 alone. In this sense, the third plenary session can be seen as a wider expression of China's cultural and ideological identity as well as the growing pride that China's youth have in this identity.

This pride in Chinese identity and China's path have been evident to me on a personal level through my many trips to China. When I first visited in 2017, the few who wore traditional costumes were tour guides at one of the numerous historical sites around Xi'an. However, when I returned to work in China in 2019, the Hanfu had become commonplace. It was then I saw firsthand the pride that younger Chinese have in their identity.

In addition, the proposed reforms for China's development announced at the third plenary session also suggest the next stage of China's development. In recent years, China has sought to move beyond its commonly perceived image as a producer of low-cost manufacturing commonly associated with the "Made in China" brand to becoming a leader in advanced manufacturing and technologies that had traditionally been the preserve of the developed world. This was illustrated by the progress of Chinese tech and new energy vehicle giants such as Huawei and BYD, both of which have become pioneers in telecommunications and hybrid vehicles, challenging more established firms in their respective fields.

The third plenary session has shown a desire to change the meaning of "Made in China" to denote advanced high-quality manufacturing, a far cry from its humble beginnings. This in turn is also in line with the key message of the Guochao movement, which has sought to turn this label into a source of pride.

The third plenary session also illustrated the key to China's developmental success. It stated that China's modernization has been underpinned by education, science, technology and talent, which will likely be further developed by China's push toward creating a more skilled workforce, as underlined by the country's recent success at the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France.

To summarise, the reforms announced at the third plenary session are an indication of the path that China has taken since 1979 and is likely to take in future. This will present opportunities for the wider world. Thus, by following and understanding China's path, it will be possible to navigate the wider changes in today's world.

The author is a lecturer and researcher specializing in China's international relations at the University of East London.