Dream for the nation and the people

Since being raised by President Xi Jinping last November, the phrase "Chinese dream" has become a hot topic of not only domestic, but also global society. Many global figures such as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have expressed their best wishes to China on the road toward the realization of its dream. During his meeting with Xi on June 19, Ban Ki-moon said that the realization of the Chinese dream will surely have a far-reaching and positive impact on the United Nations as well as on the international community.

However, certain Western media and opinion leaders, as they always do, have misunderstood the concept. They claim that the Chinese dream emphasizes the State's will but does not pay the same attention to individual rights and interests; thus it is dream of the nation rather than of the people.

Needless to say they do not understand the true meaning of the Chinese dream. Actually, the Chinese dream belongs to both the nation and the people - neither is separable from the other.

Westerners might find it hard to understand the Chinese people's extreme cherishing of national greatness, but China used to be one of the leading powers in the world. However, 1840 marked the beginning of more than a century of humiliation for the country and suffering for the people. It was not until 1949 that China regained full national independence and Chinese citizens could once again stand up straight in the world. Those who are drowning cherish air; national greatness is as valuable to the Chinese people. The nation's rejuvenation is also the pursuit of the Chinese people.

With millenniums of history, the Chinese nation has made lasting contributions to human civilization; but its falling behind the West in the past centuries has cast a shadow over its national pride. The nation's renaissance is clearly defined, as the goal of the whole nation as the people hope that their traditions and culture can gain global influence as before and the country can become a leading member of the family of nations again.