ACCOMPLISHMENTS RECOGNIZED

By Wang Fengjuan, Wang Fang

ASEAN countries appreciate and applaud what China has achieved over the past five years while congratulating China on the successful convening of the 19th CPC National Congress

ACCOMPLISHMENTS RECOGNIZED

By Wang Fengjuan, Wang Fang

ASEAN countries appreciate and applaud what China has achieved over the past five years while congratulating China on the successful convening of the 19th CPC National Congress

On the afternoon of Oct. 25, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, meets with delegates, specially invited delegates and non-voting participants of the 19th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Beijing once again drew media attention from around the world as it celebrated the opening of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 18, 2017. More than 1,800 journalists from different countries gathered in China’s capital to cover the event.Among them were media representatives from ASEAN countries which, as China’s neighbors and territories along the Belt and Road, hope to understand China’s future development plans and learn from the Chinese experience.

ASEAN media outlets universally recognized China’s remarkable achievements and shared the belief that China’s success lies in the leadership of the CPC and adhering to the path of development suited to its national conditions, which also indicates the direction for China’s future growth.

Focusing on the Congress

“It is my conviction that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will become a reality in the course of reform and opening-up,” said General Secretary Xi Jinping when leading the other newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee to meet the press at the Great Hall of the People on Oct. 25. He also stressed: “I have no doubt in my mind that our people’s lives will see further improvements year after year.”Amid thunderous applause, Xi’s inspiring speech was recorded and live-broadcast by more than 500 domestic and foreign journalists in attendance.

At this historic Congress, Xi expounded on the mission of the CPC in a new era, unveiled a blueprint for China’s future development and encouraged all Party members and people of all ethnic groups to make new accomplishments and write a new glorious chapter together.

“As a crucial five-yearly political meeting, the 19th CPC National Congress has attracted worldwide attention. President Xi’s report to the Congress openly informed the public of the work of the CPC over the past five years, which I think is very impressive,” remarked Kyaw Zay Ya, a department director at the Ministry of Information of Myanmar and head of the Myanmar media delegation covering the 19th CPC National Congress. “I came here as an observer to learn about how this grand event was organized and what new policies and ideas would be put forward. I also hope to introduce China’s experience to my own country.”A reporter from Philippine newspaper Manila Standard told China Report ASEAN: “I was on the scene at the Great Hall of the People when General Secretary Xi delivered his three-and-ahalf hour report. I totally admire Xi’s extraordinary courage and farsighted vision. Under his leadership, China has scored remarkable achievements in the last five years. The economy has seen exponential growth and tens of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty. As their lives improve, China’s 1.3 billion citizens are striving to build the country into a modern socialist power by the mid-21st century. China’s success experience is worth learning from, and its development is also benefiting other countries,especially those along the Belt and Road.”

“This is my first time ever covering China’s CPC National Congress, and I really value the opportunity,” said Aye Kyu,an influential media figure in Myanmar and editor-in-chief of Democratic Wave, a newspaper run by the National League for Democracy (NLD) of Myanmar.He noted that the success of the CPC provides experience for reference for the NLD and that the 19th CPC National Congress is not just significant to China’s future, but will also produce an impact upon global growth.

“My main focuses on Xi’s report are issues such as Partybuilding, the Party Constitution,Party discipline and the fight against corruption,” he added.“I’m quite interested in two things. First, how the Party regulates the behavior of its members, including how the Party instructs and manages its members to obey laws and discipline. Second, the antigraft drive. In these two aspects,China has a lot of experience to share with Myanmar.”

According to a journalist from Malaysia’s Sin Chew Daily, the 19th CPC National Congress, taking place at a historic juncture of China’s development, not only reviewed the Party’s work over the past five years, but also laid out blueprints for the country’s future development. While implementing effective policies to deepen reforms, she said, the CPC has offered intelligent and insightful Chinese approaches to the world.

When speaking to China Report ASEAN, Nyunt Zaw Aung,an executive news editor with Myanmar’s Myawady Daily,revealed his pride at being able to cover the CPC event. Like China, Myanmar has multiple ethnic minorities, so he pays particular attention to China’s policies relating to ethnicities,which has strengthened the nation’s ethnic solidarity. He added that Myanmar can learn from the Chinese experience in this aspect.

“We will act on the new vision for development,and strive for sustained and healthy economic growth that benefits people in China and around the world.”— Xi Jinping

On Oct. 25,Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and the other newly-elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee,Li Keqiang (third right), Li Zhanshu(third left),Wang Yang (second right),Wang Huning(second left),Zhao Leji (first right) and Han Zheng, meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Applauding China’s Fast Development

Top: Myanmar journalists pose for a group photo in front of Yujiabao Railway Station in Tianjin.

Middle: The Myanmar media delegation visits an exhibition for State-owned enterprises’ achievements in Beijing.

Bottom: Aye Kyu,editor-in-chief of Myanmar newspaper Democratic Wave, in an interview with China Report ASEAN.

When meeting the press,General Secretary Xi also stressed, “We will act on the new vision for development,and strive for sustained and healthy economic growth that benefits people in China and around the world.” Indeed,China is playing an increasingly important role in the world economic structure, and its contribution to the global economy has exceeded 30 percent.

除了田园，文学里的另一个神话是故乡，且经常和田园神话纠缠在一起。前一段时间，大家都在写“每个人的故乡都在沦陷”，感叹一份曾经的美好在渐渐消失。随着城市化进程的推进，中国乡村开始凋敝，这是事实。但是很多感叹不是为了哀婉这个，倒像在构建一个关于过去的田园神话。

Apart from the meeting itself,extensive reporting on the 19th CPC National Congress was also focused on interpretations of concepts related to keywords such as “innovation”,“development” and “reform” in Xi’s report.

“At the airport in Shenzhen,seeing people complete payments simply by scanning a QR code with WeChat or Alipay on their smartphone, I was truly amazed by China’s fast-growing mobile payments service, which is unimaginable in Indonesia,”said a journalist from the Antara News Agency. This was the journalist’s second time visiting China, following his first trip in 2015 when attending a Belt and Road media cooperation forum.In his eyes, China has developed at a jaw-dropping pace.

As part of their mission of reporting on the CPC National Congress, the foreign journalists also participated in a series of events themed on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Beijing’s rail transit and construction of the capital’s new international airport and high-tech parks. Through these events, they gained an objective,true understanding of China’s development from multiple angles.

“This is my first time riding a high-speed train in China,”Nyunt Zaw Aung said aboard the high-speed Fuxing train from Beijing to Tianjin on Oct.17. “Despite its lightning speed,its convenience and comfort are awesome! I hope that highspeed rail will become available in Myanmar in the near future.”

Many share the same feelings as Nyunt Zaw Aung. Exiting the train, Kyaw Zay Ya marveled,“Chinese high-speed trains are unbelievably fast, and within just 30 minutes we’ve traveled between two cities.” He said he had never expected such pretty modern landscapes outside Beijing city proper, which are characterized by high-rises and overpasses.

“Medical services and senior care industries are highly developed in China, and we have much to learn from the advanced medical equipment and complete healthcare system here,” said a reporter from The Cambodia Daily after a visit to Yanda International Health City east of Beijing. “Here, I see the elderly lead happy lives. They sing, swim, exercise and watch movies, which reminds me of General Secretary Xi’s statement in his report: ‘We will adopt policies and foster a social environment in which senior citizens are respected, cared for and live happily in their later years, and will provide integrated elderly care and medical services.’”

To Khaing Mar Nay Lin from Myanmar International TV, covering the CPC National Congress was unlike any experience she has had before.Besides witnessing a milestone Chinese political event, she also experienced the world’s fastest train (Fuxing), China’s independently-developed driverless subway train and China’s recent achievements in science and technology.She hopes that her articles can explain Chinese development and changes and bring advanced concepts to people in Myanmar.

Xi’s remark at the press meeting — “China will work with other nations to build a global community with a shared future, and make new and greater contributions to the noble cause of peace and development for all humanity”— has been widely quoted by various media sources.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a common goal of China and ASEAN countries as well as the core concept of China’s “majorcountry diplomacy” that has become a guiding principle for China’s engagement in international affairs. There is a global expectation that the new CPC top leadership will adhere to this principle and play an even greater role in promoting world peace and development.

“The CPC has become more confident and mature, and China’s economic development has become steadier and more balanced,as an engine driving the worldeconomy.”

Congratulations from Around the World

As the curtain falls on its 19th National Congress, the CPC has led the nation in crossing the threshold into a new era.On Oct. 26, the Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobao described the 19th CPC Central Committee as a new leadership “with the spirit of reform and an international horizon”. Quoting the views of many scholars, the newspaper predicted that the new CPC top leadership who tend to “walk the walk” will lead the Chinese people in fulfilling their vision for a new era.

State leaders, political parties and organizations of many ASEAN countries have made congratulatory phone calls or sent messages to the CPC on the convening of its 19th National Congress. Representatives from political, academic and media fields of many countries have appreciated China’s extraordinary success under the CPC leadership and its contribution of Chinese wisdom and Chinese proposals to solutions of problems faced by mankind.

In her letter of congratulation,Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi affirmed her belief that under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping,major policies formulated at the 19th CPC National Congress will not only promote the progress and prosperity of China, but will also benefit world peace and stability.

The central executive committee of Myanmar’s NLD sent the following congratulatory message: “The 19th CPC National Congress reviewed the Party’s work over the past five years and summarized precious experience that the Party has gained from the historical process of uniting and leading people of all ethnic groups to carry on and advance socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee — with General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core — since the 18th CPC National Congress. We sincerely wish the CPC greater success in promoting economic, political,cultural, social and ecological progress.”

Secretary-General Tengku Adnan bin Tengku Mansor of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) also sent a letter of congratulation,showing his confidence in greater achievements of China through the insightful leadership of Xi Jinping as well as further contributions the country will make to global growth.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Nguyen Vinh Quang, vice president of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association, said Vietnam attaches importance and has paid great attention to the 19th CPC National Congress.“The successes of China and the CPC are of significance to socialism in the world and Vietnam in particular,” he added.

Wichai Kinchong Choi,senior vice-president of the Kasikorn Bank of Thailand,sees the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as an elevated guiding principle of the CPC that has advanced with the times. “The CPC has become more confident and mature, and China’s economic development has become steadier and more balanced, as an engine driving the world economy. China is exerting a growing impact on and making greater contributions to the world,” he said.

According to Dr. Oh Ei Sun,former political secretary to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and principal adviser at the Malaysia-based Pacific Research Centre, new diplomatic theories China has put forward in recent years including the new type of major power relations, the Belt and Road Initiative and the human community of shared future have achieved positive results.Belt and Road construction,in particular, has helped China improve relations with neighboring countries.

From the perspective of Hoang Binh Quan, head of the Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)Central Committee, since the 18th CPC National Congress,the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core has led the Chinese people in achieving remarkable outcomes in economic and social development, pushing forward in an all-round manner the law-based state governance and ensuring full and strict governance over the Party,with a series of new ideas, new thinking and new strategies developed and adopted.

“China’s success testifies to the nation’s right choice of path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” said a scholar of international studies with the National Institute of Development Administration of Thailand. “Based on prevailing national conditions,the CPC has stayed on and expanded the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics while achieving innovations in terms of theory.”