Signals From Celebrations

By Lan Xinzhen

Amid some concerns that a rising China will turn to hegemony， the spectacular celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China （PRC） in Beijing on October 1 offered reassurance to those who interpreted its messages correctly.

In his address to the nation， President Xi Jinping not only reviewed the past and depicted the present but also envisioned the future， emphasizing peace and solidarity amid continued efforts for national rejuvenation.

The military parade and civilian pageant showcased Chinas achievements in the past seven decades. The intercontinental ballistic missile DF-41， on public display for the fi rst time， was much reported by the Western media. But other not-so-highlighted progress was also there， such as economic and social development， progress in science and education， and improvement of the environment and peoples livelihood.

The 70-year history of the PRC and the celebration sent the following messages to the international community：

First， the Communist Party of Chinas （CPC） leadership is behind this economic and social progress. China is now the worlds second largest economy and the largest trader in goods. It holds the largest foreign exchange reserves and its utilization of foreign capital and outbound investments rank second in the world. All this marks a stark contrast to the previous agrarian economy.

Fundamentally， this transformation is attributed to the leadership of the CPC， which led to the overthrow of feudalism and imperialism and set the nation on a road of independent development. The birth of the PRC saw the end of poverty， backwardness and bullying endured by China and the nation has since embarked on the path to national rejuvenation.

The civilian pageant and the evening gala showed peoples appreciation and support for the CPC. Besides the main gala in Tiananmen Square， people organized similar celebrations in many places around the country voluntarily and spontaneously.

Second， Chinas path of peaceful rise will not change. Reform and opening up has contributed to Chinas prosperity and strength， which has been proven in the past four decades. A stronger China has also become the guardian of globalization and free trade against the trend of anti-globalization.

On its journey forward， China will stay on the path of peaceful development and pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up

While covering the National Day celebrations， the Western media fixated on the military parade， particularly， the debut of weaponry like new missiles， drones and submarines. Its wrong to read China strengthening its military ability as an ambition to practice hegemony. Instead， a stronger military capacity will help China to more effectively safeguard world peace.

As Xi said in his address， on its journey forward， China will stay on the path of peaceful development and pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. China will continue to work with people from all countries to jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity. The Peoples Liberation Army and the Peoples Armed Police Force will always preserve their nature， purpose and character as forces of the people， safeguard Chinas sovereignty， security and development interests， and uphold world peace.

Third， Chinas upward momentum cant be stopped. Its rapid rise has unsettled some countries but this worry is unwarranted. China has emerged as a big power from a populous， impoverished and backward country and some Western countries particularly are not ready to face up to this change， though they know that this rising giant is peaceful and seeks global benefi t. Their reluctance to accept the reality has led them to try to hamper Chinas progress by restricting Chinese enterprises through state power， curbing the Chinese economy through trade war and obstructing Chinas development by trying to disrupt social order in Chinese cities.

However， Chinas achievements are the result of the whole nations concerted efforts and arduous struggle for seven decades. With China today established as an influential power among the worlds major economies in terms of its economy， market scale and development capacity， its impossible to curb Chinas development and its rise. As Xi put it， no force can shake Chinas status or stop the Chinese people and nation from marching forward.

Chinas past has already become part of the annals of history， while the Chinese today are creating a better life and future. This makes China not only a symbol of peaceful development， but also an icon of opportunities. Cooperation with the country will help its partners reap win-win opportunities to develop themselves in the future.