The Real China

By Charles Onunaiju

The book Xi Jinping： The Governance of China， a great work by President Xi， also General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China（CPC）， fl ows from thoughts， concepts， ideas and practical work that have shaped the vital governance landmarks of China and the strategic insight of the countrys top leadership to the vital issues of global governance.

Xis thought， as refl ected in his speeches and written works contained in the two volumes， traverses a range of important topics. These include profound theoretical clarifications and elaborations， practical governance issues of policy making and implementation， key strands of insight on the emerging global architecture and Chinas role on the world stage.

The book sheds light on Chinas framework of state governance， which， in the past several decades， has shaped the meteoric development of modern China

Volume I， first published in 2014， is a 515-page tome that offers readers outside China a firsthand understanding of Xis thinking on deepening reforms as the strategic driver of the countrys modernization efforts and features an elaborate explanation of the CPCs core values. This includes discipline， wholehearted devotion to serving the people and maintaining unalloyed fi delity to theoretical innovation and exploration as the lifeblood of the Party， through which it will consistently reinvent itself to remain on top of current issues and even anticipate the future with confidence. Xi has boldly raised the task of reinvigorating China through the pursuit of the Chinese dream.

The book sheds light on Chinas framework of state governance， which， in the past several decades， has shaped the meteoric development of modern China. It provides fi rsthand information on the original thought and particular China-nuanced policy context that have driven the worlds most astounding reform and modernization efforts.

The book disperses the vague interpretative ambiguity that has been the bane of contemporary Western scholars， where China is maliciously depicted as having abandoned the theoretical foundation of Marxism-Leninism， or at best paying lip service to it， while allegedly honing its economic modernization in the context of Western liberalism.

Xis work clarifies this subtly woven ambiguity， which has impaired a clear understanding of the core issues of the governance of modern China. It underscores the foremost theoretical foundation of Marxism-Leninism and the integration of Chinas specifi c national conditions， historical context and social reality as the crucial factor driving its trajectory.

The CPC is the main social force and political formation leading modern China， in close collaboration with other noncommunist parties and social forces. In his book， Xi makes it clear that the Partys work is far from complete， despite universal accolades for its achievements. He writes in Volume I， “Having been pushed ahead for more than 30 years， Chinas reform has entered a deep-water zone. It can be said that the easy part of the job has been done to the satisfaction of all. What is left are tough bones that are hard to chew. This requires us to act boldly and progress steadily. To act boldly means to advance reform despite difficulties and be eager to take on challenges， chew tough bones， and wade through dangerous shoals.”

The second volume continues the clarifications of fundamental issues in the governance of modern China and puts forward clear， fundamental elements of Chinas foreign policy and international relations.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road， otherwise known as the Belt and Road Initiative， a new framework of international cooperation tailored to drive development， are explained as part of a new type of international relations that is open， participatory and inclusive.

Through several elaborations in his book， Xi presents China as a responsible country that will shoulder more responsibility in global governance. However， as is traditional to the Peoples Republic of Chinas foreign policy since its founding， the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence， which are the motivating force of its diplomatic engagement， are consistently enriched to meet the changing international arena.

Xis two volumes are an invaluable resource material for vital insight into the governance of China and understanding the critical issues of contemporary China.

It is a foundational work for anyone seeking to understand fi rsthand how modern China works and highly recommended for anyone who wants to gain an insight into the unique nature and structure of governance in modern China.