This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which Chinese people took great joy in celebrating. It is also the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the People’s Republic of China’s lawful seat in the United Nations (UN), another cause for festivities.

But 2021 has brought its share of challenges, none more so than the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the CPC step up and lead the nation in an unprecedented battle against the virus. Through these and other ordeals, China became stronger and more resilient. Also in the same year, the CPC took active measures to open up to the world and share the fruit of its growth.

A 100-year-old CPC with global responsibility

Since its founding, the CPC has set as its ultimate goal and mission the struggle for prosperity for the Chinese people, and for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. During the past century, it united the Chinese people in tough times and established a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Chinese nation has successfully secured the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong.

In 2021, the heavy burden of absolute poverty, which had its origins and roots way back in history, was overthrown under the leadership of the CPC, thus the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects was reached.

This is an essential step toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Inspired by such accomplishments, the Chinese people are working harder and more confidently toward the goal of turning China into a modern socialist country, namely the Second Centenary Goal.

Under the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, China coordinates advancement on five fronts of the economy, politics, culture, society, and ecology, and blazed a new path of Chinese style to modernization. Socialism with Chinese characteristics enriches life both materially and spiritually, and promotes harmony between man and nature. At the same time, China sticks to the principles of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and advocates for a community of a shared future for humanity.

China, as the world’s biggest developing country, has made tremendous contributions to peace and development of the world by completing the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Since 2006, China has remained the greatest contributor to world’s economic growth for 15 consecutive years and achieved an average contribution rate of over 30 percent to the world economy.

After the outbreak of COVID-19, China was the first country to contain the spread of the virus, resume industrial production, and recover positive economic growth. It once more became an important engine to restore the world’s economy to levels reached before the pandemic.

Poverty has always been one of the world’s worst afflictions. Thus, eradicating poverty has always been a shared dream of humankind. China has fulfilled the goal of poverty reduction 10 years ahead of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development plan, in so doing contributing indispensably to the cause of global poverty alleviation and the progress of humankind.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the PRC’s lawful seat in the UN, an important milestone for the world organization and the world at large.

During the last five decades, China has actively integrated itself into the international community, played a constructive and responsible role in areas, such as international politics, economic governance, and the making of international rules.

The country has achieved considerable outcomes in the promotion of the North-South dialogue, and South-South cooperation, the establishment of a new international political and economic order, the enhancement of international aid to less developed nations, and the implementation of multilateralism. China has always supported developing nations and maintained its position in favor of equity and justice.

China has lived out the true meaning of multilateralism through practical deeds, always worked toward the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and upheld the international system centered on the UN and the world order based upon international laws. Through its actions and plans, China has shown to the world that it is a builder of world peace, contributor to global development, defender of the international order, as well as a provider of public goods for the international community.

As the world faces a variety of unprecedented challenges, President Xi Jinping has made multiple speeches at UN forums and called for the building of a community of a shared future for humanity, and advocated common values of humankind in handling global concerns.

When speaking at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in September, President Xi put forth a Global Development Initiative. He emphasized the priority of development, the people-centered approach, benefits for all, innovation-driven development, harmony between man and nature, and result-oriented actions, to build a community of a shared future for humanity. The initiative represents another important public good provided by China, which always sees itself as a responsible country, to contribute toward world development.

Benefiting the world through development

In 2021, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) turns eight. Throughout this time, following the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, participants of the BRI have achieved fruitful results in promoting cooperation centering on policy, infrastructure, trade, finance, and people-to-people connectivity.

To date, China has signed cooperation agreements under the BRI framework with 141 countries and 32 international organizations, including 19 UN bodies. A great many cooperation projects have already been successfully carried out, which improved the level of connectivity among nations and regions, and effectively improved community development and local people’s livelihoods.

Notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic, the BRI has continued to thrive. China-Europe freight train service, a demonstration project of the BRI, now operates 40,000 trains, connecting China with more than 170 cities in 23 European countries. It is dubbed the modern “iron caravan” stabilizing global industrial and supply chains. During the first half of 2021, China’s trade in goods with nations participating in the BRI amounted to US $824.6 billion, an increase of 37.9 percent year on year.

Countries and regions along the Belt and Road routes are working actively to create new growth momentums for cooperation. A report by the World Bank said that the implementation of the BRI will bring a 6.2-percent growth in the volume of global trade and a 2.9-percent increase in global income. After eight years of operation, the initiative’s accomplishments show that it is a much needed concept that is in the interest of all people around the globe.

The battle against COVID-19 remains by far the most urgent task facing China and the world. This year, China has provided more than 1.7 billion doses of vaccine to other countries and regions, which has proven most effective and helpful in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, China also launched the “emergency support plan for the battle against COVID-19” to provide much-needed anti-virus supplies to multiple nations in South Asia and Southeast Asia, where the pandemic is still spreading. Moreover, China also provided vaccines and other necessities to Myanmar. China’s aid played an important role in safeguarding lives. China’s actions have improved its traditional friendship with its neighbors, both on the governmental and nongovernmental level.

Development is an effective solution to problems and is what the general public wants. China places great importance on people’s welfare in all its international development cooperation projects: from the hybrid rice planting to grass-based fungi cultivation, from Artemisinin to the COVID-19 vaccine.

China remains open to any tripartite international development cooperation. In recent years, China launched cooperation with multiple UN organizations under the framework of South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, providing help in many areas, such as food for the hungry, post-disaster reconstruction, refugee relief, and healthcare for women and children. The Chinese government has established a special agency to coordinate international assistance – the China International Development Cooperation Agency.

Going forward, China’s foreign aid and international development cooperation will make public health a priority and focus on international cooperation in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, green and sustainable development remains important. Efforts will be made to help with global economic recovery for people’s livelihood, and improve global governance in the area of development cooperation.

The Global Development Initiative put forth by President Xi follows a people-centered approach. It stresses making people’s wellbeing and all-round development the starting point and ultimate goal.?Equally important in the process is attaining fair, effective, and inclusive global development, and leaving no country behind.

China calls for prioritizing development cooperation in global coordination of macroeconomic policies and alignment of the Global Development Initiative with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda amid efforts to realize more resilient, green and sound global development.

Benefiting the world through development, the hundred-year-old CPC is at its prime. In such an era of great development and great transitions, China is willing to work together with countries across the globe to promote values universally shared by humankind, including peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, and is eager to promote the building of a community of a shared future for humankind, making new contributions to world peace and the progress of humanity.