OPD 9 Dec 2024, edited by Helaine Schweitzer, proofing in progress

I Have Full Confidence in China’s Future

Published in Workers' Daily
(China) on 10 July 2023
by Beat Schneider (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Matthew McKay. Edited by Patricia Simoni.
Since its founding, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has led the Chinese people in a bitter struggle toward national independence and popular liberation, and it has brought about the country’s rapid economic development. Every one of China’s significant achievements is inseparable from the CPC’s leadership. By adhering to the basic tenets of Marxism, the CPC has upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics, lending scientific socialism a renewed sense of vigor.

As the world’s largest political party with more than 98 million members, the CPC has always stuck to the “mass line,” winning the trust and support of the wider Chinese public. Since the Chinese economic reforms [of the late 20th century], China has lifted 770 million of its rural poor out of poverty and improved its human rights situation tremendously; this is one of the greatest achievements in the history of human development.

The effectiveness of a country’s democratic politics should be measured by whether it can respond to people’s demands, improve their lives, bring about social progress and safeguard political stability, and in all these respects China has done an outstanding job. According to a survey conducted by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, the vast majority of Chinese people are satisfied with the Chinese government.

Conversely, in some Western countries — the U.S. in particular — public dissatisfaction with the government is on the rise. Some in the West freely criticize democracy in other countries while turning a blind eye to the fact that political power in their own countries is controlled by capital, which is a blatant double standard. At present, the U.S. is seeing serious political divisions, democratic deficits and moral slippage, with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter having referred to politics in the U.S. today as an “oligarchy.” The U.S. also uses human rights as a means of advancing its geopolitical strategy, waging wars against other countries and violating human rights under the guise of defending them.

The CPC leads the Chinese people in constantly pushing forward with Chinese-style modernization and in promoting the development and progress of Chinese society, breaking with the myth that “modernization = Westernization.” In the process of promoting Chinese-style modernization, the CPC attaches great importance to China’s remarkable traditional culture and continuously draws wisdom and strength from China’s long and illustrious history. The combination of cultural self-confidence with modern know-how, technology and capital is one of the major advantages of the China of today, providing a boundless stream of social vitality.

Traditional Chinese culture emphasizes the concept of “(all) under Heaven,” pursues harmonious coexistence between different civilizations and peoples and advocates compatibility and inclusiveness. These concepts are all embodied in the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, jointly established and proposed by China. The impact on the developing world of Chinese-style modernization is considerable, and the centuries-old pattern in which Western countries dominate the international system is changing.

As a cultural historian, I have devoted myself to the study of China for more than 40 years. At present, the international community’s interest in understanding China is growing by the day. Some books that objectively reflect China’s development have garnered positive responses from readers around the world; however, the state of knowledge about China among some in the West is worrying. There is a huge gap between their perception of modern China and the facts. My monograph was written with the hope of helping more Western readers understand the real China.

The reasons why some in the West have a skewed perception of China are many, among them the arrogance of Westerners and deep-rooted Western-centrism. In recent years, as China has continued to develop, the U.S. has stepped up its containment and suppression of China to safeguard its vested interests and worldwide supremacy. American hegemony is so overbearing that it cannot tolerate the rise of other great powers. The U.S. acknowledges only zero-sum games; mutual benefit and win-win scenarios are foreign concepts to the American political elite. This is why the media in the U.S. and elsewhere in the West are reluctant to report on China in a truthful and objective manner. Then, there are those with ulterior motives who spread rumors about China. The less some people in the West know about China, the easier it is for them to fall into prejudice.

As China’s international influence continues to grow, more and more people around the world will learn about China in various ways, including learning about its long history and culture. I have full confidence in China’s future, and I believe that it will achieve its Second Centenary Goal on schedule, playing an increasingly important role in joining forces with other countries to tackle global challenges.

Beat Schneider is a Swiss historian and professor emeritus at the University of the Arts Bern.


中国共产党成立以来,带领中国人民通过艰苦斗争实现了民族独立和人民解放,实现了经济腾飞。中国取得的一切重要成就,都离不开中国共产党的领导。中国共产党在坚持马克思主义基本原理的基础上,坚持和发展中国特色社会主义,让科学社会主义焕发新的活力。

作为拥有9800多万名党员的世界最大政党,中国共产党始终坚持走群众路线,赢得了广大中国人民的信任和支持。改革开放以来,中国让7.7亿农村贫困人口摆脱贫困,极大改善了中国人权状况,这是人类发展史上最伟大的成就之一。

衡量一国民主政治的成效,要看它能否回应人民诉求,能否改善人民生活,能否带来社会进步,能否保障政治稳定。中国在这些方面都做得非常出色。美国哈佛大学肯尼迪政府学院的调查显示,绝大多数中国民众对中国政府感到满意。

反观西方一些国家,尤其是美国,民众对政府的不满情绪正在上升。西方一些人随意批评其他国家的民主,却对本国政治权力任由资本掌控视而不见,这是一种非常明显的双重标准。今天,美国出现了严重的政治分裂、民主赤字和道德滑坡。美国前总统吉米·卡特将今天的美国政治称为“寡头政治”。美国还将人权作为推进地缘战略的手段,打着维护人权的幌子对他国发动战争、侵犯人权。

中国共产党带领中国人民不断推进中国式现代化,推动中国社会发展进步,打破了“现代化=西方化”的迷思。在推进中国式现代化的进程中,中国共产党重视中华优秀传统文化,不断从中国悠久灿烂的历史中汲取智慧和力量。文化自信与现代知识、技术和资本等相结合,这是今日中国的一大优势,带来了源源不断的社会活力。

中国传统文化强调“天下”观念,追求不同文明、不同民族和谐共生,崇尚兼容并蓄、海纳百川。中国提出的共建“一带一路”倡议、全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议都体现了这些理念。中国式现代化对广大发展中国家具有重要影响。几个世纪以来西方国家在国际体系中占主导地位的格局正在发生转变。

作为一位文化史学家,我过去40余年来一直致力于中国研究。当前,国际社会了解中国的兴趣与日俱增,一些客观反映中国发展状况的书籍引发各国读者积极反响。然而,西方一些人对中国的认知状况却令人担忧。他们对现代中国的认知与事实之间存在巨大差距。我撰写有关中国的专著,就是希望帮助更多西方读者了解真实的中国。

导致西方一些人对中国的认知存在偏差的原因有很多,包括西方人自身的傲慢、根深蒂固的西方中心主义等。近年来,随着中国不断发展,美国加大对中国的遏制打压,目的是维护其既得利益和全球霸权。美式霸权咄咄逼人,容不下其他大国的崛起。美国只认同零和游戏,互利共赢对美国政治精英而言是一个陌生概念。这也是美国等西方国家的媒体不愿真实客观报道中国的原因。还有部分别有用心的人在散布有关中国的“谣言”。当西方国家一些民众对中国了解得越少,就越容易陷入偏见。

随着中国国际影响力持续提升,全球范围必定会有越来越多人通过各种方式了解中国,包括学习中国悠久的历史文化。我对中国的未来充满信心,相信中国一定会如期实现第二个百年奋斗目标,并在携手各国应对全球性挑战方面发挥越来越重要的作用。

(贝亚特·施耐德,作者为瑞士历史学家、伯尔尼艺术学院名誉教授)
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