I Have Full Confidence in China’s Future

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.