China Daily Global 2021-11-17

Continued opening-up of nation bodes well for everyone

Zou Zhibo

The resolution on the major achievements and historical experience of the Communist Party of China over the past century, adopted by the sixth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, is a major step taken by the Party at a new historical starting point in the face of profound changes unseen in a century.

If the Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party adopted at the seventh plenary session of the Sixth Central Committee of the CPC in 1945 provided an important guarantee for the establishment of New China, and the Resolution on Certain Historical Issues of the Party Since the Founding of the People's Republic, adopted at the sixth plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1981, laid the foundation for reform and opening-up, the resolution just adopted provides guarantees for China's ascent to global power.

China today has greater responsibilities and obligations for world development and human progress. From the perspective of China's relations with the world, one of the important ideas and policies in the resolution is to adhere to and expand opening-up to the outside world.

The original intention of "opening-up" is to lift restrictions and maintain internal and external connectivity. From the perspective of world evolution and China's experience, opening-up is of great historical value and practical significance, especially when China and the world are entering a new era of change.

The meaning of opening-up is to exchange needed goods, draw on each other's strengths, learn from each other and cooperate for win-win results. Adam Smith, the master of Western economic and trade theory, and political economist David Ricardo affirmed the importance of opening borders and promoting trade between countries in driving national and global economic development.

For most of its history, China was a powerful country, especially in the Han (206 BC-AD 220), Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, when China ranked among the top countries in terms of economy, science and technology, military strength, social system, culture and art.

There are many underpinning forces for Chinese civilization, which has continued for thousands of years, to stand tall in the world and gain new vitality. Openness with inclusiveness is one of the most important factors. The Silk Road was a symbol of China's opening to the outside world.

Unfortunately, after Chinese mariner and explorer Zheng He completed his seven voyages to the West in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), China implemented the policy of isolation from the rest of the world. From then on, China gradually entered the period of self-entrenched decline, and finally in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), China's weak body lay under the strong ships and guns of the West.

Fortunately, since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, China has returned to the track of connectivity and integration with the world and embarked on the fast track of national rise and rejuvenation. The resolution adopted at the sixth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, which ended on Thursday in Beijing, enshrines openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation as an important and firm ideological concept and policy action.

The world today has entered a special period in history in which globalization has become an irresistible trend. The choice between isolation, exclusion, division and confrontation, or openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation will determine the fate of the world.

Regrettably, the world's largest economy, the United States, has chosen the former, which has produced bad results for the world as well as itself.

According to the "World Openness Index Report" recently released by the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the openness index of the US dropped from first place in 2008 to 22nd place in 2019－the biggest decline in the index.

On the contrary, China has not only continuously joined new multilateral mechanisms, but also has actively promoted international cooperation. It has also opened wider and become more integrated with the rest of the world.

China adheres to the foreign policy of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation and the policy of building a community with a shared future for mankind. As China continues to improve itself, it will surely benefit the rest of the world.

Time will prove that China is on the right side of history.