Reform and opening up have broken new ground for China and should be advanced with resolution and courage, according to a commentary published on state media Monday.
The Chinese-language commentary, which was published under the byline "Xuanyan" in the People's Daily, summarized China's achievements in reform and opening up.
Four decades of reform and opening up have brought "epic progress" to an old country, said the article.
Citing statistics, it noted that urban per-capita disposable income increased to 36,000 yuan (about 5,245 U.S. dollars) in 2017 from 343 yuan in 1978, while rural per-capita net income rose to 13,400 yuan from 134 yuan.
More than 700 million Chinese were lifted out of absolute poverty, accounting for over 70 percent of global poverty reduction during the period, it noted.
Starting from the verge of collapse, China's economy has caught up fast, with its size surpassing Italy, France, Britain, Germany, and Japan to achieve second place in the world, according to the article.
What China has achieved enabled the world to develop "a whole new understanding of socialism" and proved that the western model of modernization is not the sole pattern but only one of many choices, it commented.
The Communist Party of China has "launched a great revolution, the most profound in the Chinese history, by combining scientific truth and China's reality," it said.
Contemporary China has opened its doors and fully involved itself in economic globalization, while embracing the tide of reform and innovation, according to the article.
It went on to say that as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, "there are mountains to climb and treacherous waters to wade across."
"After 40 years of exploration, struggles, and accumulation, we have more firmness and confidence in mind when advancing reform and opening up from a new starting point," the article said.
It declared a clearer direction, more distinct value orientation, more mature methodology, and broader mind and vision for the reform and opening up.
"All Chinese should brace and take action to support and engage in reform," it said.
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Chinese people's pursuit for better life unstoppable: article
Come rain or shine, the steps of Chinese people in pursuing a better life are unstoppable, according to a Chinese language commentary which was published under the byline "Xuanyan" in the People's Daily Wednesday on 8 August.
The 4,700-character article, titled "Create a better life, come rain or shine," summarized China's development and reform since 1949, as well as its attitudes towards the challenges facing the country.
The article quoted the words of Chinese President Xi Jinping while addressing the BRICS Business Forum on July 25 in Johannesburg, South Africa, as saying that "Success only comes through hard work," an old Chinese saying he used to describe the arduous journey China has taken and the remarkable achievements it has made.
It recalled the situation of the People's Republic of China after it was founded in 1949 when its gross national product was merely 10 billion U.S. dollars and it had almost no heavy industry.
Thanks to the self-reliant and hardworking Chinese people, the country rose up both in the political and economic arenas, said the article.
When China was in severe destitution with its economy on the verge of collapse in the late 1970s, the country resolutely made the strategic choice to make economic development the central task and adopted the policy of reform and opening up, bringing about historic leaps for the Chinese nation in terms of economy, science and technology, national defense, and comprehensive national strength.
Today, as the world's second largest economy, China is forging ahead to fulfill the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, said the article.
It went on and noted that there are problems that need to be addressed, such as the extensive but inefficient economic development model, the need for the transition to a stage of high-quality development, and development gaps between urban and rural areas and between eastern and western regions.
"The building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects entails tough measures to forestall and defuse major risks, carry out targeted poverty alleviation, and prevent and control pollution, and calls for deepened reform in all areas," it said.
"Still, some people out there are loath to see a lion awaken or a dragon take off, feeling uncomfortable with a population of more than 1.3 billion living a better life," the article said.
They seek unilateralism, protectionism, and trade bullying, which are challenges that must be faced up to, read the article.
The article further stressed that China is confident as the country is in a period of historic opportunity, which could lead to unlimited possibilities.
Citing the positive data of the country's gross domestic product and other major economic and social indicators so far this year, it concluded that China remains one of the countries with the strongest development momentum, the biggest potential, and greatest tenacity.
"We stand firm, as the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics provides the fundamental institutional guarantee for progress and development in contemporary China," it stated.
It stressed that building a community of shared future and shared interests with win-win cooperation has become the common aspiration of the people and an irresistible trend.
There are some people, however, who choose to go against that trend and betray the common morality just to meet their selfish agenda with tariff barrier and hegemony, said the article, adding that they would be hoist by their own petard in the end.
A growing China is experiencing some sort of rains and storms today. However, nothing is going to stop the Chinese people from pursuing a better life, the article said.
