60 Golden Years of New China

Today is October 1, 2009, a day of joy and happiness for the People’s Republic of China and friends of China around the world to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic. In the past 60 years China has seen several transitional phases and now undoubtedly has emerged as one of the world’s greatest economic power.

As it is rightly said that nations get leaders they deserve, great leaders like Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of New China who led the great Chinese nation and its socialist transformation, worked actively till 1976 and after that another great Chinese leader Deng Xi ping led the nation for new economic reforms and the open door policy was his brain child which gave a new and modern look to China. These economic reforms are continued under the third generation and till date under the leadership of Hu Jintao who is working for the harmonious society concept. New China has steered the nation onto a path of national harmony and economic growth. To no surprise China is one of the few nations that have survived the world financial crisis due to its strong forex reserves and manufacturing through rapid industrialization with the policy of a market driven economy.

Pakistan is among those first countries of the world which not only recognize China but have very warm and cordial relations with China, relations considered higher than Himalayas, deeper than oceans and sweeter than honey. The two countries are very close not only due to their geographical closeness but also to the like-mindedness of their peoples for peace in the region and consequently in the world.

On August 8, 2008, the 29th Olympic Games opened its curtain in Beijing. Within 16 days, athletes from 204 countries and regions gathered in China to demonstrate their superb athletic ability as billions of people worldwide participated in the celebration of international sportsmanship and friendship. As the excitement finally concluded in the Bird’s Nest Stadium, China received rare reviews from the international community for having staged one of the most successful Olympic Games in history. The 16 days realized a long cherished dream of the Chinese people and the arrangements for the event was admired by all.

1949, when the People’s Republic of China was founded, the Chinese economy was on the verge of collapse as the result of long-time war. The per capita GDP was only 50 US dollars. In the 1950s and 60s, China carried out many large-scale heavy-industry infrastructure construction projects, which laid a sound foundation for the economic growth of New China. But due to a low level of productivity in agriculture and light industry, the market supply of consumer goods was far from enough to meet the needs of the Chinese people.

Following the reform and opening up drive in the late 1970s, China achieved fast economic and social development. The market flourished, with an increasing quantity and diversity of commodities. With the abundant supply of goods, people could buy whatever they needed with ease and convenience.

Statistics show that China’ GDP has increased by more than 400 times compared with six decades ago, and the per capital GDP has exceeded 3,000 US dollars. China now ranks third in the world in terms of aggregate economic volume.

An old saying in China goes that food is the first necessity of man, which shows how highly the Chinese people value food. As a basic necessity in life, food has remained an issue of top concern for the Chinese government and common people.

China is traditionally an agricultural country, with most of its residents living in rural areas. Agriculture has always been considered the lifeline of the national economy. But for a country that has 1.3 billion people, one fifth of the world’s total population, addressing the challenge of maintaining an adequate food supply has been an arduous task.

60 years ago, most of the people in China struggled on the verge of starvation and poverty, due to the low agricultural productivity, frequent natural disasters and the continued turmoil of war. Simply having enough food to eat was a dream for most ordinary people.

To further boost agriculture, the government started a series of tax reforms in rural areas eight years ago. In 2006, China comprehensively abolished the agricultural tax. This relieved farmers of a burden of 130 billion yuan, or 19 billion dollars in taxes.

The government has also increased subsidies to help farmers purchase implements needed for their work. Meanwhile, it’s also invested heavily in upgrading rural infrastructure and agricultural technologies. So far, the acreage under mechanized farming has occupied 60 percent of the country’s total cultivated area.

According to the goals set by the Chinese government, by 2020, Chinese farmers’ per capita net income will double that of 2008, and those who are now living under the poverty line will all be pulled out of poverty. To achieve these goals, China has pledged to further intensify its efforts to develop agriculture and rural areas in the next decade.

At the end of 1953, the central government set up a drafting committee to enact the Chinese constitution. After the draft was laid down, it was released for public discussion. Based on the 1954 Constitution, China adopted a new constitution in 1982 and enacted a few new laws and regulations. In 1999, the National People’s Congress approved an amendment to the Chinese Constitution. The principle of “governing the country by law” was included in the amendment. And then in 2004, the article “the state respects and guarantees human rights” was added to the Constitution, which marked a positive sign of human rights development in China.

After decades of endeavor to reform and improve its legal system, China has made remarkable achievements in promoting the rule of law. Currently, 231 laws have been put in force in China. Specific laws have been enacted to protect the rights and interests of special social groups like the disabled, the old, children, women and ethnic minorities.

At the same time, China has joined more than 20 international human rights conventions, and held dialogues on the rule of law regularly with international organizations.

China was a founding member of the United Nations and one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council. After the founding of the People’s Republic, however, China’s legal seat in the UN was deprived of for two decades due to the obstruction of Western anti-China forces. October 25, 1971 turned out to be a significant day in the history of New China’s diplomacy. The UN General Assembly passed with an overwhelming majority of votes a resolution on restoring all the lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China in the UN.

The restoration of China’s legal rights in the United Nations was a major breakthrough in China’s diplomacy. It also represented a victory for the third world countries, because China always attaches great importance to fostering diplomatic ties with other developing countries and upholds the diplomatic policy of maintaining world peace and seeking common development. With its return to the UN, China could play a bigger role in safeguarding the interests of the third world countries and contribute more to promoting international peace and development.

The 1970s witnessed a big leap forward in China’s foreign relations. Following the restoration of its legal seat in the UN, the freezing ties between China and the West began to thaw. China established diplomatic relations with more nations, including some Western powers. By the end of the 1970s, China had entered into diplomatic relations with some 120 countries, compared with just 50 countries a decade before. The most significant move during this period was no doubt the establishment of diplomatic ties with the United States.

From the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and from the Sino-African Cooperation Forum Beijing Summit to the Seventh Asia-Europe Meeting last October and the G20 London Summit this year, China has played a positive and constructive role in maintaining world peace and stability, and promoting common development.

China’s diplomacy has grown more mature after going through a string of challenges and opportunities over the past few decades. As the largest developing country in the world, China has pledged to shoulder due responsibility to construct a healthy relationship with other countries and make greater contributions to the international community.

China is the third country in the world to develop a manned space flight programme independently. But the country’s great achievements in the space industry haven’t come easily. People of Pakistan have cordial attachment with their brethren from China and holds them in great esteem. There is a considerable people to people interaction which is only strengthening with each passing day. We congratulate people of China on their 60th national day because they are a proud nation and we are proud to have such a friend and a neighbour.

The writer is secretary general of the Pak-China Friendship Association North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.