Sharing the Chinese Dream

In recent months， an inspiring vision of the “Chinese dream” put forward by newly elected President Xi Jinping has been enthusiastically discussed throughout China. But what does it mean to Europe and the world at large？ In his keynote speech at the Fourth China-Europe High-Level Political Parties Forum held in Suzhou of east China’s Jiangsu Province， Liu Yunshan， a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee， interpreted the Chinese dream from a global perspective. Excerpts follow：

Following a long， strenuous pe- riod of exploration， especially since the reform and openingup program began in the late 1970s， we have succeeded in finding a correct path that leads to development and progress in China – socialism with Chinese characteristics. The path has enabled China to post an annual economic growth rate of nearly 10 percent for more than 30 years in a row， achieve a more than 30-fold increase in residents’ income and contribute to more than 70 percent of global poverty alleviation. It has also brought us closer than ever to the goal of national renewal after more than three decades of reform and development.

To make the Chinese dream a reality， we must stick to the Chinese path， advocate the Chinese spirit and pool Chinese strength. In the final analysis， the Chinese dream is the dream of Chinese people with the fundamental purpose of delivering benefits to them. While propelling China’s development， we encourage every Chinese to pursue his or her own dreams. We will create the conditions that will allow them to get ahead in life， realize their dreams and make progress along with the motherland.

The realization of the Chinese dream will bring peace， development， cooperation and more opportunities to the world. It will not pose any threats whatsoever.

With a historical tradition of valuing peace and harmony， openness and inclusiveness， the Chinese fear turmoil while seeking development. The Chinese dream， featuring peace and harmony， will present more opportunities to other countries. Over the past years， China has undertaken responsibilities with the big picture in mind and made significant contributions to coping with the Asian financial storm， curbing the global financial crisis， opening markets and improving global governance. China’s foreign trade volume exceeded $3.8 trillion in 2012， making it the world’s largest trading nation. In the next five years， the Chinese will import about $10 trillion in goods， invest $500 billion overseas and likely make more than 400 million trips abroad. All this is bound to help reinvigorate the global economy.

It should be acknowledged that the stability and development of China， a country that is home to one fifth of humanity， offer major contributions to the development of mankind. When it becomes developed， China will continue to be a staunch guardian of world peace and development. As it realizes the Chinese dream， China will remain committed to peaceful development， always follow a win-win strategy of opening up and contribute positively to the realization of the dream of the world for enduring peace and shared prosperity.

We are willing to share the Chinese dream with Europe and the world. As trends moving toward multi-polarity， economic globalization and an information society gain momentum， countries in the global village are becoming more interconnected and interdependent. The destinies of China and Europe have never been as intertwined as they are today. While the EU remains China’s largest trade partner and technology supplier， China is the EU’s largest source of imports and second largest export market. Bilateral trade has soared from $80 billion to $546 billion over the past decade. Every year， 5 million visits are made between China and Europe， with more than 70 flights traveling to and fro each day. China and Europe share common interests and similar stances when it comes to advocating multilateralism， strengthening global governance， promoting world economic recovery and dealing with various global challenges. We have conducted extensive coordination and cooperation in a wide range of international and regional hotspot issues. These facts provide evidence that China-Europe relations are strengthening and deepening.