On the evening of December 3, over 300 guests attended the closing party of the 2021 Understanding China Conference, rounding off the event with a wonderful performance featuring the cultural characteristics of Guangdong.

This year, nearly 80 celebrated figures from the global political, academic and economic communities from more than 20 countries and regions have gathered for this conference. Centering on "Whence and Whither-- Unprecedented Changes in the World and China and the CPC", they carried out profound discussions and extensive exchanges, in a bid to enhance the better understanding of China and the Communist Party of China (CPC) by the international community.

Understanding China requires an understanding of CPC

“To understand China today, one must learn to understand the Communist Party of China (CPC),” said Chinese President Xi Jinping when addressing the opening ceremony of the conference.

Li Junru, vice chairman of the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, said that with 100 years of practice and achievements, the CPC has inherited and prospered the Chinese civilization, as well as practiced and developed Marxism, successfully pioneering a uniquely Chinese path to modernization, creating a new model for human advancement, and expanding the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization.

Ye Xiaowen, Deputy Director of the Cultural, History and Learning Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, noted that the root of the CPC lay in the fertile soil of Chinese civilization. And therefore, it inherits the spirit of Chinese culture, which ensures the Party’s commitments to build a community of shared future for mankind as well as to uphold the common value of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom.

“The success of the Chinese Communist Party has been its ability to express, reflect, and articulate Chinese civilization,” said Martin Jacques, visiting Professor at Tsinghua University. He stressed that China “requires a special kind of leadership, one that seeks to unify rather than divide; that has deep roots amongst the people; that prioritizes the unity of the country above all else”.

John Milligan-Whyte, Executive Chairman of America-China Partnership Foundation shared a similar view. “The reality is that the political and economic systems have enabled China to become the world’s second largest economy.”

Chen Jin, the former Council Member of the CPC Central Committee Party History and Documentation Research Institute, pointed out that the Chinese mode is different from the western mode. “China’s goal of social development is to achieve common prosperity, and China’s development path at the global stage is peaceful”. 

(Photo: Nanfang Plus)

Catch a glimpse of China through GBA

As the host city of this conference, Guangzhou as well as the whole Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), is an important window to show the achievements of China's reform and opening up.

Du Xinshan, Director of the Publicity Department of CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, highlighted that with the hosting of the Understanding China Conference and other big events, Guangzhou has been participating the development of the “Belt and the Road” to impart and inherit its history and culture.

“You can find any industries in Guangdong. And this comprehensive industry structure offers a platform for scientific research achievements from other cities to apply,” said Philip Chen, Awardee of IEEE Norbert Wiener Award and IEEE Joseph G. Wohl Outstanding Career Award.

Lawrence J. Lau, former President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong believes that the GBA is the natural home of the "International Financial Centre" for East Asia. “Within the GBA, Hong Kong and Shenzhen together can become a global innovation, venture investment, start-up and financing hub, combining the Silicon Valley, Route 128, New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ into one, serving not just the GBA but the entire Mainland and East Asia.”

Author: Holly, Lydia Liu, Jasmine, Rofel

Editor: Keane, Jerry