Yves Leterme, former Prime Minister of Belgium, has visited China over 20 times during the past 20 years. With enormous experiences with the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China (CPC), Leterme has eye-witnessed what changes they brought to China these years.

The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. In an exclusive interview with Southern Metropolis Daily, Yves Leterme praised the CPC has always stuck to peaceful development, taking poverty eradication and other issues closely related to the national economy and people’s livelihood as its primary goal, leading China to move forward steadily.

Southern Metropolis Daily: How do you comment on the CPC’s leadership?

Yves Leterme: Without any doubt, I am still impressed by the new economic development strategy adopted in late 1978 at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC. The bold decision to open the economy for foreign technology and capital while maintaining the commitment to shared progress and socialism has proven to be the start of unprecedented social and economic progress.

And of course, more recently, the approval of the new 5-year plan including the concept of double circulation, emphasizing more the domestic development and demand, remaining at the same time open to the outside world, is again a bold step under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.

I think the CPC leadership has made China take up a central role in human development again. It has done so in a peaceful way. Progress, peace, stability, fight against poverty, eradication of corruption are crucial objectives pursued and achieved. When it comes to social and economic progress, China has systematically succeeded in achieving its goals, frequently outperforming them.

Southern Metropolis Daily: What impressed you most when making contact with China?

Yves Leterme: Most impressive are the recent meetings and exchanges I could take part in on behalf of Club de Madrid, with many senior leaders and CPC members. Especially the serenity, kindness, and wisdom of Chinese leaders are to be underlined.

Southern Metropolis Daily: What do you think about the COVID-19 prevention measures that China has taken?

Yves Leterme: I think the response has been adequate and very effective. In the then still challenging situation, it was essential to have a cool-headed reaction to what was happening.

Chinese leadership shared information and engaged in frank international cooperation. Only through sincere and intense multilateral cooperation can we decisively tackle pandemics and other disasters set to happen in the future.

Southern Metropolis Daily: How do you think the international community will do to face new challenges?

Yves Leterme: The most crucial challenge is to cater to peace and stability based on mutual respect for differences in culture and how nations decide to organize their societies. It is a precondition to tackle the number one challenge, which is to make development sustainable.

The international community agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals some six years ago. This Agenda 2030 can be achieved to the maximum extent if we put all our energy into active, peaceful cooperation. I am convinced that close EU-China cooperation is an essential key to make that endeavor reality successfully.

For more:

Martin Jacques: China’s path could be an example for developing countries

Stephen Perry: The experience of China's dealing with the poverty of great value to the world

Robert Lawrence Kuhn: The success of China is inseparable from the CPC leadership

Bruce Haigh: The CPC has been a force for change

Reporter | Weng Anqi，Yu Yijing，Xiang Xueni

English Version | Nan

English Editor | Wing, Jerry