Michael Olugbode in Beijing

China has called on developing countries in the world to stand up against bullies.

Speaking at the reception and opening ceremony of China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC) 2022 for over 70 journalists in Beijing, the Chinese capital, invited by the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA) to familiarise with China, the Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister, Hua Chunying, lamented that recent visit of the United States Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, is an act of bully from America.

Chunying noted that: Chinas development achievements over the past decades have been most impressive. To quote a poem, we have been to the heavens for the moon and to the deep sea for the turtles. Two female astronauts have traveled to space, a real-life version of Change, a fabled Chinese goddess, flying to the moon. The high-speed rail network has shortened many long-distance travels across the nation into one-day trips. I doubt if the finest novelist could imagine 10 or even five years ago the transformation taking place in China today.

She added: Behind all these incredible achievements is an incredible political party, the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). Last year, we celebrated the centenary of the CPC. The CPC has grown from a small party with just over 50 members to the worlds largest governing party with a 96-million-strong membership. Over the past century, the CPC has led the Chinese people to drive out the foreign invaders, end the fighting among warlords and the civil war, gain national independence, found a sovereign country, make foreign subjugation and hunger a history, and build a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The party is now leading the country on a new journey toward a modern socialist country. Every Chinese is filled with pride about what the country has achieved, and fully supports the CPC. In fact, the CPC, for years, has an approval rating of over 90 percent.

Chunying noted that: The CPC is a peoples party. It represents the fundamental interests of the greatest possible Chinese people, and has never represented the interests of a particular interest group, power bloc or privileged class. From day one, the CPC has made pursuing a happy life for the people its founding mission. It follows a people-centred philosophy, and puts the peoples interests, needs and satisfaction above everything else.

The CPC is a vanguard party. It is keen to learn from past practices. It keeps abreast of the times by developing new theories and strategies based on new situations. It pursues self-reform to seek continuous self-improvement. And it sticks to principles and has flexibility under different circumstances, confronting problems head-on and finding solutions to make things work.

The CPC is an open and inclusive party. It is ready to share, to learn from all advanced things, and engage with all for mutual success and shared progress.

In the online comment from a young Egyptian (Ismail Bashmori), he likened China to the first member of the impoverished family of developing nations to go to university. He called on developing countries to help and support China to keep climbing to the top, as China is the first non-Western country to even come close to reaching a status of ultimate global importance.

His comment touched many Chinese, me included. China has all along been a member of the big developing country family, standing with one another through thick and thin. We shall never forget that it is our brothers and sisters in Asia, Africa, and Latin America who helped restore the lawful seat of the Peoples Republic of China at the United Nations. Today, China is on a better footing. It will do its best to help, so that we all can have a better life.

She recalled that: As President Xi Jinping noted, in the world today, some are faring very well whereas some others are still struggling; this is not a good thing. Only when people all over the world enjoy better lives can prosperity be sustained, security safeguarded and human rights assured. Based on this belief, China has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. We hope to achieve common development through hard work. People in all countries are entitled to choose their own development paths, and deserve a better and happier life. Just as China believes that not a single Chinese should not be left behind on the journey toward common prosperity, no country should be left behind in our common pursuit of greater development.

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China Calls on Developing Countries to Stand up to Bullies - THISDAY Newspapers