Openness a trademark of China
By Shu Tianlie, People’s Daily
The 6-day China International Import Expo (CIIE) has concluded. As the world’s first national expo themed with import, the event has helped global enterprises find markets and drawn China and the world closer.
It well explained Chinese President Xi Jinping’s remarks in his keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the expo that “openness has become a trademark of China.”
Establishing special economic zones, conducting foreign trade, exploiting foreign capital, and entering the World Trade Organization, China has opened wider and wider during the past 40 years of reform and opening up.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the country has expanded pilot programs of free trade zones, promoted joint construction of the Belt and Road, and held the CIIE.
More proactive opening measures of the country have promoted higher-quality opening-up. Openness is unquestionably one of China’s major focuses over the past four decades.
China’s opening up, in the global context, conforms to the historical trend of economic globalization. The past four decades was a process in which China has evolved from isolation to openness, and more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty.
Today, China has grown into the world’s second largest economy, as well as the largest trading country of commodities and the largest destination of foreign capitals.
Lujiazui, a district not far from the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the venue for the CIIE, was a deserted place 40 years ago. But now it has transformed into a financial center where skyscrapers stand.
China has also become more confident, composed and firm in the communication with the world.
A Chinese young man holding a bottle of Coca-Cola on the Great Wall was on the cover of the Time magazine on Apr. 30, 1984. A bottle of beverage then reflected China’s change, while today’s CIIE would showcase more of China’s openness to the world.
Over 5,000 products entered China for the first time at the CIIE, including 8K televisions, large numerical control machine tools, customized foundation makeup, and probiotics chocolate. These products would not only benefit Chines people, but also reveal the achievements of China’s opening up.
Openness is one of the characteristics of Chinese culture. China is promoting global openness through its high-level opening up, and enhancing common development through its high-level development. Such proactive opening up aims to make more contribution to the mankind.
Today, the China-Europe freight trains are running constantly between the continents, and the oceangoing freighters are reaching every corner of the world.
The Belt and Road Initiative is like a pair of wings carrying countries up to the sky; the concept of the “community with a shared future” is like a bond liking people from different nations, religions, cultures and regions. Such Chinese wisdom and proposal reflect China’s opening character.
