Since a few decades ago, China has shocked most contemporary historians with its rapid reforms and development to become the second-largest economy in the world, the largest trading partner with Africa, and a major power, having lifted more than half a billion people out of poverty in less than half a century.
With a massive 1.4 billion population, the World Bank says China has since lifted about 800 million people out of poverty while modernising its economy to become not only the most competitive but the second largest global economy.
The Plenary Sessions are rooted in and informed by the efficient technocratic Chinese democratic principles bringing together the voices and interests of the Chinese communities as represented in their Central Committee and have regularly provided important reform-centred strategic and policy vision driving decades of modernisation in China.
Reform, or opening, is a defining feature of Chinese modernisation. Continuous reform towards rapid growth, development, and modernisation to enhance the productivity and efficient use of resources is probably one of the most enduring features of the historical development of China.
The Plenary Sessions have come to dominate the global calendars for students of China, and those interested in the story of the Chinese miracle of development and modernisation, its past, present and future. Unsurprisingly, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held from July 15 to 18, this year, drew global attention from the Chinese people, global friends, and critics.
This Plenum is uniquely important in that it came at a critical juncture in building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation in all respects through Chinese modernisation. Global political conflicts, for example, the conflict between the people of Palestine and Israel, which has recently imploded into a devastating war; the war between Ukraine and Russia; and various conflict hotspots in Africa suggest the world is increasingly facing a potential precipice.
The Covid-19 pandemic-induced economic challenges call for globally dynamic strong leadership, increased inclusive economic cooperation, and inclusive globalisation as articulated at the Third Plenary Session.
The four-day meeting, which brings together the most significant and influential leaders in China, was attended by 199 Central Committee members and 165 alternate members. The Plenum heard and discussed a report on the work of the Political Bureau, presented by Secretary General and President of China, Xi Jinping, and considered and adopted the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernisation.
The Plenum also conducted an analysis of the present situation and the tasks the Party and the country faces, urging firm commitment to accomplishing the goals for this year's economic and social development, as well as future targets in the face of complex contemporary challenges characterised by hostile geopolitical polarisation.
The spectre of Cold War-like geopolitical polarisation targeted towards China and the global south could jeopardise long-term economic stability, not only in China, but the Global South. The economies of many countries in the Global South and Africa have increasingly grown closer to the booming Chinese economy on the back of expanding mutually beneficial trade, and economic and political cooperation.
While Western responses to the outcome of the Third Plenary were predictably lukewarm, much of the Global South and Africa would have been impressed by both the domestic and international outcomes of the Third Plenary Sessions. Both the USA and the EU have adopted a policy of decoupling, erecting trade barriers and sanctions against a range of products from China bordering on Cold War tactics, according to Chinese authorities.
Many Western critics suggest that the deliberations at the Third Plenary Session mainly focussed on “security” and “continuity”, however, governments and citizens from the Global South were inspired by the resolve, the range of reforms set to inspire the continued domestic modernisation of China, spurring its international commitments to its partners, while emphasising its commitment towards peaceful mutually beneficial economic development and cooperation and a peaceful global order.
Countries in the Global South in general, and Africa in particular, are upbeat about further continued modernisation and development of the Chinese economy. Continued modernisation in China has in many ways contributed to economic development, employment creation and poverty reduction in many African countries through expanded mutually beneficial cooperation, trade, and shared solidarity, including during critical moments such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
The approval of decisions about “further comprehensively deepening of reform and promoting Chinese-style modernisation” means that China is certain to continue the path of rapid economic development and strengthening trade and cooperation with countries from the Global South, hence improving their prospects at addressing their own domestic economic contradictions based on their home-grown initiatives and friendly historical cooperation rooted in relations of mutual respect and trust.
More significantly, the focus of the Chinese system on fighting poverty is quite revealing for many developing countries whose populations continue to suffer under conditions of extreme poverty and inequality, while fighting climate change. The Plenum resolved to ensure and enhance the people’s well-being, improve the income distribution system, employment-first policy, social security system, medical and health-care systems, systems facilitating population development and providing related services, as well as ecological conservation systems, taking a co-ordinated approach to carbon-cutting, pollution reduction, green development, and economic growth, actively respond to climate change, and move faster to improve the systems and mechanisms for applying the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.
The communique of the Third Plenary Session states that China must remain firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, be dedicated to promoting a community with a shared future for humanity, and foster a favourable external environment for further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernisation. The Session further committed to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, fully act on the guiding principles from the Third Plenary Session, and turn the strategic plans for further deepening reform into great momentum for major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.
The communique emphasised the global role of China in fostering world peace and common development through such initiatives as the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI) advanced by President Xi Jinping as global pillars towards building a community with a shared future for humanity. China is playing a major role towards ending the conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and Palestine and Israel, building on mediation success in the Middle East, and facilitating the normalising of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia through dialogue and peaceful negotiations.
Within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and for Africa, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), these initiatives have placed China at the intersection of open, inclusive, clean global socio-economic transformation, rendering its own modernisation to the development of other nations without exerting external coercion, thus fostering peaceful cooperation, universal security, and common prosperity.
According to the Communique of the Plenum, China will continue to pursue high-standard and institutional opening and provide new opportunities for global development. Furthermore, China will continue to advocate the common values of humanity, promote dialogue, exchanges, and mutual learning on an equal footing among all civilizations, and always remain a driving force for the progress of humanity.
As President Xi expressed, the peaceful modernisation of China is a greater force for global peace and development and the pursuit of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, and the resolution of disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation, enhancing security through cooperation. Thus, the Third Plenary Sessions indeed set the tone for continued modernisation for China, but, more importantly, peaceful transformative cooperation and development with the rest of us.
Gideon Chitanga is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Centre for Africa China Studies at the University of Johannesburg.