The Code to China’s Development
读懂中国发展的“密码”
Chinese Ambassador Cai Run to Israel Published a Signed Article
驻以色列大使蔡润发表署名文章
26 July 2021
2021年7月26日
China’s rapid development attracts great attention from the international community. I’d like to tell our Israeli friends about China’s path of development and decipher China’s “secret code” of rapid growth.
中国的快速发展引起国际社会的高度关注，我愿向以色列各界朋友介绍中国的发展之路，解读中国取得快速发展的“密码”。
When talking about China, what often comes to one’s mind is a major country with a huge population, worldly renowned historical sites like the Great Wall, and the adorable pandas. As an ancient civilization with a history of 5,000 years, China had its glories and hardships. There were times when China had long been leading the world in its development. However, the following 100 years after the Opium War in 1840 witnessed incessant foreign aggression, wars and turmoil, and China was once on the verge of perishing. At the historic juncture where our nation faced existential threat, the Communist Party of China (CPC), founded in 1921, led the Chinese people in seeking revolution and strength. After making arduous efforts, we finally realized national independence and liberation, and founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
谈起中国，大家常常想到的是人口大国，或是万里长城等闻名世界的历史古迹，亦或是憨态可掬的大熊猫。作为一个五千年的文明古国，中国经历过辉煌，也遭受过苦难。在历史长河中，中国曾长期走在世界发展的最前列。然而1840年鸦片战争后百年间，外国列强不断入侵，中国饱受战乱动荡，一度濒临亡国灭种的危险境地。在国家存亡历史关头，中国共产党于1921年成立后带领中国人民寻求变革、谋求自强，经过艰苦斗争，最终实现民族独立和人民解放，于1949年建立新中国。
New China had a rather rough start with extreme poverty and a national economy on the verge of collapse. More than 70 years into the nation’s founding, particularly after the reform and opening up began in 1978, unprecedented changes have been taking place in China with development achievements of global recognition.
新中国在成立之初，人民生活极端贫困，国民经济几近崩溃。新中国成立70多年来，特别是1978年改革开放以来，中国发生了翻天覆地的变化，发展建设成就令世界瞩目。
The living standards of the Chinese people rose remarkably. China is feeding nearly one-fifth of the world’s population, or 1.4 billion people, with only 9 percent of the world’s total arable land. Since reform and opening up began, more than 770 million of China’s rural population living below the current poverty line have been raised out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total over the same period. China has a middle-income population of over 400 million. Our people’s life expectancy rose from 35 to 77.3 years.
中国人民生活水平显著提升。我们用全球9%的耕地养活了世界近20%的人口，解决了14亿人的温饱问题。改革开放以来，中国7.7亿农村贫困人口摆脱贫困，占同期全球减贫人口70%以上。超过4亿人迈入中等收入群体。人均寿命从35岁提高到77.3岁。
For years China has been contributing around 30 percent to the global economic growth as a robust engine. China is one of the most open economies in the world and the largest trading partner of more than 130 countries and regions. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is a staunch force for world peace and common development.
中国近年来对世界经济增长的贡献率一直在30%左右，成为推动全球经济发展的重要引擎。中国是世界上开放程度最高的国家之一，成为130多个国家和地区的最大贸易伙伴。中国作为联合国安理会常任理事国，是维护世界和平、促进共同发展的坚定力量。
What is the “code” to China’s rapid development? First, it’s a development path that suits China’s national conditions, which the Chinese people, led by the CPC, embarked on after arduous exploration. That is socialism with Chinese characteristics. Second, it’s China’s fundamental policy of reform and opening-up. Reform is a strong impetus for development, and openness is the sure choice to make advances. Third, it’s China’s commitment to a people-centered vision on governance. As Chinese President Xi Jinping noted, governance is for the people and by the people. The CPC has been acting on its original aspiration of pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, and the people have always been uppermost in its mind. Fourth, it’s mutually beneficial international cooperation. We are committed to achieving common development and progress with other countries based on mutual respect and mutual learning.
中方支持哥伦比亚政府加快实施土地改革，解决贫困、社会不公和农村地区欠发展等问题，不断改进公共服务，促进均衡、可持续发展，打牢长治久安的根基。中国快速发展的“密码”是什么？首先，这归功于在中国共产党的领导下，中国人民经过艰难探索，找到了一条符合中国国情的发展道路，即中国特色社会主义道路。第二，这归功于中国改革开放的基本国策。改革是推动发展的强大动力，开放是促进发展的必然选择。第三，这归功于中国始终坚持以人民为中心的治理理念。中国国家主席习近平说，“江山就是人民，人民就是江山”。中国共产党始终把为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴作为初心使命，始终把人民放在最高位置。第四，这归功于互利共赢的国际合作。我们坚持全方位扩大对外交流，深化互利合作，在相互尊重、兼容并蓄、取长补短中实现共同发展和进步。
We are well aware of the fact that despite the enormous aggregate economy, China’s GDP per capita is only a little more than $10,000 with a world ranking of 60-plus, far from those of Israel and other developed countries. As the largest developing country, China’s primary task at the moment is continued commitment to development and enabling more than 1.4 billion people to live a better life, which will take long-term, extraordinarily hard efforts.
我们也清醒认识到，中国经济总量虽大，但国内生产总值人均才刚过1万美元，排在世界60多位，同以色列等发达国家相比差得还远。作为世界上最大的发展中国家，中国目前首要的任务仍然是集中力量发展自己，让14多亿老百姓都过上好日子，这还需要付出长期的艰苦努力。
In its development process, China will continue to open up wider to the world, enhance cooperation, exchanges and mutually learning with all countries including Israel, and work for mutually beneficial results.
中国在进一步发展的过程中，将继续坚持扩大对外开放，加强与包括以色列在内的世界各国的互利合作与交流互鉴，增进相互理解，实现合作共赢。