Peaceful development is China's commitment to the world

Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language "Commentaries on International Affairs."

A grand rally was held at the Tian'anmen Square on Tuesday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. President Xi Jinping delivered a speech to mark the occasion, in which he said that China would keep up with people's ever-growing need for a better life, continue to strive for the complete reunification of the nation, and work to build a shared future for humanity with people from all of the world's countries.

China's President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at a grand rally to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Ju Peng]

The founding of the People's Republic of China 70 years ago brought to an end China's hundred years of humiliation. Since then, the Chinese people, through concerted effort and hard work, have accomplished achievements on a scale rarely seen before. They've taken the country through a bleak recession to prosperity, and from being almost "expelled from the earth" to moving closer and closer to the world's center stage. China has made significant contributions to the peaceful development of humanity, something the 1.4 billion Chinese people should rightfully be proud of.

As the country moves towards the goal of national rejuvenation, its people won't forget how far it has come on its journey, and why it chose to embark on this journey in the very beginning. President Xi's speech sent a clear message about China's determination to embrace the future with the "Five Adherences", of which adhering to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, ensuring the principal status of the people, and upholding the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the greatest inspiration it has drawn from its decades of development. As the white paper "China and the World in the New Era" recently released by the government makes clear, these are the fundamental factors that lie behind China's success.

The "Five Adherences" also includes adherence to the principle of peaceful reunification and "one country, two systems", an innovative solution that has been successfully implemented in Hong Kong and Macau. China is capable of maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of these two special administrative regions. And it will promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and in doing so will heal the scar on the Chinese nation. The reunification of the Chinese nation across the Taiwan Straits is an unstoppable historical trend.

Adherence to a path of peaceful development is a pledge that China has made to the world. It's not merely diplomatic language or makeshift rhetoric. Instead, it's an adamant strategic choice and steadfast commitment that China has made based on its understanding of global trends and its own development goals. It is also a path inspired by the heritage of Chinese civilization. As the Italian historian Davide Rossi has pointed out, China has always opposed hegemonism and power politics and has not interfered in the domestic affairs of other countries. And China will continue to contribute positive energy to the maintenance of world peace and development.

Over the past seven decades, the Chinese nation has united in the face of historic challenges, which include blockades by the West, earthquakes, floods, epidemics, and financial crises. This national unity is a guarantee for future development, as the People's Republic of China forges ahead 70 years on to tackle new challenges. The Chinese people remain faithful to the idea that as long as the nation upholds the "Five Adherences", no force can ever stop the Chinese people and the Chinese nation from marching forward. And as China adheres to the principle of peaceful development and win-win cooperation, it is bringing light to world peace and development.