[Editorial]
The historic experiment CPC has taken since 1921 becomes close to almost a century. On July 1 the CPC will celebrate its historic 90th Anniversary of the party foundation. The CPC’s almost a centennial epoch is a huge national event that seems to be most likely celebrated by a great majority of its whole 1.4 billion populations. But it seems this very historic event could be also celebrated by an unknown number, could be tens of millions if not billions, of genuine supporters and well-wishers from around the globe.
However, there are not only those who may sincerely wish for a long life of Chinese Revolution, but also there must be another set of groups, nations, or unknown number of peoples who may not necessarily agree with this author. Simply because they may not like what’s happening in China. Or some may simply disapprove how CPC conducts its socialism-oriented sociopolitical, economic reforms. Or others might have been disturbed from some of its most recent international relations. The latter group might be disappointed or frustrated from some of the decisions CPC made, particularly in its geopolitical responsibilities such as the March 17th’s vote for the UNSC resolution of 1973 against Libyan government.
Some may not be simply happy for any reason. Neither be they excited nor hopeful for the future of both China and the world. Or others may be even “fearful” of the “rapidly evermore rising power of China.” For they take the rise of this new major global power as a “threat“ to their (probably!) colonial privileges or imperial thrones. So they, too, seem closely watch this universally-significant, internationally-impacting, globally-influencing historic event to find out what’s going on first in China and what’s going to happen to them next.
It’s not hard to imagine there should be many number of peoples both here in China and around the world who’ll write about either some great stories such as its “30 yearlong history of Reform and Opening-up Policy” or some bitter failures such as “Cultural Revolution.” But either supportive or fearful of the rise of China as a major global powerhouse now, the world as a whole seems going to watch anyway with great interests the coming universally-significant event, the CPC’s 90th Anniversary.
This Editorial, therefore, instead repeating what many others may say, would rather try to highlight some thoughts on the fundamental and urgent global power relations issues at the occasion of 90th Anniversary of CPC foundation. However, in the meantime, this Editorial is going to categorically refute any form of dichotomous characterizations of its political position on the CPC Anniversary. For the sake of record, it’s neither pro- nor anti-China. It could be one of the many similar efforts to further clarify the global significance of CPC’s 90th Anniversary. For its future is not related to its own people only. But it’s also related to the whole global population as well.
With that introductory remark as a sociopolitical and philosophical background, we could cautiously predict the following: The successful continuation of Chinese revolution led by CPC in terms of the harmonious wellbeing of its own vast number of people, particularly the continued development as a universally-significant experiment of “socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics” will definitely determine not only fate of its own people but also the immediate future of 21st Century as to whether China, together with other responsible global powers, might be able to take a leadership to build a genuinely new world order.
On what grounds and why can one make this sort of bold but somewhat simplistic and controversial statement?
Here are some partial answers to this self-made question as in the following:
- Only China, though together with other responsible global powers, but only China can make the difference and bring about the desperately-needed changes into the present ugly “unipolar” world order;
- The “socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics” is not the Chinese experiment only but also that of the whole humanity as to whether it can become a future global model for others to try, and if successful, then implement on their own soils;
- But, if China fails, the global efforts to bring about real changes into the present US-led arbitrarily unilateral world order may face a huge, could-be extremely difficult, if not absoluetly unwinnable, challenge;
- However, if China succeeds, the present efforts led by China and its responsible key allies such as BRICS- and SCO-participating nations to bring about genuine structural changes into the present US-led Western colonial/imperial world order might also succeed;
- If China succeeds, the future power relations of the world can be fundamentally changed, so that the future “global village” eventually could be governed by a new multipolar, mutually-respecting, democratically and harmoniously consensus-building, justice-oriented international relations;
- However, if China fails, the future of the world won’t be much bright, in other words, the US-led Western colonial domination may continue to prevail even in this 21st Century;
Though there are still many challenging (both domestic and international) issues CPC has to wrestle with, the healthy longevity of CPC leadership in terms of its 90years old revolution, particularly in the context of continually-successful experiment of socialist market economy is not only important to the wellbeing of its own world’s largest population but also to the whole globe.
Dr. Kiyul Chung who is Editor in chief at the 4th Media is a Visiting Professor at School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University.