Chapter 46 What really makes the Chinese people live a better life is the reform and opening up

Now there are relatively few people advocating the "China collapse theory", but there are still some people advocating the "China threat theory". Why is this? Just like a virus has various mutations, a "China threat theory" has also derived various "threats", such as the "threat" of cheap Chinese goods, the "threat" of competition for large energy resources, and the "threat" of military modernization. "Threats", the "threats" of possible war in the Taiwan Strait, the "threats" of China going to the ocean, the "threats" of environmental damage, the "threats" of foreign immigration, etc., etc.

Some people still say that Chinese spies are "threatening". Behind all these threats lies a major question, that is, what posture will China take to stand on the international stage in the future, how will China achieve its "rise", how will it get along with other countries after its "rise", and how will it deal with conflicts with the existing order and institutional relationship.The history of the rise and fall of great powers since the Great Discovery of Europe shows that most of the great powers paved the way for their rise through military conquest and war.Although China will not follow such a path, how can it "rise"?The Chinese should study and answer this question.

When it comes to "rising", I think of old Mr. Zhang Ling'ao.The old man worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government in his early years, and he was also responsible for analyzing strategic intelligence in Chiang Kai-shek's attendant room. Now he is 92 years old, but he is still witty and sharp.He talked to me about modernization first, the rise of China second, and economic globalization third.He said that he was not afraid of problems or tribulations, but he was afraid that he would not be able to follow through to the end after finding a modern path of peace, democracy and development.

The concerns of the elderly are understandable.If we want to eliminate the worries of the elderly and everyone, we must, as Comrade Jintao pointed out in his speech on June 25, concentrate on construction, single-mindedly seek development, and accelerate socialist modernization.Comrade Jin Tao’s 6.25 speech not only said that “development is of decisive significance for building a well-off society in an all-round way and accelerating socialist modernization” but also that “building a well-off society in an all-round way, realizing the basic modernization of our country, consolidating and developing the socialist system importance, long-term, and arduous"?The latter three characteristics cannot be ignored, and have a lot to do with our "various new situations and new problems on the way forward".

What "new situations and new problems" do you say we are "on the way forward"? This is the "four profound" and "two unprecedented" pointed out in the "Decision" of the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixteenth Central Committee of the Party, that is: profound changes in the economic system, profound changes in the social structure, profound adjustments to the pattern of interests, and profound ideological concepts. Changes; we are facing unprecedented development opportunities and unprecedented challenges. The latter two are "unprecedented", Comrade Jin Tao also said in his speech on June 25, he said: "Under the current international and domestic situation, my country's development is facing unprecedented opportunities and unprecedented challenges. There are many favorable conditions , There are also many unfavorable factors, the key depends on how well we do our work." How can we do our work well?This requires unswervingly emancipating the mind, unswervingly reforming and opening up, unswervingly scientific development, social harmony, and unswervingly building a well-off society in an all-round way.Comrade Jintao said: "Achieving these four steadfastnesses is crucial to maintaining the overall situation of the smooth development of the party and the country." We want to give the world a great confidence through our own hard work and show that "reform Opening up is the only way to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." "We must continue to deepen the research and exploration of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive to make the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics wider and wider."

Someone interpreted Comrade Jintao’s 6.25 speech, saying that the four “unswerving” were discussed in a high-profile manner, especially the promotion of “reform and opening up is the only way to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” There have been two ideological disturbances: one is doubts about the reform and opening-up line since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, and believes that some social problems that are currently emerging are brought about by reform and opening up; the other is that reform and opening up are not in place and have not solved problems Therefore, fundamental changes should be made in the system, and the current socialist construction in our country should be replaced by "democratic socialism" and "total westernization".

Comrade Jintao emphasized in his speech on June 25 that "socialism with Chinese characteristics is the banner of the development and progress of contemporary China, and the banner of the united struggle of the whole party and the people of all ethnic groups", which is the best answer to these two trends of thought.We must unswervingly adhere to the reform and opening up, adhere to those things that have been done very well since the reform and opening up, and continue to advance and rise along the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the road of China's peaceful development, so as to make our development even stronger. It is beneficial to the cause of human progress and more in line with the new expectations of people all over the world.

Some people are very sincere and hope that we will develop better and faster, and some people are afraid that the world will not be chaotic, and they always speak ill of us there, saying that China’s reform and opening up has gone wrong, harming the interests of the majority of people, and the rich A very small number of people, but most people have borne the cost of reform, resulting in the current society being "cannibalistic", "the worst in five thousand years", and "in the most primitive stage of cannibalism in the early stage of capitalism". China today is not what they say it is at all.Why did Comrade Jintao say in his June 25 speech that "the facts have eloquently proved that reform and opening up is the only way to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation"?Because "in the past 29 years in the new era, the achievements of my country's reform and opening up and socialist modernization have attracted worldwide attention."Let's not talk about anything else, let's take the construction of a harmonious society as an example. Some people have some misunderstandings.They miss the planned economy era very much.They think that such a society with "one big, two public" and "equal pay for equal work" is a harmonious society, and such a society of absolute egalitarianism under a shortage economy is a harmonious society.If such a society with a very low level of social supply can also be called a harmonious society, then wouldn’t a primitive society where no one exploits or oppresses others be more harmonious?

Some people measure the only standard of social harmony is the Gini coefficient.They believe that in the history of China, whenever there is a peasant uprising, the Gini coefficient is always the highest. In the planned economy era, the Gini coefficient was very low, only 0.18, even less than 0.2.But the vast majority of people are below the poverty line, and the legal rights of the bourgeoisie must be restricted, and the eight-level wage system should be opposed. So Deng Xiaoping said: "We have been engaged in revolution for decades and practiced socialism for more than 20 years. As of 1978, the average monthly salary of workers was only 40 to 50 yuan. Most of the rural areas are still in a state of poverty. This is called What socialist superiority?"

Therefore, it is not enough to just look at the Gini coefficient.A society with a shortage economy, an egalitarian society, must be a society without vitality, a society where most people cannot enjoy material results and have no quality of life.Can such a society last?Can't last.It was the reform and opening up and the Deng Xiaoping era that really made the Chinese people live a better life.Without "development is the last word", without the fruitful results of reform and opening up, there will be no sharing and sharing by all the people. One joint construction, one sharing, this is what Comrade Jintao especially emphasized. In the June 25 speech, it was also stated that "the fundamental purpose of our party is to serve the people wholeheartedly. All the struggle and work of the party are for the benefit of the people. We must always put Realizing, maintaining, and developing the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people is the starting point and goal of all work of the party and the country, so that development is for the people, development depends on the people, and the fruits of development are shared by the people.”

Now the rural elderly over the age of 65 have been covered by social security, and more rural residents will be covered in the future, including the basic medical and health system, which itself is a kind of sharing.That is what Comrade Jintao said in his speech on June 25, "making the results of economic development reflect more in the improvement of people's livelihood".Such a kind of sharing, such a kind of improvement, of course requires more investment, more material and financial support, and of course it is a kind of harmony at a higher level.But such a higher level of harmony cannot transcend our stage of development.From now to 2020, it is a period of strategic opportunities for us to build a well-off society in an all-round way. We must make full use of this period of strategic opportunities to ensure that our national economy develops better and our economic aggregate can meet expectations. It is close to the total economic volume of Japan.As for when Japan's economy has developed further, that's another matter. At that time, our per capita GDP should be between 3,000 and 4,000 US dollars, right? Perhaps there will be some changes in the exchange rate by then, and the RMB will appreciate. If these factors are removed, our per capita GDP should be between US$3,000 and US$4,000, which is at the middle level of a developing country.It is very good that China, with a population of more than 1 billion, can reach such a level.All our people share and share more resources.The enhancement of comprehensive national strength will enable us to play a greater role in the world.