The Communist Party of China has recently convened its 20th National Congress, laying out the goals, tasks and guiding policies for the cause of the Party and the country in the next five years and beyond.  It is indeed a very important meeting convened at a critical time as China embarks on a new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects and advances towards the Second Centenary Goal. The most important achievement of the Congress is the election of a new central leadership with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. The election has carried forward and practiced democracy throughout its process, and its outcome reflects the consensus of the entire Party and the people of the whole country.General Secretary Xi Jinping’s report to the Congress is a political declaration and a programme of action for the Party to rally all the Chinese people and lead them in achieving new success of building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. It is also an important source for people from other countries to gain a correct understanding of China’s future development.

It has been stressed at the Congress that the past 10 years marked three major events of profound historical significance: we embraced the centenary of the Party; we ushered in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and we eradicated absolute poverty and finished building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus completing the First Centenary Goal. We have lifted nearly 100 million rural residents out of poverty. China’s GDP increased from 53.9 trillion yuan to 114.4 trillion yuan, and its share in the world economy rose from 11.3 percent to 18.5 percent. Its per capita GDP has expanded from 39,800 yuan to 81,000 yuan. China ranks first in the world in terms of grain output and people’s life expectancy has reached 78.2 years. China is the world’s largest manufacturing country and biggest commodity trading country. The Chinese people now enjoy skies that are bluer, waters that are clearer and mountains that are greener. History fully shows that the success of a country and a political party needs a strong leadership core as well as the guidance of well-conceived theories. As we advance the cause of the Party and the country in the new era, the establishment of Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position in the leadership and of the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is of decisive significance.

The Congress has noted that, from this day forward, the central task of the Communist Party of China will be to lead all Chinese people in a concerted effort to realise the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, and to advance national rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation. Chinese modernisation contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context. Chinese modernization is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature and of peaceful development. There are 193 UN members, but only more than 30 are developed ones. How can developing countries achieve modernisation? This is a hugely important question of our times. China’s experience in practice has proven that every country must choose its own path based on its national realities. We cannot simply copy and paste. It won’t work. By any standard, the Chinese path to modernisation is a great contribution to human progress and provides a new option for human modernisation. It will lead the way for the healthy development of economic globalization and have a far-reaching impact on world peace and development. 

The Congress has made overall strategic plans for the work of the Party and the country on the new journey, covering among others, economic development, science and technology, education, human resources, whole-process people’s democracy, law-based governance on all fronts, cultural development, people’s wellbeing, ecological development, national security, defense and the military, national reunification, foreign policy and party building. The Congress highlights that to build a modern socialist country in all respects, we must, first and foremost, pursue high-quality development. Development remains the Party’s top priority in governing and rejuvenating the country. It is important that we fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy, promote high-standard opening up, and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows.

The Congress has pointed the way forward for China’s foreign policy on the new journey, stressing that China will continue to follow the path of peaceful development and uphold openness and cooperation. One of the major principles of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is that we must maintain a global vision. The Communist Party of China is dedicated to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It is also dedicated to promoting human progress and world harmony. Over the past 10 years, China has followed major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics on all fronts and played an unprecedented, positive role in upholding world peace and common development. China has become a major trading partner for more than 140 countries and regions. It is a major destination for global investment and a leading country in outbound investment. China has sent more peacekeepers than any other permanent member of the UN Security Council. According to a latest World Bank report, between 2013 and 2021, China has contributed an average of 38.6% of global economic growth, more than that of the G7 countries combined. The Belt and Road Initiative has attracted the active participation of more than 180 countries and international organizations and brought great benefits to people along the routes. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, we have provided over 2.2 billion doses of vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations.

Barbados is China’s good friend and good partner in the eastern Caribbean region. Since the establishment of the diplomatic relations between our two countries 45 years ago, the bilateral ties have maintained a sound momentum of growth. The two countries have carried out fruitful cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, culture, education and health care, setting an exemple of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development between countries of different sizes. Last July, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, reaching a series of important consensus and charting the course for the future development of China-Barbados relations.

So far this year, in the field of pragmaticcooperation, the construction of Sam Lord’s Castle Hotel with preferential loan from China has entered its final stage. China-aided project, the Center for Food Security and Entrepreneurship, has started construction. China and Barbados have also signed a Concessional Loan Agreement for Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Project; China has further provided anti-epidemic and medical assistance as well as disaster prevention and mitigation assistance to Barbados; while major progress has been made regarding the National Stadium Redevelopment project. 

With regard to the people-to-people and cultural exchanges, the Chinese Embassy in Barbados donated 50 laptops to the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training of Barbados to help teachers and students affected by Covid-19 pandemic participate in online learning. The Zibo People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in China established ties with the Association for Barbados-China Friendship in Barbados. The Fish and Dragon Festival as well as cultural activities to celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival have been held for eight years in a row. The Confucius Institute of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus held a variety of activities including the “China in my eyes” painting competition. China also granted government scholarship to 4 Barbadian students to study in China.

Of particular note, we solemnly celebrated the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Barbados. H.E. Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China and Senator Dr. the Most Honourable Jerome X. Walcott, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados exchanged congratulatory letters. We issued commemorative envelopes and held a series of events including online receptions, seminars, round-table forums, and online concerts. The Barbados Museum hosted an exhibition titled “From Beijing to Bridgetown”, which brought the atmosphere of friendship between the two countries to a new level.

The domestic and foreign policies of the CPC and the Chinese government are open and transparent, with clearly stated and transparent strategic intentions and great continuity and stability. We are advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, basing our efforts on the goal of meeting people’s aspirations for a better life, unswervingly pursuing reform and opening-up, and promoting the building of an open global economy. On the new journey, China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, always decides its position and attitude based on the merits of issues, and advocates resolving disputes peacefully through dialogue and consultation. China is committed to deepening and expanding global partnerships, safeguarding the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. China will continue to uphold humanity’s common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. China will stay committed to peaceful development, open development and win-win development, participate in and contribute to global development, and pursue common development with countries across the world. China is ready to work with Barbados to continue to implement the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative and promote high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, providing new opportunities for countries around the world, including Barbados, with China’s new development.