Chukwudi Enekwechi
Never in the history of world civilization have we witnessed such a holistic socio-economic transformation in so short a time like in China. With a population of about one billion, six hundred million people, it is amazing that China is able, not only to cater for the domestic needs of its citizens through the provision of welfare programmes, but is today making inroad into many developing countries.
In Africa, China is leading other world economic powers in facilitating various aids and long-term development loans without stringent conditions. Perhaps, their magnanimity to African countries can be traced to the unwavering support they received from Africa at the United Nations in the early seventies. This policy is also in line with the international policy of reciprocity among nations.
Incidentally, the western countries are seeing it differently, regarding the sudden Father Christmas posture of China to Africa and other developing countries, yet China has demonstrated good faith and remained committed to their international obligations. At least they are succeeding in their mutual global partnerships where the western countries have failed despite the long decades of exploitation and plunder of African countries.
At the home front, the Chinese government under the able leadership of the Communist Party of China has lifted about 60 million people out of excruciating poverty while the poverty head count ratio has dropped from 10.2 percent to less than 4 percent.
In the area of employment, China has also recorded a significant mileage with an average of thirteen million urban jobs being created each year. Additionally, there has been a growth of urban and rural personal incomes, and which according to available records have outpaced the country’s economic growth, while the middle-income class continues to rise.
In a deliberate effort to raise the quality of life of the Chinese people, the government has put in place a social security system which covers both urban and rural residents. Such social security safety nets find expression in the delivery of public health and medical services which have improved significantly. The Chinese government is also paying attention to the housing needs of its people through the provision of subsidized housing projects across the country.
From the foregoing, it is evident that China has not only emerged from a reclusive economy, but is poised to replicate its home grown successes in the developing countries. Presently, there is an aggressive reform of government business while opening up has become a deliberate agenda of the Chinese government.
This philosophy is enhanced with the ideology of the Chinese Communist party which focuses on providing good life to all men and women irrespective of nationality or belief system. Of course this is a departure from the ruthless exploitation of the western countries which over the centuries pillaged and exploited the resources of developing economies without ploughing back.
Over the past forty years, but particularly in the last five years of President Xi Jinping’s leadership, China has undergone a tremendous transformation and this has resulted in the rapid modernisation of the country. Based on his visionary leadership, they are making progress in various areas such as aviation, information technology, culture and tourism,construction and railways.
Through the inspirational leadership of President Xi Jinping, China is today standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States on global issues and the opening-up policy of the administration has made the country the world’s preferred destination for business.
In fact China ranks amongst the world’s preferred destinations for global meetings like New York, London and Paris. This paradigm shift was as a result of a deliberate policy by the Chinese government to adopt global best practices in doing business.
China is making a steady progress in all areas of national development, especially the economy. The verdict across the global community is that China is presently the world’s largest developing country with wondrous improvements in all sectors.
China’s phenomenal development strides are aptly encapsulated in what they refer to as “four cardinal principles”.
“Continue to reform and open up, be self-reliant, hardworking and enterprising, and strive to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful”. Interestingly, the Chinese leadership under President Xi Jinping has held these noble principles aloft thereby showing example to the citizens that altruism as a philosophy is key to the realisation of the ideal society they all crave for.
The new partnership between China and Africa, especially Nigeria, promises to be mutually beneficial especially as China is focussed on replicating their development model in the developing countries of the world. So far, Nigeria has maintained high level diplomatic relations with China and the numerous benefits accruing from it are already manifesting in the railways and aviation sectors of the country’s economy.
Enekwechi writes from Abuja via [email protected]