Rural people engineered China’s reform - Envoy

L-R: Director, Centre for China Studies, Mr. Charles Onunaiju, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Zhou Pingjian and Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Amb. Aminu Wali during the event.




By Hafsat Abdullahi

The reform and opening up that began 40years ago and placed People’s Republic of China in the World’s economic ladder as the second largest economy in the world started from the rural communities, Nigerian Ambassador to China, Dr. Zhou Pingjian has said.

Dr. Zhou who made this known in a keynote address at a seminar to mark the 40th anniversary of the Chinese reform and opening up with the theme, “China's 40 years of Reforms and Opening Up: Significance, Implications and Lessons" organized by Centre for China Studies (CCS) in Abuja noted that China has in the last 40 years been a centre of attraction for the world's development.

He also stated that Chinese government under the Communist Party of China (CPC) focuses on two basic realities which include; strengthening its national microscopic thinking, as well as the coordination by breaking off impunity in its drive towards the economic growth of both China and the rest of the world.

Zhou explained that prior to the dawn of the country's reformation agenda, China was caught in a dilemma of embarking on a set agenda towards her goals, not until the communist government adopted an all inclusive policy which was meant to accommodate people of all races and climes, which was made possible through opening ups for social stability.

He said that an improvement of the people's well being and inclusiveness in discourse enhances economic advancement and the capacity of countries to sustain positive change.

China envoy noted that Chinese had in April resolved on polices that would rejuvenate the economy of more countries in the world.

“At the event of the opening of the Asian conference, 2018, with an inward look into China's trajectory of reformation and the way forward for other countries.

"China has been a centre of attraction for the world in the last 40 years, to achieve this reality that would determine these reforms; we strengthened our national microscopic thinking and make sure that the reforms are systematic, and coordinated.

"We must be encouraged through our experience and breakthrough because for the early days, we as Chinese didn't know which way to go or how to get there. So we said it shouldn't matter whether it's all about black or white.

"We also noticed that reforms and open ups are systematic projects, as we undertook an all line way with all kinds of reforms that are well connected, knowing that social stability is a necessary tool for reformation which would in turn, provide solid foundation for advancement and the capacity of the general public to sustain change and development.

"Reforms and open ups are of course value to the Chinese people because the more the audience that partake in reforms, management and stability process, the more the CPC government strengthens and maintains close ties between the party and the people.

"At the opening of the Asian conference in April 2018, we resolved that for any country to achieve rejuvenation, it must study the model of her history and the training of the time in the pursuit of advancement.

"We then looked back over the period of the Chinese reformation history, and how China can resolve the hindrances to her own advancement in socialism through Chinese ideology or to promote a stable and healthy economy if China is to promote win-win cooperation among all countries.

"Therefore, the Chinese president also made it clear last month at a summit that going forward, China would take a more responsible approach which will be more inclusive and open with the higher quality of growth which by so doing, China will make the greatest contribution to the economy of the world.

Chairman of the occasion and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Bashir Wali noted that China has led the way on evolving a new development template for nation’s growth which Nigeria should adopt for its economic advancement.

The former Nigerian Ambassador to China noted with pleasure that China’s opening up and reform have greatly improved world economy for better.

Also speaking, Director, Centre for Chinese Studies, Mr. Charles Onunaiju, lauded the Chinese communist ideology for its decision to reform China under the CPC.

He stated that the reformation and open ups policy was one of the most remarkable achievements of the 20th century and has uplifted over 700 million people from poverty.

He said that Chinese only had the option of the Marxist theory, national focus/credibility as leverage to reform the country through an ideology of looking inward for a future for the country which became the trajectory of China’s success, 40 years after.

CCS Director urged the Nigerian government to key into the Chinese ideology, postulating that it was high time the country move from its past comfort zone to a moment of looking inward from external interference for solution.