Editor's note: Victor Gao, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a chair professor at Soochow University and the vice president of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG). The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

China is commemorating the 120th anniversary of the birth of Deng Xiaoping, who changed China and the world in a most profound way. While China since 1978 has been dealing with challenges and difficulties, and the need to innovate and achieve breakthroughs constantly, because there is no prior road map and experience to draw upon, China has kept steadfast on the path of reform and opening to the rest of the world, building what Deng Xiaoping called socialism with Chinese characteristics, and what has been called socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, led by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Some Western countries have tried to attach all kinds of labels on China, including "autocracy," "national capitalism," "collapsing socialism," and many more, none of which demonstrates any real depth and accuracy of understanding the realities in China. They act out of ignorance, complacency, ossification, or simple inertia of denying realities that don't fit their stereotypes. They have "predicted" the collapse of the Chinese economy and many other dire scenarios for China almost from the beginning of China's reform and opening to the outside world. By now, the biggest country in the Western world has even identified China as its pacing threat and has been suffering from what I call the Tonya Harding Syndrome for many years. Its strategic goal seems to be: Stop China's growth at any cost.

One should remember that before Deng assumed China's leadership in 1977, China's economic development faced many challenges and difficulties. Deng's wisdom and courage led to his most important breakthrough, declaring that socialism didn't mean poverty, and to his conviction that socialism can lead to prosperity for the people. Deng called this new roadmap socialism with Chinese characteristics, meaning China can take over anything in the political system of any country if it can help China increase its productivity and improve the living standards of the Chinese people. 

Thus, socialism has become dynamic and interactive, and many good elements in other countries, including, for example, private ownership of property, intellectual property rights, shareholding reform of companies, stock market, and many more, have been analyzed and incorporated into the Chinese system. In a sense, China under Deng since 1978 became the most dynamic and willing-to-learn country in the world, eager and committed to transform itself for the betterment of the Chinese people. China has changed and transformed so fast and so many times and any labels readily used by Western countries have become irrelevant as far as China is concerned. Thus, their woes and perplexities.

China today is pushing forward with socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and Xi has been prioritizing new quality productive forces, meaning science, technology, innovation, and commitment to push to the forefront of any new knowledge for the betterment of China and the world should be the driving forces for China in the coming years and decades.

China's success is based on emphasizing the Chinese characteristics in everything we do in China, fully aware that China is unique, as every other country in the world is unique in its own way. Therefore, the Western countries should focus on the "Chinese characteristics," rather than attempting to retrieve irrelevant labels from their closet to describe the ever-changing realities in China. Hopefully, the United States will also focus on the American characteristics, rather than blaming China for all its failures. Philosophically, every country in the world should start with its own characteristics in developing its economy and making its presence on the world stage.

China lucked out to have a wise and courageous leader Deng Xiaoping, who successfully changed China and the world, for the better. China today under Chinese President Xi Jinping's leadership is working with many countries in the world to build a community with a shared future for mankind, a world built on peace, development, cooperation, and prosperity for all. Deng Xiaoping's legacy will continue to benefit China and the world for generations to come.

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