While visiting an exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up at the National Museum of China in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on people of all ethnicities to have strong confidence and determination to deepen reform and opening-up process under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) as the move has brought about great changes in the country since its implementation four decades ago.

The newly opened exhibition has six sections, showcasing the history, accomplishments, and experience of China's reform and opening-up, as well as the strategic decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Exhibits include photos of significant events during the past four decades, models of the country's Long March rocket series and the Tiangong space station, with an objective to help visitors better understand the CPC's theories, reform and opening-up policies, and strategic measures of reforms.

As a matter of fact, the policy of reform and opening-up did not come the easy way.  China once occupied an important place in human civilization. China's Four Great Inventions – the compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing – contributed greatly to the advancement of mankind.  The country's economy expanded quickly during the Han and Tang dynasties when China started to trade with other countries through the Silk Road and marine routes.

However, when the Qing emperors failed to reform due to the fear of losing their royal privileges, China began falling behind other countries. To make things worse, the Qing Dynasty adopted an isolation policy and stopped interacting with other countries. As a result, the Middle Kingdom fell prey to the Western powers.

During the following century, the Chinese people fought bravely against the feudalists, warlords and foreign invaders. Finally, the People's Republic of China was founded under the leadership of the CPC in 1949. The late Chairman Mao Zedong attributed this victory against much stronger enemies to the adaptation of Marxist principles along with local conditions in China.

Then, the CPC learned another lesson --- it must reform and change to catch up with the changing times. The late leader Deng Xiaoping initiated the reform and opening-up policy so that the country could achieve its goal of the “four modernizations”, namely the modernization of the country's industry, agriculture, national defense, and science and technology.

Deng Xiaoping also put forward some principles, such as emancipating people's minds, seeking truth from facts and keeping pace with the changing times. The rationale behind this is simple: as social contradictions and conditions change we must adapt to these changes and address the concerns of the Chinese people.

On our way towards modernization, we need a critical eye while evaluating ourselves but at the same time, we need to keep an open mind so that we can learn from the industrialized countries.

Of course, we need to keep in mind the experiences and lessons of the past to avoid making the same mistakes when pushing for development. In order to avoid major setbacks during the process, Deng Xiaoping used an old Chinese saying as the guiding principle -- "crossing a river by feeling the stones."

New ideas and measures were first put into practice in pilot-zones on a trial-and-error basis. Then, successful models were introduced to the rest of the country, with modifications when necessary.

This approach makes sense especially today when fast and profound changes are taking place all around us. The reform and opening-up is an on-going process and only by moving ahead with the spirit of reform can we improve and perfect what we are doing and keep pace with the times. If we give up every time we encounter a problem, we would get nowhere and fail. 

That's why President Xi encouraged Chinese people to follow the blueprint for the country's future development, designed by the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2017, adding that socialism with Chinese characteristics will definitely ensure a better future as long as China continues to deepen the reform and opening-up process.

(Cover photo: Shenzen City, south China's Guangdong Province has witnessed rapid growth since the implementation of China's reform and opening-up policy in 1978. /VCG Photo)