China kicks off new journey with new leadership

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The CPC National Congress is an emphasis on China’s political institutionalization; analyst said that China’s new leadership is precisely what the country needs.

“I think it is a wonderful group of people,” said Li Cheng, Director of the John L. Thornton China Center, as he commented that each of the China’s core members of the new leadership had a strong credential.

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, speaks at the press conference in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct. 25, 2017. /Xinhua Photo‍

“China has already played very important roles such as climate change and UN peacekeeping, global anti-terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation, you name it,” Li said the experience of the leadership’s core members are all relevant to current affairs.

China is the second largest economy in the world and it already has a significant impact on the world. Li said the world will pay close attention to China as it becomes more influential, especially to countries within Africa, such as South America.

Xi Jinping(C), General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and the other newly-elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee, including Li Keqiang (3rd R), Li Zhanshu (3rd L), Wang Yang (2nd R), Wang Huning (2nd L), Zhao Leji (1st R) and Han Zheng (1st L), meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct. 25, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping delivered a report at the opening session of the Party Congress, saying that the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life.

“The unbalanced situation could be economic needs versus environmental protection or economic development versus social and political constraints,” said Li.

Speaking of reforms, Li said the definition of “unbalanced” remains open-ended but dealing with unbalanced situations tends to be great challenges lying ahead.

The press center of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a group interview on "solid strides on the path of building a powerful military with Chinese characteristics" in Beijing, on October 22, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

Xi repeatedly mentions that China wants to be a peacemaker, not a hegemony. China will never become a hegemony.

“While the country becomes richer and certainly will be more powerful, it’s not surprised to expect China’s military modernization will go forward”, said Li in an interview earlier.

Tanks are seen during a military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA on July 30, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

“But that does not necessarily mean that war is inevitable and that China will be an aggressive power,” he added.

“On the other hand, I think China has its own legitimate reason to develop modern military, just like the United States, like many other countries around the world,” Li said.

“Another thing is that military reform also contributes to the fact that the military will be under control of the civilian leadership,” he added.

(Written by CGTN’s Zhao Yunfei, Sun Xiaolu also contributes to the article.)