R. L. Kuhn analyzes China’s new contradiction and its road to 2050

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On the first Vision China, a series of talks organized by China Daily, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, the anchor of Closer To China on CGTN and a US specialist on China issues, shared his thoughts on “China’s New Era and New Thinking”, which was the theme of the inaugural event at the University of International Business and Economics on Monday.

Based on his research on China for nearly 30 years, Dr. Kuhn demonstrated China’s changes, opportunities and challenges in the New Era, and more importantly, analyzed the main reasons for the primary contradiction of modern China.

Dr. Kuhn pointed out that the “new era contradiction”, replacing quantitative GDP growth with qualitative improvement of life, is what drives China’s policy. He emphasized that Xi does not gloss over problems, but confronts them openly and candidly. He promises intense, dedicated work, but not quick, easy solutions.

Robert Lawrence Kuhn, the anchor of Closer To China, China Global Television Network (CGTN), also a US specialist on China issues, attended the meeting and shared his thoughts on “China’s New Era and New Thinking”. /CGTN Photo

As Xi said, “The needs to be met for the people to live a better life are increasingly broad. Not only have their material and cultural needs grown, but also their demands for democracy, rule of law, fairness and justice, security and a better environment are increasing.”

More than any other country, China’s rise has depended on the international order. Dr. Kuhn emphasized that “it is no contradiction to state that China can help improve and sustain the international order under increasingly complex contemporary conditions.

"Chinese experience and Chinese wisdom, learned during China’s now almost four decades of rapid development with its reform and opening-up policies, could be applied to solve various world problems, especially problems of economic development in poorer countries.”

Looking ahead to the mid-century, 2050, China would move toward the center stage and make greater contributions to mankind.

“We’re committed to exploring the global significance of Chinese stories, sharing with the world China’s experience, wisdom and solutions to push forward the common development of the whole world”, Zhou Shuchun, editor-in-chief of China Daily, concluded in his speech on Monday.