Chinese people give Xi the thumbs-up

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‍By CGTN's The Point

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China takes place in Beijing from October 18 to 24.

The twice-a-decade meeting is attracting extensive attention as China strives towards becoming a rounded, moderately prosperous society while continuing to develop its socialist system with Chinese characteristics.

Laurence Brahm, Founding Director of the Himalayan Consensus Institute, emphasized the differences between this 19th Party Congress and previous ones.

Wang Huiyao, Counselor of The State Council /CGTN Photo

“The previous congresses focused mostly on domestic economic policy and growth drivers. This is the first time that China is really stepping onto the global stage,” he said on CGTN’s The Point.

Wang Huiyao, State Council Counselor, said he has huge expectations for this once-every-five-years political event.

“After the five years since the 18th Party Congress, we have seen that China has made a lot of progress. So for the 19th Party Congress, we expect more changes, more good things to happen,” he said.

Doris Naisbitt, co-author of “Creating a Megatrend”, said that, “In the 20th Century, it was driven by two things: free markets and Western democracy. In the 21st Century, China has created a new system, a new driver of wealth and progress.”

Laurence Brahm complained about some prejudices leveled at China from the West.

“When we talk about Western media criticizing China about corruption, look at the United States, where we don’t have a government. Instead, we have, under Trump, a family business,” he said.

Brahm said he struggled to understand exactly what American values were these days and suggested the US should learn more about Chinese and Asian values.

“The promotion of an Asian set of values, is really looking at harmony, peace, shared prosperity and the balancing of material civilization with spiritual civilization as opposed to just advocating Wall Street greed,” he said.

Delegates attending the opening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 18, 2017. /Nicolas Asfouri, VCG Photo

In the past five years, China’s wide-reaching anti-corruption crackdown has been one of its most effective reforms. Since 2012, probes have netted senior and lower-ranking Party and government officials, as well as executives at state-run and private companies, including more than 200 vice-ministerial or higher levels of officials and managers.

Doris Naisbitt, co-author of "Creating A Megatrend" /CGTN Photo

“The Communist Party was facing a crisis of credibility within China with its own people. What Xi Jinping has done over the past few years is to bring the credibility back to the Party,” Brahm said.

Doris Naisbitt explained about interviewing Chinese people about their opinions of Xi.

“We sometimes do research in a funny way because we don’t speak Chinese [we use gestures.] When we meet people in the market or taxi drivers, for instance, people give Xi the thumbs-up,” she said.

The Point with Liu Xin is a 30-minute current affairs program on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 9.30 p.m. BJT (1330GMT), with rebroadcasts at 5.30 a.m. (2130GMT) and 10.30 a.m. (0230GMT).

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