Amid the geopolitical instability caused by various factors, all eyes are now set towards Beijing as the fifth session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, and the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference kicked off on February 14 and 15, respectively.
These annual “Two Sessions” have become a barometer through which the world measures its resilience to withstand the daunting social, economic and political challenges, some like the COVID-19 pandemic never seen in a century. Moreover, with the fortunes of the West dwindling as developing countries assert themselves in the global scheme of things, China has become the most viable point of geopolitical reference.
As the meeting of the highest echelons of power in China attended by both the President and Premier, the agenda is closely watched by other governments and experts worldwide. This is, of course, for good reason. The country is the world’s largest economy, which means that it has proportionate power in many other sectors.
China’s rise, particularly since the reform and opening up policy was started in 1978, has become a source of either envy and admiration depending on one’s ideological standpoint. The subsequent eradication of absolute poverty in 2020 has left no doubt about the efficacy of its negotiated democracy. The success of the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region canvassed and passed during the NPC’s 2021 Two Sessions is a testament of the efficacy of this democratic, legal and administrative system.
The country has also brought its diplomatic tact and soft power to bear on conflicts that are potentially volatile. For instance, its recent appointment of a special envoy for the Horn of Africa is expected to bring stability in this occasionally volatile region, protecting and increasing the region’s investments, and guarding one of the world’s main shipping routes.
One of the major reasons the outcomes of the Two Sessions this year will be closely followed has to be the fact that the meetings will discuss in detail the pathway to the country’s stated centenary goal of becoming a modern socialist country in all respects. This ambition will singularly have a huge impact on world politics, particularly on relations between the North and Global South as the latter seek a viable replacement of the soul less capitalist system.
As the largest developing country, the achievement will place it at par with the developed world economically on one hand, but maintaining or even increasing its empathy credentials under the principle of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is definitely a perfect mix that is emulatable.
Further, the determined pursuit of this goal means that China will increase its level of innovation as it seeks to conquer new science and technology frontiers to drive its economy. Of course, these technologies will be deployed not only internally but also in many countries and regions where China is implementing various projects.
Moreover, this renewed vigor will increase China’s demand for goods and services, which is a positive development for its global trade partners. As Premier Li Keqiang noted in his delivery of the Government’s work report on Saturday, “the vast, open Chinese market is sure to provide even greater business opportunities for foreign enterprises in China.”
China’s current thinking on the COVID-19 pandemic is also an issue that will be closely followed during the Two Sessions. The country’s unrelenting fight against the pandemic has been hailed by both global health and medical authorities. It is the only country that will likely achieve total suppression of the pandemic this year through its “zero-COVID” strategy. It is instructive that even though it is alleged that the coronavirus originated from Wuhan city in Central China’s Hubei Province, there has been no variant of the disease reported from the country since the pandemic erupted two years ago.
Today, mainland China is arguably the country with the lowest COVID-19 infection rates in the world as a result of its strict anti-pandemic measures. While critics of the latter have accused the Chinese government of high handedness, the accusations have been discredited by the fact that the country was the only major country to achieve positive growth at the height of the pandemic in 2020, and has maintained a strong economic performance amid the scourge.
Experts are of the view that currently when China sneezes, the world catches a cold! The experts are looking at areas where to expect sneezes in order to prepare for the right remedies as recommended by the Two Sessions. For instance, the projection of the Gross Domestic Product at 5.5 percent means that the Government will implement a delicate conservative fiscal policy that includes measures to sustain growth. This will impact on some traditional growth sectors and affect some supply chains with global reverberations.
Contrary to impressions usually bandied to the contrary by the West, a strong China is actually good for everybody. It is like an orchard whose variety of fruits are plucked when in season, benefiting a large number of people for nourishment.
[Stephen Ndegwa is a Nairobi-based communication expert, lecturer-scholar at the United States International University-Africa, author and international affairs columnist]
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