XiJinpingThoughtonSocialismwithChineseCharacteristicsforaNewEraisafundamentalguideline:Nigerianscholar_GuangmingOnlineXiJinpingThoughtonSocialismwithChineseCharacteristicsforaNewEraisafundamentalguideline:NigerianscholarAviewoftheGreatHallofthePeopleinBeijing,capitalofChina,March5,2022.(Photo/Xinhua)TheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)inthe20thcenturysuccessfullyledChina,theworld’smostpopulouscountry,tofreeitselffromtheoppressionofcolonialism,feudalism,andbureaucraticcapitalistmonopolismandestablishedasocialistsystem,makingoutstandingcontributionstotheliberationofpeopleallovertheworld,especiallythoselivinginthedevelopingworld.ThereformandopeningupinitiativemarkedanothergiantleapforwardfortheCPC,transformingChinafrombackwardnesstothesecondlargesteconomyintheworld.Chinawasalsothefirstdevelopingcountrytowageadecisivebattleagainstanderadicatedabsolutepoverty–overtheyears,numerousdevelopmentmiraclesofthecountryhavestunnedtheworld.Whilecelebratingthesegloriousachievements,it’simportanttonotethatsinceenteringthe21stcentury,andespeciallysincetheseconddecade,thechangingdynamicoftheCPC,ChinaandtheworldhasposednewgovernancerequirementsfortheCPC.Atthesametime,tocontinueChina’sdevelopmentmiracles,theChinesepeoplemustcontinueemancipatingtheirmind,seekingtruthfromfact,andexploringnewgovernanceapproachesfromitsownrealities.The18thCPCNationalCongressin2012wasalandmarkcongressasitsortedouttherealchallengesChinafacedanddrewtheblueprintofgovernanceforthenextstage,kickingoffanewdecadefortheCPC.AftertheCongress,undertheleadershipofthePartyCentralCommitteewithComradeXiJinpingatitscore,theCPChasmaderemarkableachievementsinmanyareas,includingstrengtheninginternaldiscipline,boostinghigh-qualitysocio-economicdevelopment,andpromotingthedemocratizationofinternationalrelations,whichhighlightedtheimportanceoftheCPC’sscientificanddemocraticgovernancetoChina’smodernizationandtoworldpeaceanddevelopment.Inthisprocess,XiJinpingThoughtonSocialismwithChineseCharacteristicsforaNewErawasformed,asafundamentalguideline,ithasreflectedtheCPC’sexplorationinmodernizingitsgovernancesystemandcapacityathomeontheonehand,andactivelyparticipatinginglobalgovernanceontheother.ItisforthisreasonthattheThoughtwasestablishedastheguidingideologyoftheentirePartyatthe19thCPCNationalCongress,andthenewcompassfortheCPCingoverningthecountry.DisciplinewithinthePartyistheprerequisiteforChina’sgovernancereformsinthenewera.Historyhasshownwithcountlesscasesthatanypersonorpoliticalpartythatsitsonthelaurelitsachievementinthepastwilleventuallybeabandoned.SomeAfricanpoliticalpartiesthatledtheAfricanpeopletovictoryintheirstruggleagainstimperialismandcolonialismlosttheirrulingpositionsbecausetheirideasororganizationsdegeneratedandwereeventuallyphasedoutoverthecourseofAfrica’stransformationanddevelopmentaftertheColdWar.AstheleadingcoreofChina’smodernizationdrive,thecorruptandprivilegedfewwithintheCPCmustbepromptlyeliminatedsoastoenhancetheParty’scredibilityinthesociety.Afterthe18thCPCNationalCongress,GeneralSecretaryXiJinpinghasvigorouslyintensifiedtheself-disciplineofthePartyandaddressedthisissuethrough“self-revolution”.Byremovingdisciplinaryoffendersfromtheleadershipranks,Partyorganizationsatalllevelshavebeenstrengthened.TheCPChasdemonstratedtotheworlditscouragetofaceproblemshead-on,itsdeterminationtosolvethemanditswisdomtoreflectonthem,andthat’showthefirmfoundationisreconsolidatedfortheCPCtoleadthenationforward.ChangeswithinthePartyhelpedmatchtheParty’sgovernancecapacityandsystemwiththerequirementofChina’sdevelopment,whichhasalsosetthestageforgreaterdevelopmentinothercriticalareas.China’ssustainableandinclusivesocio-economicdevelopmentdemonstratesitsstrongresilienceinthenewera.Eradicatingabsolutepovertyisnotonlyacommonchallengefordevelopingcountries,butalsoanimportanttargetoftheUNSDGs.Althoughmanydevelopingcountries,includingsomeinAfrica,havebeenabletomaintainrelativelystableeconomicgrowth,thereisaseriousdisconnectbetweengrowthanddevelopmentandaweakresistancetorisks,whichhighlightstheneedforsustainableandinclusivedevelopment.Oneofthekeytransformationspoweredbythe18thCPCNationalCongresswasthathigheconomicgrowthwasgearedtowardshighqualitygrowth.Underthenewdevelopmentmodel,economicgrowthissynchronizedwithlivelihoodimprovement,environmentalprotection,socialequityandjustice,aswellascoordinatedregionaldevelopment.Inclusivedevelopmenthasenabledeveryindividual,groupandregiontobecomeawitness,participantandbeneficiaryofsocio-economicprogress,andthat’swhyChinamanagedtobuildamoderatelyprosperoussocietyinallaspects.ThesustainabilityofdevelopmenthasenhancedChina’sabilitytowithstandandmanageinternalandexternalrisks.China’ssteadysocio-economicgrowthwasnothaltedbyeithertheunilateralistactionsofsomewesterncountries,ortheongoingCovid-19pandemic.Quiteonthecontrary,China’sachievementsareboundtoinjectmoremomentumtoglobalrecoveryinthepost-Covideraandcontributetothehumanquestforpeaceanddevelopment.China’swin-winapproachinglobalgovernancedemonstratestheimageofChinaasaresponsiblepowerinachangingworld.Atpresent,westernpowersarewieldingthestickofunilateralismandprotectionismforgeopoliticalgains,andCovid-19,climatechange,terrorismandtheRussia-Ukraineconflicthaveaddedtotheuncertaintyoftheworld.Theconventionalglobalgovernancesystemhasincreasinglyproventobeunfriendlytodevelopingcountries.Astheworldstandsatthecrossroads,PresidentXiJinpingdescribedthechangingdynamicas“unprecedentedchangesofthecentury”andhasintroducedthecureofthe“BeltandRoadInitiative”(BRI)andtheGlobalDevelopmentInitiative(GDI)inbuildingacommunityofsharedfutureforall.Unlikethewesternthinkingofcompetition,confrontationandzero-sumgames,China’sproposalsarecenteredonequalityandwin-wincooperation,whichembodythetraditionalChinesephilosophyofpeaceandbenevolence.ThefactthatChina’sproposalshavebeenwelcomedandsupportedbyAfricaandthedevelopingworldhighlightsthesignificanceofChinesewisdominpromotingSouth-SouthcooperationandNorth-Southdialogue.ContributedbyCharlesOnunaiju,DirectoroftheCenterforChinaStudies(CCS)inNigeriaEditor:ZhangZhouDisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.