Experts highlight CPC’s role in China's rise, global development

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a seminar hosted by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) on Thursday credited the Communist Party of China (CPC) with transforming China into a global economic powerhouse through people-centric governance, long-term planning and merit-based leadership, while highlighting Beijing's growing contribution to global development.

The seminar, titled “China’s Remarkable Socioeconomic Transformation under the Leadership of the CPC and Its Growing Contributions to Global Public Good,” was organised to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC.

Opening the event, IRS President Ambassador Jauhar Saleem described China's development as one of the most remarkable transformations in modern history, noting that nearly 800 million people had been lifted out of poverty while per capita income had risen from around $156 in the 1970s to nearly $13,400 today. He identified meritocracy and people-centric governance as key drivers of China's success, describing Pakistan and China as "partners in peace, partners in progress and development partners."

Professor Gao Jian, Secretary General of Shanghai International Studies University, said China's modernization had followed a path rooted in its own national realities, challenging the notion that modernization must necessarily mean Westernization. He said Chinese governance under the CPC remained focused on collective public welfare rather than individual interests, with policies judged by the extent of public support and societal benefit.

Former ambassador to China Masood Khalid outlined the CPC's evolution since its founding in 1921, highlighting China's systematic five-year planning model as a major factor behind its sustained economic growth. He said successive Chinese leaders, from Mao Zedong to President Xi Jinping, had laid the foundation for the country's peaceful rise and growing role in shaping Asia's future.

Former ambassador Moin ul Haque highlighted China's expanding engagement with the Global South, saying Beijing had evolved from a recipient of international assistance into a major provider of global public goods. He pointed to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Covid-19 vaccine assistance, development financing, scientific cooperation and educational opportunities as examples of China's international contributions.

Chinese Deputy Head of Mission Shi Yuangqiang said President Xi Jinping's vision of people-centred development, global cooperation and disciplined party governance had enabled China to eradicate extreme poverty, expand its transport infrastructure and achieve rapid progress in advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, biomedicine and quantum science.

Describing CPEC as the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, he said it had generated more than $25.5 billion in direct investment and created over 260,000 jobs in Pakistan, reaffirming China's commitment to advancing an upgraded CPEC 2.0 as the two countries prepare to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Commerce Rana Ihsaan Afzal said China's development model demonstrated the importance of combining long-term strategic planning with effective implementation. He urged Pakistan to strengthen local governance, devolve greater economic authority to provinces and districts, and adopt consistent long-term policies to achieve sustainable economic growth.

Concluding the seminar, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem said the central lesson from China's experience was that governance should remain focused on improving people's lives. He said meritocracy, accountability and people-first policies had been central to China's success and offered valuable lessons for Pakistan and other developing countries.