The Tribune

By H.E. Yan Jiarong

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas

NEARLY 100 Bahamian representatives from various sectors visited China this year, supported by the Chinese Embassy. Most of them were impressed by China's rapid development, high technology, and its unique development path.

I always told them that The Bahamas is most welcome to board the fast train of China's development. As a Chinese saying goes, "A single tree does not make a forest." China does not seek modernisation for itself alone but strives for shared prosperity with all Global South countries.

In this turbulent world full of unpredictability, China has been providing stability and certainty. Not long ago, the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully held in Beijing. The session reviewed the major achievements in implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development was adopted. The document outlines a top-level strategic design for China's development over the next five years. It also brings new opportunities and confidence to the world.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China committed to high-quality development and achieved major successes.

China's remarkable achievements are rooted in the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China. They also stem from the Chinese people blazing a development path suitable for China. The strength of "China's Governance" lies mainly in two key pillars.

First, the centralised and unified leadership of the CPC provides a stable political environment for China's sustained and rapid development, ensuring each blueprint is carried out to the end without flip-flopping. During critical times, such as a pandemic and disaster response, the CPC's centralised and unified leadership enables efficient coordination and resource mobilisation. Simultaneously, the CPC fully promotes democracy by extensively incorporating opinions and suggestions from other political parties. The CPC strengthens full and rigorous Party self-governance and continuously advances the fight against corruption.

Second, the Five-Year Plan is a prominent advantage of "China's Governance." The Five-Year Plan is a comprehensive, top-level strategic blueprint for economic and social development formulated on a five-year cycle. The planning mechanism allows China to adopt a long-term perspective, strategically deploying key industries and basic projects. Each Five-Year Plan includes continued, adjusted, and newly added indicators. This long-term approach, which strikes a balance between consistency and adaptability, reflects China's robust national governance capacity.

The 15th Five-Year Plan marks the beginning of a new era of high-quality development. In the next five years, China will advance deep reforms and high-standard opening up with greater intensity, focusing on the following major objectives: high-quality development; scientific and technological self-reliance and strength; deepening reform; cultural and ethical progress; improvements of livelihood; green growth. By 2035, China’s per capita GDP will be on a par with that of a mid-level developed country, and socialist modernisation will be basically realised.

Partnering with China means partnering with opportunity. Over the next five years, China's industrial upgrading and technological advancement will create more opportunities for The Bahamas to grow its economy and improve livelihoods.

The Bahamians who have visited China recognised broad potential for cooperation in direct trade, new energy vehicles, food security, digital economy, and disaster prevention and mitigation. Both China and The Bahamas firmly support multilateralism, uphold international trade order and rules, and share aligned goals in promoting sustainable development and jointly addressing global challenges.

As a good friend and partner of The Bahamas, China will take the 15th Five-Year Plan as a new starting point to strengthen cooperation, enhance synergy of development strategies, expand shared interests, and advance together on the path of common prosperity and progress.