彭家蔚 | Move Faster to Create a New Development Dynamic

嘉宾简介：

       彭家蔚，中国外文局美洲传播中心移动产品部编辑记者。硕士毕业于英国牛津大学电影美学专业并获一等荣誉，本科毕业于美国波士顿学院英语语言文学专业并获优秀毕业生奖。

英文文本：

In recent years, we have witnessed a backlash against economic globalization and profound changes affecting the international economy. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated opposition to globalization, and many countries have now become more inward-looking. During the epidemic, I visited several provinces to gain an in-depth understanding of their measures to contain the virus and the problems in reopening the economy. During my visit to Zhejiang Province, I found that global industrial and supply chains had been partially disrupted due to the pandemic. This had directly impacted the domes- tic economy. Many companies were forced to suspend operations because they could not bring in the raw materials and personnel they needed or send their goods overseas. I realized just how much things had changed; the environment and the conditions that had facilitated large-scale imports and exports were no longer in place.

Given these new circumstances, we needed to come up with new thinking to steer development. Accordingly, in April last year I proposed that we create a double development dynamic. At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in October 2020, we adopted comprehensive measures to launch this strategy. The establishment of the new development dynamic is a strategic and proactive step for taking the initiative in development, a major historic mission that must be fulfilled in the new development stage, and an important measure for applying the new development philosophy.

As a socialist country with a large population and a vast market, China is certain to encounter various pressures and challenges in the process of modernization, the likes of which no other country has ever experienced. In 1936, Mao Zedong made an observation that still holds true for us even today. He said, “No matter how complicated, grave and harsh the circumstances, what a military leader needs most of all is the ability to function independently in organizing and employing the forces under his command. He may often be forced into a passive position by the enemy, but the important thing is to regain the initiative quickly. Failure to do so spells defeat.” “The initiative is not something imaginary but is concrete and material.”

If we can, through our own efforts, ensure that the flows of the domestic economy remain unimpeded, we can effectively shield ourselves from harm. We will then have the vigor and vitality not only to survive but to thrive in the most volatile international situations, making it impossible for anyone to keep us down or to back us into a corner. We must speed up our efforts to create the new development dynamic, so that we will be better able to survive, compete, and maintain sustainable development, whatever challenges or difficulties we encounter, whether anticipated or not. This way, we can ensure the course of national rejuvenation is never delayed or interrupted.

In practice, there are some misunderstandings that we need to guard against.

Firstly, some people tend to speak only about the first part, that is, the domestic economy as the mainstay of the new development dynamic, and call for China to sharply narrow its opening to the outside world.

Secondly, some others speak only of the latter part, or the mutual reinforcement between the domestic economy and international engagement, and still subscribe to the old dynamic of large-scale imports and exports with both ends of the economic process – markets and resources – being located abroad, despite the changes to the international landscape.

Thirdly, sticking to one's own line and focusing only on one's own sphere of interest is also a mistake. Some are neglecting the building of a unified national market with a nationwide economic flow, preferring instead to focus on their own local or regional market.

Fourthly, some have equated unimpeded economic flow with smooth logistics and are focused only on this basic level of circulation.

Fifthly, in resolving technological bottlenecks, some people want to do everything themselves, which results in redundancy, or heedless of unfavorable conditions such as a weak industrial base, they tend to carry out extravagant projects that will ultimately fail.

Sixthly, in working to boost domestic demand and expand the domestic market, some people have once again resorted to blind lending to expand investment, and over-stimulating consumption, or even have reverted to energy-intensive and high-emission projects.

Seventhly, some are concentrating on demand-side management at the expense of supply-side structural reform, making it impossible to achieve a higher-level, dynamic equilibrium in which supply promotes demand.

Eighthly, some think that the new development dynamic is a matter for the economic and technology departments and hardly concerns them.

All of these mindsets are inadequate or even erroneous; we must guard against them and rectify them should they arise.