By Yuan Jiabei Meng Xiangjun
(ECNS) -- The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the 48 Group Club of the UK held a celebratory luncheon on Thursday in Beijing for the 70th anniversary of the “Ice-breaking Mission” in China-UK trade.
The 48 Group Club reiterated that the new generation of “icebreakers” would continue to inherit and promote “ice-breaking” spirit like their predecessors, deepen engagement with China, and try their best to make greater contributions to promoting friendly exchanges and trade development between the two countries.
Stephen Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club, stated that the bilateral economic and trade cooperation has strong resilience and complementation.
Perry has been devoted to pushing forward the UK-China friendship. In his opinion, promotion of the bilateral friendship is both the inheritance of his father Jack Perry’s career and lifelong pursuit.
From Jack Perry breaking the ice of China-UK trade in the 1950s to Stephen Perry calling for global attention to the Chinese modernization, both their efforts have continuously enriched the new era of China-UK friendship.
Stephen Perry has long been committed to observing China's development and progress, and has unique insights into Chinese development and modernization. Recently, he recorded a video speech for the CNS Frontiers in Finance and Economics Conference Mid-2023 hosted by China News Service and organized by China News Network.
Perry said, the Chinese path to modernization is unique, and the first level of modernization completed in under 40 years. He has seen the Chinese people embrace a happier and richer life under the governance of the Communist Party of China.
He believes the Chinese experience is a vital strategic resource for other countries to cope with their own crisis and development. He thinks that some people in Europe didn’t realize what was happening in China. To grasp opportunities for the West and China to share the benefits and cooperate, he suggests the West start motoring at the same speed as China.
Ten viewpoints of Stephen Perry toward China's development
1.The Chinese path of modernization is unique.
In Perry’s opinion, the Chinese path to modernization is unique, and its most distinguishing characteristic is its modern approach with long-time design. He said in the interview that “The Chinese way is the first level of modernization completed in under 40 years. This is unheard of in the history of the world.” He thinks the Chinese modernization is with a plan “very well considered and laid out”, and “its implementation is being watched at every stage so that adjustments could be made”. This is different from the modernization driven by the business which happens in an improperly organized order.
2.Chinese government precisely designs development plans.
As the Chinese modernization is without precedent, Perry thinks the Chinese government has to watch everything very carefully to be sure that all the knowledge is used to make the changes. He took the mechanization of agriculture as an example. It is arduous to realize agricultural mechanization within 40 years. “It tells us that one of the most important things to do, (is to) create an agriculture, which is modern,” he said.
3.The CPC is very capable, smart, and hard-working.
Perry commented that the CPC is “very capable, very smart, very hard-working”, and the CPC “listens carefully to what the people want”. He said in the interview that the Party gets its ideas from the people, and gives them back to the people. It has done its work with the people to get it right, and has brought a happier and richer life for the people.
4.Other countries can copy the Chinese approach to modernization according to local situation.
Perry emphasized that the CPC is very capable, “it draws on a lot of sources in order to get it right.” It is considered a good strategy by him that the model of the Chinese method relies on the people to achieve modernization according to the realities of the Chinese situation. “If those countries learn and take their steps more slowly, then they will find they can copy the Chinese approach to modernization,” said Perry.
5.“Hegemony” isn’t in the Chinese way of thinking.
In Perry’s opinion, the Chinese haven’t inherently thought about “hegemony” and “dominating other countries”. This is deeply rooted in Chinese history. He said the world is moving beyond the “Thucydides's Trap”, and what the world needs is a Community of a Shared Future for Mankind. He mentioned that there are areas with different types of rules and orders, and China isn’t seeking a world imposing pressure and power over others. He believes “the Chinese motivation is to make sure there’s enough wheat in the world for everyone”.
6.U.S.-China relationship is one of the most important in the world today.
Perry thinks the United States is now protecting its position of power, and is beginning to realize it has missed the rise of China. As he pointed out, the Chinese are not going to live under the rules and order of the U.S., but it is important to be aware that China is also not challenging or trying to defeat the U.S. Instead, China wants to work with the U.S. and to solve relevant problems. China and the U.S. “have to trust each other and work with each other”. If the U.S. could realize its future “lies in Americans” and also “in having access and trust with other regions of the world”, the situation of the China-U.S. relationship will be solved.
7.Chinese development stems from self-innovation.
By comparing the situation in China 50 years ago with the situation in the 2020s, Perry suggested that China’s transformation is through stages, and the self-transformation “is changing everything forward”. Talking about 2035 and 2049, he believes China will achieve more progress, as the changes in the past years are unbelievable.
8.China is prepared to make radical changes across the board.
The transformation of China, in Perry’s eyes, is not to modify and reform within parts of an area. Instead, China is prepared to make radical changes across the board. “That’s what we have to make. The world will begin to look at the transformation that China is about to make, and will adopt a lot of it as things go forward,” said Perry. But still, he doesn’t think people in the West will see it for another 10 or 15 years, “They’ll have to see it with their eyes.”
9.Europe has to realize the fast speed of Chinese development and start motoring at the same speed.
Perry said “The solution to the problem of the contradiction between the rate of progress in Asia and in Europe is for Europe to work harder, to become more capable in all the technologies, agriculture, service industries, and education. ” He has observed that in China, the financial services should serve the real economy, but in the West, the real economy “has got a little bit out of control” with the financial services. In his opinion, Europe should accept that China is advancing very fast, or “we will be causing ourselves a problem”.
10.The West and China should cooperate and share benefits.
Commenting on cooperation between the West and China, Perry thinks there are a lot of opportunities to share the benefits, only with the prerequisite that the West starts “motoring at the same speed as China”. He thinks the Chinese history of learning from the West can be an example for the West to learn from China and solve its own issues. This doesn’t necessarily require the West to change its system, as Perry explained.
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