Pacific Islanders, including Tongans, should learn about communism principles so they can better understand China and her foreign policies, says China’s International Department Director Yao Jiannguo.

The call for better understanding was made during a 10-day forum with Pacific Island journalists held in China’s provinces of Hunan, Guangdong and Beijing from October 20 – 29.

Chinese officials said their policies to assist foreign countries including Pacific Islands were “independent” and “peaceful” and there were no strings attached.

They said China believed in the idea of a “global village” and that no country was isolated from any others, despite the distances that separated them from each other.

The Chinese authorities said China could not develop its country successfully without helping countries which were in need.

They said China was still a developing country, although it had been recognised as the second most powerful country in the world after the United States.

Communist Party of China (CPC)

The Chinese leaders attributed the rapid and dramatic economic growth of the nation to the leadership of the CPC and the hard work of its 1.3 billion people.

“Without the leadership of the CPC China would not be able to achieve such great progress within a short period of over 60 years,” Director Yao told the forum.

“So to learn more about China one key is to learn about communism”, he said.

“Why the Party was founded and why the members joined the Party.

“We should facilitate our own ideals. We communist members believed in Leninism and Marxism”.

“We believed that Marxism is a science of interpreting the world. It is a science of changing and developing the world.

“So we are committed to our original mission

“We should remain committed to the path of socialism and Chinese characteristics also we should be committed to the policy requirement of the government.

He said China had proved the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics was the correct path for China. It had contributed for the rapid economic growth in China and also the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

“We should have confident in our own path, institution, theory and culture,” he said.

Because it had been proven in the past that no political parties were perfect, the CPC vowed to continue to carry out reforming initiatives and open up to the outside world, the Director said.

Foreign policy

Vice Minister Guo Yezhou said China and Pacific Island countries were facing important development opportunities.

“The advancement of the “Belt and Road” construction and the implementation of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan have opened up broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Pacific Island countries,” the Vice Minister said.

“Adhering to the path of peaceful development, China actively participates in global economic governance and devotes itself to enhancing the well-being of people from developing countries, including Pacific Island countries. China is willing to further deepen practical cooperation with Pacific Island countries to achieve common development.”

He said China’s policy for the Pacific Islands was genuine because she understood countries which needed help because her people had suffered after the invasion of many countries in the past. Official Chinese casualty figures for the 1937-45 war with Japan are 20 million dead and 15 million wounded.

They believed China’s development could be more successful if it helped poor and other underdeveloped countries to achieve balanced development.

Ma Hui another Director of the Department said China did not have a tradition of invading other countries and this was proof it had no agenda of future invading any nations she is currently assisting.

He said part of China’s foreign policies were based on her cultures and virtues.

“We will not use strong force to win people’s recognition; instead we use our culture and virtue to attract people to cooperate with us,” he said.

“If you want to remember the basis of China’s foreign policies just remember two words, ‘independent’ and ‘peace’.”

He said China’s foreign policy was based on five basic principles.  These were:

1. Respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity
2. Non-aggression
3. Non-interference in each other’s internal affairs
4. Equality and mutual benefits
5. Peaceful characteristics

Independence

“China makes its own decision on foreign policy issues when they arise, so we make our own judgement on the merits of the matter itself rather than something else,” Ma said.

“China doesn’t make up decision because the United States make their decision or because Russia make their decision or because others make the decision, but because it is right, because it is in China’s interest, in the interest of the relevant countries and in the interest of  the global community in general.

“Independent means that we make our decision on our own as things developed. Of cause while making this decision you have to take into consideration many issues.

“If you make a foreign policy you think of your national interest, but that’s not all. You will also have to think about what other countries’ national interests.”

CPC faces challenges

“The ruling Party CPC is faced with many challenges,” Director Yao said.

“If you run a country for a long period of time the leaders, especially senior leaders, may be sluggish, corrupt or incompetent and may be lose contact with the people”, the Director said.

“The CPC has a membership of 88 million and if it does not have a strict rule of discipline the CPC would be in chaos.”

He said the CPC Party has an anti-corruption campaign.

“At the 18^th National Congress of the CPC standing committee held in 2012 CPC we have already dealt with 300,000 party members who have violated the Party disciplines.

“Over 100 ministerial member or even higher level of leaders had been dealt with.

“This include former members of the standing committee of the Political Bureau who were sentence to jail because of corruption.

“So we have zero tolerance of corruption as indicated by the Party discipline

“Anyone who have violated the Party Discipline and national law will be held accountable.”

Editor’s note:

This report is part of a series of stories Kaniva News plans to write up after its editor was part of a 10 day-trip to China at the invitation of the Communist Party of China to the Pacific Island news media. Those who are interested in China’s involvement in the Pacific Islands should expect more stories on this here on Kaniva. Topics will include Communism, Marxism, democracy, socialism, China’s fishing projects in the Pacific, China and the Pacific Tourism,  modernising China’s government system, China’s foreign policies, media in China and many others.

The main points

• Pacific Islanders, including Tongans, should learn about communist principles so they can better understand China and her foreign policies, says China’s International Department Director Yao Jiannguo.
• The call for better understanding was made during a 10-day forum with Pacific Island journalists held in China’s provinces of Hunan, Guangdong and Beijing from October 20 – 29.
• Chinese officials said her policies to assist foreign countries including Pacific Islands were “independent” and “peaceful” and there were no strings attached.
• They said China believed in the idea of a “global village” and that no country was isolated from any others, despite the distances that separated them from each other.

For more information

The Chinese Communist Party International Department: Overlooked yet Ever Present