More Dividends Expected from China’s Reform

Wang Fengjuan

Looking at the development of China over 40 years of reform and opening-up， the experience Dr. Oh Ei Sun admires the most is “practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.” In his opinion， the guidance and conviction of the Communist Party of China （CPC） has invigorated the Chinese economy through a number of mind-emancipating practices during reform and opening-up.

On May 11， 1979， Guangming Daily published an editorial titled “Practice Is the Sole Criterion for Testing Truth，” which triggered nationwide debate and prepared the nation philosophically for the upcoming Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee. The article argued that social practice is the only criterion for testing truth， bar none， and that every theory must be put to a test. “This idea has continuously evolved to greater depths in the course of reform and opening-up，” explained Oh， senior adviser for international affairs at the Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute.（ASLI） “This is the key reason I think the CPC is great.”

Remarkable Development

Oh is an eminent Chinese Malaysian with a strong charisma and academic footing. He holds a degree each in aeronautical and mechanical engineering， and another in the German language alongside double masters in science and international management， not to mention Juris Doctorate in Law obtained from his decade-long study in the U.S. He worked for the UN and the former prime minister of Malaysia before joining ASLI.

Oh first visited China in 2000 as a UN worker， during which time he was deeply impressed by the construction sites in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. What he saw there， he recalled， was completely different from what he had thought of China. He found himself in a country vibrant with modern development.

While observing the rapid development， Oh realized that the rise of China would open up plentiful opportunities for the rest of the world and that he could help build a bridge between China and Malaysia for his countrymen to share. With this goal in his mind， he has become involved in many projects including the founding of an internet company to designing a mobile phone platform and teaching in universities. In recent years he has been making dozens of trips between China and Malaysia annually to teach TMBA and EMBA classes in some Chinese cities， and his students now can be found all over the world.

Oh considers Chinas achievements obvious and attributes them to socialism with Chinese characteristics. Under the system， the whole country can be mobilized to work on large projects together. Projects that normally take three years to be completed can be done in one year in China. There are many examples of Chinas ultra-efficiency such as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games， the Shenzhou spacecraft， Beidou navigation satellite system and Jiaolong deep-sea submersible.

“The peaceful rise of China is an indisputable fact，” Oh declared. “In general， the world has responded positively to its role as a responsible major country on the international stage.” Neighboring countries hope that China can boost regional development through multilateral initiatives like the Belt and Road.

Oh has been closely following Chinas economic policies. He determined that the Belt and Road Initiative has been playing a positive role in increasing trade between regional countries and China as well as stimulating infrastructure construction in the region. He hopes that by advancing the initiative China will boost economic growth and peaceful development in the region， which will benefit all parties concerned.

Sharing Chinese Dividends

In the new era the world is undergoing a new round of development and changes. The current technological and industrial revolution has brought humankind both fresh opportunities and challenges. In this context， China has decided to continue with its reform and opening-up， which， according to Oh， will lead the country to a higher quality manufacturing industry and greater innovation.

“President Xi recently announced a package of measures to further open up the Chinese market and increase imports， which has been met with heartfelt support from neighboring countries including Malaysia，” Oh said. He recognizes the significance of Chinas measures in continuing reform and opening-up as well as the strength of its proposals to build a better future together with other countries in Asia and beyond.

“The measures President Xi announced in his opening speech at the 2018 Boao Forum for Asia are important and practical，” Oh opined. “In particular， those on the protection of intellectual property rights will fan a creative fever and fuel innovation to create more opportunities for social development.” He hopes China will continue to serve as the flag-bearer of free trade amid surging protectionism and anti-globalization sentiment， fighting trade protectionism and defending multilateral trade systems. Chinas reiterated commitment to reform and opening-up and its capacity in social governance to accommodate innovation have bolstered the worlds confidence in the prospects of Chinese development in the new era.

Oh believes China will make great contributions to globalization with its experience. “We look forward to seeing China maintain relatively robust economic growth under the CPCs leadership， which has galvanized development in the neighborhood including Southeast Asia.”

Kevin Rudd， former prime minister of Australia and first president of the Asia Society Policy Institute， remarked in an earlier speech that People all over the world now watch the National Congress of the CPC， compared with only researchers and officials 35 years ago. The reason for this change is simple： China is now on the rise. He noted that as China enters the new era， the world places new expectations on it. This remark， as Oh sees it， reflects the international communitys attitude on Chinas development in the new era. For Southeast Asian countries， China is a big neighbor and the worlds second largest economy with which they maintain close cooperation ties. Its development and policies undoubtedly impact the region and the world.

According to Oh， the world has high expectations for continued， stable growth of the Chinese economy and hopes to participate in the countrys new round of opening-up at a higher level. Given its large size， the growing Chinese economy can exert a tremendous influence on other countries. If they are willing to seize the opportunities brought by Chinas reform and opening-up and work should-to-shoulder， every difficulty and challenge will be overcome.