Besides approving a decision that further erodes democracy in Hong Kong, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) trumpeted the oft-repeated catchword “rejuvenation” at the just concluded biggest political event of the year. China's annual session of Parliament encapsulated the ruling Communist Party’s overriding long-term objective to build China into a truly global power. That goal is inextricably intertwined with the singular purpose of retaining CCP’s hold on power.
The party keeps a tight grip by censoring the digital online space, controlling the news media and locking up those who publicly challenge its line. But it also tries to woo the public by stoking national pride in the country’s growing global clout to justify its continued rule after more than 70 years at the helm.
“By enabling the Chinese nation to make another giant stride toward rejuvenation, the Communist Party Central Committee has delivered impressive results that our people are happy with and that will go down in history,” Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and party’s No. 3 Leader, told its 3,000-member legislature in the Parliament.
In its march for rejuvenation, the Communist Party is marking two centennials. This July will be the 100th anniversary of its founding. And 2049, that of its taking power in 1949. For this year, the goal was the creation of a “moderately prosperous” society. Per capita GDP has topped $10,000, putting China solidly in the ranks of upper-middle-income countries, though the wealth gap between urban rich and rural poor is huge and widening.
The goal for 2049 is grander to make China a global leader in national strength and international influence. As an interim goal, the Communist Party has planned the country’s economy to grow double in size by 2035, which would take per capita GDP to about $20,000. To that end, the National People’s Congress has endorsed the party’s next five-year plan, laying out its economic, military and other goals.
The idea of rejuvenation underpinned not only the appeals of the communists but other revolutionaries and reformers in the early 20th century. But as various forces vied for power and China descended into chaos, Japan invaded and occupied much of the country through the end of World War II. The Communist Party often invokes this “century of humiliation” in its bid to make China strong again. After decades of rapid economic growth, it is closer to achieving its ultimate goal than ever before.
In a bid to rekindle the spirit of rejuvenation, China forced sweeping changes of Hong Kong's election system which entails only "patriots" can run the island city, which was guaranteed a separate system before Britain handed over control in 1997. Chinese Communist Party leaders have decided they are going to vet whoever can run for office in Hong Kong Parliament or the leader of Hong Kong, and they are diluting the role that grassroots-elected officials, who have tended to be pro-democracy lately, can play in selecting Hong Kong's leader.
In the past couple of years, China has seen that the pro-democracy camp has been making gains in elections as the ongoing protests often were large and violent. So Beijing imposed tough national security law a year ago aimed at the protests and now they are taking electoral control in the name of so-called electoral reform. It is going to be guided by a principle that Beijing is calling patriots governing Hong Kong, which clearly means people who favour Communist Party rule.
Though the G7 Nations have demanded that China honour commitments in Hong Kong and “end oppression" against democratic activists after Beijing forced legislation of the city's election system. But the big question is what China rejuvenation would mean for the rest of the world. A military and industrial threat that bully smaller neighbours and steal technology? Will its success encourage some other countries to pursue authoritarian governments and turn away from the democracy espoused by democracies led by America? It is a major challenge for the Biden administration and the rest of the world.
