BEIJING - The Chinese people have stepped forward with more confidence in achieving their two centenary goals and building a socialist country. President Xi Jinping has offered new guidance and arrangements on reaching the country's first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020 to celebrate the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Xi also presented ideas for accomplishing the second centenary goal to build a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the middle of the 21st century in time for the centenary of the People's Republic of China. Since ancient times, writers have recorded the Chinese people's desire to build a moderately prosperous society. After the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Party drew up a four-pronged comprehensive strategy -- building an all-round moderately prosperous society, deepening reform, advancing the rule of law and strict governance of the CPC. The CPC has implemented the development concept, and adopted an overall approach for economic, political, cultural, social and ecological progress. During the past five years, Xi has promised extensive supply-side structural reform, including major tasks such as cutting excess capacity, destocking, deleveraging, reducing costs and shoring up weak areas. Departments under the State Council have canceled or delegated administrative approval power to lower level organs, meeting targets ahead of schedule in a move to cut red tape and streamline governance. Achievements have also been made in judicial, fiscal and tax, state-owned enterprise, military and educational reforms. In the CPC's fight against corruption, crushing momentum has been made in punishing both low-level "flies" and high-ranking "tigers," including Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, Sun Zhengcai and Ling Jihua. The Chinese people are moving closer to their first goal and are looking toward the second centenary goal, while remembering Xi's remark that the people's desire for a better life will always be the country's goal. The 19th CPC National Congress will convene in October. A total of 2,287 delegates have been elected from more than 89 million Party members to gather in Beijing to elect a new central committee. On the path to meeting the two goals, the task remains difficult and risks and challenges continue to exist. China must make comprehensive efforts to prevent and control major risks, alleviate poverty, curb pollution, and deepen supply-side structural reform to push forward sustained and healthy economic and social development. fabric wristbands ukrubber wristbands custom cheapcustom rubber bracelets
File photo shows Seoungju residents chant slogans during a protest against the government's decision on deploying a US THAAD anti-missile defense unit in Seongju, in Seoul, South Korea, July 21, 2016. The banner reads Desperately oppose deploying THAAD. [Photo/Agencies] Even though the Republic of Korea's presidential election is just one day away, the candidates are still debating security matters rather than economic recovery and employment, because the winner will have the tough job of dealing with the security jigsaw on the Korean Peninsula. The US' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system, according to claims, is operational to a large extent. And the likelihood of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducting its sixth nuclear test remains high as the United States threatens to relinquish strategic patience. Seoul needs deft diplomatic maneuverings, not some defensive weapons, to safeguard national security. The ROK's economic prospects don't look good either. The reform proposed by impeached and ousted president Park Geun-hye did little to break the plutocracy, which is still thwarting economic growth. In other words, the paradox that a government requires enough votes as well as financial support to run a country might keep haunting the new ROK administration. The ROK presidential election is being held not only prematurely but also amid fears that a regional conflict could break out at any moment. That THAAD may be combat ready very soon will leave the new ROK president little room to take immediate strategic decisions. In fact, Moon Jae-in of the Minjoo Party, the frontrunner in the presidential race had stressed that the final decision on THAAD should be left to the next government. The Park administration's decision that THAAD can better counter the threat from Pyongyang (and the interim administration's ratification of the move) will make it difficult for the new ROK president to take a different course on national security. Instead of testing its ballistic missiles, Pyongyang held its largest ever live artillery drill on April 25 to mark the 85th anniversary of the founding of its army. That said, Seoul will be simplifying the complex security and diplomatic issues if it places its faith in THAAD and its military alliance with Washington for safeguarding its national security. The paramount security risk facing the ROK is the DPRK's nuclear program, whose longevity has a lot to do with the mixed defense structure in Northeast Asia. Rather than working closely with China, an important party to the global denuclearization efforts, the ROK chose to depend on its military alliance with the US and Japan for its national security. US President Donald Trump has said that he wants a diplomatic resolution to the Korean Peninsula issue despite warning of a major, major conflict with the DPRK. In this context, the ROK could help resolve the disputes surrounding the DPRK nuclear issue. Peaceful handling of the nuclear issue is at the core of the interests of both Seoul and Beijing, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry has reiterated China's strong opposition to the DPRK's nuclear and missile tests. The new ROK president may have an unenviable job on hand, with the country's security and diplomatic situation approaching a turning point. There is hope, though, because strategic patience and delicate maneuverings have not yet exhausted. In this regard, concerted efforts to resume the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the DPRK's border town, restart the tours to the DPRK's Mount Kumgang resort, and recalibrate China-ROK relations would be more than worth the trouble. The author is an associate professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Jilin University.
