New guards in China

It is under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that China today has emerged as a most vibrant and strong nation, and the second largest economy in the world. This phenomenal rise of China in the last three decades is like a miracle. It happened because of CPC's correct and able leadership, its pragmatic policies and pursuit, following Deng Xiaoping's dictum: "Shi shi qiu shi" (seek truth from facts).
CPC did commit some mistakes, but also learnt lessons from them. In the1950s the Great Leap Forward Policy was adopted, which was a mistake, as was the Great Cultural Revolution in 1960s. The decade-long Cultural Revolution seriously hindered progress in China, bringing chaos and disorder and sufferings to the people. It was Deng Xiaoping, the great architect of modern China who, from successive big falls during the Cultural Revolution, rose like the legendary Phoenix from the ashes and lifted China to its present state.
Deng is a second generation leader after Mao, and succeding leaders were all his proteges. Deng charted a dual-track policy of economic reforms and retention of the communist regime. He adopted market economy, and called it socialism with Chinese characteristics. He said: "It does not matter whether the cat is black or white so far it can catch mice." He also said: "To remain poor is miserable, to be rich is glorious." It is interesting that Deng assumed no formal party position except as the Chairman of Central Military Commission (CMC).
Third generation leadership of China includes Jiang Zemin, a Deng protégé who was head of CPC for 10 years. It was during his time that extensive economic reforms took place and China made phenomenal progress in economy and modernisation that surprised the world. The torch of fourth generation leadership was passed down to Hu Jintao in the 16th CPC Congress held in 2002. Hu embraced scientific progress as a means of modernisation. He championed a more balanced growth as the way to creating a harmonious society.
In the 18th Party Congress, apart from confirming 205 members, 171 alternate members and 25 Politburo members, the 2,270 delegates also announced a seven member Standing Committee (since the last party congress in 2003 the number of Standing Committee members was nine). President Hu Jintao has been replaced by Vice President Xi Jinping, who was elected secretary general of the Party. He will be elected president of the country in the National Congress to be held in March next year. President Hu has also handed down the chairmanship of the most powerful party military organ, the Central Military Commission, which his predecessor retained for two years after relinquishing the president's post.
Xi is the son of an old revolutionary, Xi Zhongxun, who was vice premier under Mao Zedong but was purged during the Cultural Revolution. Xi has had a relatively long tenure in rural China. His national image is high as being clean and tough on corruption. His ties with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) are very close as he served in it and his wife is a serving major general, a famous singer and a national celebrity. Xi came to prominence when he was given the overall responsibility of organising the Beijing Olympiad of 2008, which he very successfully accomplished, earning fame and projecting China's high image internationally.
In his first address after getting elected Xi outlined the internal challenges that China faced. He said: "The CPC is increasingly being divorced from the people. There is corruption in high places. There is also increased bureaucracy among the Party officials. These pressing problems must be resolved quickly if the Party is to survive and the country to move forward." Widespread corruption at very high level surfaced in Chong Qing Party chief Bo Xilai's scandal. Xi said: "A large body of evidence has shown us that the issue of corruption is growing more intense and it will kill the Party and the country."
The new leadership has to curb corruption and the growing inequality in income between people and among the regions of China. The distribution of the benefits of development has to be even and widespread and the gap between rural and urban, developed and under-developed, rich and poor has to be bridged. China's economic growth in recent years has slowed down. From a torrid 11% to 13% annual growth it is now 8%, or even less.
President Hu, in his inaugural speech to the Party Congress, unveiled an ambitious plan for China to double its per capita income by 2020. China's per capita income stood $4,260 in 2010 -- close to Thailand's and less than one-tenth of the US' ($47,140). The target of higher per capita income reflects China's aim to catch up with the high living standard of the West and reduce social tensions by providing higher income to the populace.
Many challenges await Xi. He is likely to direct China's economic policy towards more inclusive growth. The great Chinese export machine is losing steam. Europe no longer has purchasing power. Trade relations with the US are deteriorating. China needs to keep its giant economy growing through domestic demand. It has to try to offset its export markets in the developed economies by expanding trade in Asia, which still enjoys some economic dynamism.
China will wait for the right opportunity before turning its yuan into an international reserve currency. Then the yuan will become part of a new regional financial architecture. China has to further beef up the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the less known economic grouping whose members are China, Russia and former states of the Soviet Union. Soon India, Pakistan, Iran and other countries may join the group. Asean, which is currently in the dollar bloc, will be pivotal to China's tie-up. China would like to include it in the yuan bloc and encourage the regional grouping to reduce the traditional alliance with the West.
China will strengthen its military forces, especially the PLA and the navy, more as a deterrent. China rose in peace, believes in peace and pursues peace. It believes in peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and non-interference. But it has its own security concerns.
The world today is seething with unrest, tension and war. There are civil strife, terrorism, ethnic hatred and persecution. There are poverty, hunger and disease. Peace and amity are still far removed, stability is disturbed. Equality, justice and equity are not commonplace.
China comprises one-fifth of all humanity. It has indeed has come a long way in achieving phenomenal economic growth and development. It has eliminated poverty and remarkably improved quality of life of the people. China has played a big role in world peace and stability, and in the progress and prosperity of mankind. The world is understandably focusing on the new leadership in China. It has high expectations. It looks forward to China's even greater role under the leadership of Xi Jinping and his team.
We hope the new guards will lead China to newer heights of peace, prosperity, honour and respect, and also contribute to make the world at large more peaceful, more harmonious and more habitable. The writer had the privilege of meeting Secretary General Xi Jinping in recent years. He is a calm, composed, most passionate and assuring personality, and is always smiling and radiating warmth. I found Premier Zhou Enlai's image in him. He invites admiration and love. I wish Xi Jinping all success. I wish him Godspeed.

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The writer is a former Chief of Army Staff.