Modernisation of system and capacity for governance - Chinese experience

The New China which was established in 1949 under the leadership of Comrade Mao Zedong has become the world's second largest economic power with creative and innovative practice of Marxism in localised form. As Marxism has its own dynamism, so social contradictions and international situation have impacted principal aspects of contradiction from time to time which had to be solved scientifically. Since adopting the open-up policy, the Chinese leadership has developed Marxism with the pace of time and is going forward to prove the    superiority of socialism over capitalism. After practising of socialism with Chinese characteristics and introducing socialist market economy the Communist Party of China (CPC) under the leadership of Comrade Xi Jinping have anticipated new institutional problems for further development of Marxism. Comrade Xi subsequently has taken initiatives to solve the problems focusing on improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing modernisation of China's system and capacity for governance.

China has always followed the socialist system which has been effective in domains such as politics, economics, military, society and culture. Such a system enables China to overcome significant internal and external challenges. The first developing socialist country has been building a strong, robust and modern public governance system. The socialist government of China with Chinese characteristics brought considerable changes in political, economic and social spheres, transforming the lives of people for betterment.

China's system and development path are effective - and are worth carrying on. Faced with competition in times of globalisation as well as domestic and international situation, China's fundamental system and other basic framework are effective and feasible. Unlike western countries that hold each other's back, China can pool all necessary resources to solve major problems and is capable of dealing with all kinds of challenges. We are observing that China's political, economic, cultural and social systems have integrated and are complementing and coordinating with each other.

This is the foundation for the effectiveness of China's system, which ensures progress for the country, social modernisation and capability to respond to various challenges at home and abroad. China has passed 70 years of tortuous paths; it has accumulated plenty of experiences in modernisation, market       economy, globalisation and is interacting with the rest of the world. The West, which used to lead far ahead or dominate human progress, has been in decline. The clout of the East and the West has changed remarkably and their development paths and systems share a rivalry. The global situation and development roadmap have fundamentally changed. The western system has become gradually obsolete and the western path is no longer the only answer. Many developing countries, including Bangladesh, with background similar to China, can draw on China's experience in their pursuit of prosperity. China's unique path, system and development model can be an alternative for other countries to address problems and challenges they face. China's governance system is unique and its common values and international significance deserve to be studied; it offers lessons for other countries.

After summing up the experience of 40 years of open-up policy Comrade Xi through his experience and farsightedness has identified some deficiencies in governance both in the CPC and the Chinese government. He has expressed his concern and afterward set the mechanism to address urgent policy problems such as inefficient economic development and capacity for innovation, poor environmental protection and adequate social service. Comrade Xi has also given emphasis on governance to break down the barriers of entrenched interests and resolutely removed institutional and systematic obstacles that hinder social progress and development of the productive forces. The best way to overcome the obstacles is to assert CPC's central role and press for comprehensively deepening administrative reform. He also has given important instruction regarding need to centralise governance is aimed at smashing corruption, enhancing party discipline and breaking the stranglehold of bureaucratic formalism.

Comrade Xi has realised these problems on the basis of Marxism and has developed Marxism in localised form focusing on improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernisation of Chinese system and capacity for governance. These ideas have been endorsed in the fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China which was held on October 28-31, 2019 and further develop Comrade Xi Jinping's thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era.

China has been attaching importance to the actual effects of the systems and policies, avoiding blindly following certain system or institution. A system is the combination of a series of roles. The construction of a system should be undertaken keeping pace with the time, should be focused on development, and not simply emphasis the system itself. China has identified that by promoting modernisation of the national governance system and governance capability reduces governance costs and makes governance more efficient. Acknowledging the viability and effectiveness of the systems Comrade Xi has urged further improving those to meet the Chinese people's increasing needs for a better life. He has stressed the need of strengthening theoretical research and public education to help people understand that so long as the Chinese continue to forge ahead along this path they will surely achieve modernisation of China's governance system and capacity. Comrade Xi, who is also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, is firm on advocating improving the country's governance system and capacity to meet development needs in the new era.

China's experiences in national governance have helped the country  to build itself into the world's second largest economy through peaceful development. This process will contribute to world peace and prosperity with China's active participation in global governance. The building of a community with shared future for mankind, an overarching goal for global governance proposed by Comrade Xi Jinping, is a solution China has contributed to improving global governance system based on its experiences in national governance. Since the 18th CPC national Congress in November 2012 China has been endeavouring to actively participate in global governance as the international system is increasingly challenged by protectionism, isolationism and unilateralism.

The system of governance and concepts that China has drawn from its economic construction and reform practices over decades provide good examples for reformers and support for solving many problems the world is facing. On global governance Comrade Xi said in September that as the international balance of power has shifted and global challenges are increasing, reform of global governance system has emerged as a "trend of the time".

Most of the people of the world are deeply impressed with China's coordinated development of economy, society and environment as well as improved administrative efficiency. The effective and successful government system has global significance in terms of institutional design and governance experience. The world's largest developing country can truly offer wisdom to the governance of the world in many aspects, ranging from politics, economy and culture to science, education, public health, environment and poverty reduction. It may be mentioned that China didn't copy the western governance system, but established its own based on its national conditions. Each country has the right to choose its own political system and development path. The western path is not the only answer or solution. Many developing countries, including Bangladesh with similar backgrounds as China, can draw on China's experience in their pursuit of prosperity.

We are observing that China is committed to improving global governance bridging the gap between developed and developing countries and promoting a more fair and reasonable international order. For this reason, the "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI), an innovative endeavour proposed by China for global governance, has attracted widespread participation. Now a major cooperation platform in world, BRI can help boost connectivity and promote common prosperity of the countries participating in the initiative.

Bangladesh emerged as an independent country in 1971 under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with the pledge to achieve economic emancipation of the people as well as establish an   exploitation-free society. As our socio-economic conditions have not changed to the extent necessary to realise the goals of independence, so we are not yet able to change people's fate up to the expectation. China and Bangladesh have different systems of governance and economic policy. On the basis of our prevailing system, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinaasina Hasina has a vision to transform our country into a digital, industry-based modern Bangladesh. In this perspective, Chinese experiences may be suitable in our national interest. Our government has correctly taken initiatives for modernisation and capacity building for sustaining our development programmes and economic growth. So there should be reform in every sphere of our economic policy and statecraft. Western models and our social backwardness may create obstacle to accelerate our development programme and capacity building. We can take the wisdom of China for bridging the gap of our economic disparity, minimising corruption and establishing cost-effective better governance.

Dilip Barua is General Secretary, Central Committee,  Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist)

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