src='https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2513966551258002'/> Rightways Infolinks.com, 2618740 , RESELLER

Pages

Share This

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Why West misreads new development paradigm

 

A view of Beijing's CBD area. [Photo/VCG] - China Daily/ANN

IN all ancient civilisations, especially in Asia, material and socio-cultural-spiritual development progressed more or less hand-in-hand. Hence, there was generally balanced human progress, even though all the civilisations had their share of shortcomings.

A major disruption occurred with the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Spurred by new productive forces, the Industrial Revolution facilitated epoch-changing discoveries in science and innovations in technology, which exponentially raised many European nations’ capability to generate material prosperity.

As a result, European countries became fabulously wealthy.

However, the European countries used, rather misused, the new productive forces to consolidate their hold on their colonies in Asia, Africa and Latin America. They ruthlessly exploited and pillaged the colonies’ resources, seeking to destroy native cultures and establish European civilisational superiority.

Their fierce internal rivalry, though, led to two horrific world wars, which claimed millions of lives and ruined the economies of both the victims and perpetrators.

Hence, Western nations, despite their superior material wealth, became culturally, morally and spiritually impoverished. Even the birth of the United States was an outcome of the sordid history of colonisation. European powers literally mass-annihilated almost all the Indigenous peoples in the Americas in their lust for land and riches.

The United States, in the last century, contributed to the further explosive growth of productive forces with revolutionary advances in science and technology, especially in computers and the Internet, heralding the “information age”.

Nevertheless, these productive forces, being at the service of an uncontrolled capitalist system, have been misused leading to the extreme concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a minority.

Moreover, US administrations have abjured neither the Western instinct for global domination nor the habit of using their country’s powerful productive forces to launch illegitimate wars.

The importance of the rise of “new quality productive forces” in China needs to be understood against this historical background. Many in the West have dismissed it as just another “buzzword” meant to divert the international community’s attention away from China’s economic slowdown.

However, the concept can be properly understood only in the context of the Chinese leadership’s goal of developing “China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful”.

Seen from this perspective, the new quality productive forces, wedded to people-centric and planet-protective development, could be the harbinger of a significantly different kind of, and balanced, human development.

The rise of new quality productive forces in China will have both domestic and global impacts. It is accompanied by, and is contributing to, positive changes in the West-dominated world order.

For the first time in modern history, China is surging ahead of Europe and the United States in scientific research and innovations in technology, especially in deploying new technologies and innovations.

China’s new quality productive forces are primarily in the areas of new energy, new materials, new hi-tech manufacturing systems and new applications of artificial intelligence.

In terms of the production and use of solar photovoltaic panels and other clean and green energy products, China is far ahead of the rest of the world. In fact, China installed more solar panels in 2023 than the United States has ever built, setting new standards in low-carbon footprints.

Besides, there are more industrial robots in Chinese factories than in any other country. In space and ocean research, too, China is advancing at a pace faster than the West. For instance, it is developing the world’s first quantum communications satellite network. China now ranks No. 1 in science and technology innovation clusters in the world.

While China is making rapid strides in developing its strategic industries, its agriculture and traditional industries are also becoming smarter and more innovative. As a result of the huge innovation-led increases in productivity, quality and efficiency, the Chinese economy is sure to navigate its current challenges satisfactorily.

However, China’s new development paradigm differs from that of the West in the past in one crucial respect: Chinese leaders have time and again emphasised that China will never seek hegemony irrespective of how prosperous it becomes. China is not trying to replace the West in global domination. Instead, it aims to help improve the world order by making it equitable, fairer, more representative and more democratic.

Five features set apart China’s new quality productive forces from the Western template.

First, China has not become the world’s second-largest economy by colonising any other country or by exploiting or stealing other countries’ resources. On the contrary, it has made much of the self-reliant technological advances despite the unlawful sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western countries.

Second, China has not misused its technological prowess by waging deadly wars against far-off countries. As a matter of fact, it advocates resolving disputes through dialogue.

Third, China aims to use the scientific and technological breakthroughs primarily for boosting all-round development so its vast population can lead a high-quality life and the country can achieve common prosperity. It has already lifted about 800 million people out of extreme poverty within a short span of four decades – a feat unparalleled in history.

The fact that the common people are living much better lives, as I have seen during my travels across the country, shows China is committed to using its resources to enrich its human capital, an obligation many Western governments have nearly abandoned.

Fourth, China is sharing its development experiences with other countries so they can learn from them and apply them, if necessary, to boost their development. As a matter of fact, the Belt and Road Initiative shows China is committed to helping build a community with a shared future for mankind.

And fifth, in its 5,000-year history, China has achieved great feats in arts, culture and science and technology, while seeking harmony in society – and in the world at large – although it has suffered many setbacks and foreign aggressions.

Now that China has become a moderately prosperous society in all respects, it views its development propelled by new quality productive forces as a contributor to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and a driving force behind the creation of a better world order.

Most Western observers fail to understand this civilisational wisdom guiding China’s modernisation. — China Daily/ANN

By Sudheendra Kulkarni,  an advocate of India-China-Pakistan cooperation for a New South Asia and was an aide to former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The views expressed are the writer’s own.

Source linkl

Related News


Monday, March 11, 2024

Nagging thoughts? Try this Hawaiian mantra to achieve inner peace

 

Repeating the mantra – I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you – while taking responsibility for a specific situation can help restore inner peace. — AFP

FROM an argument with your partner, to a conflict at work, to a niggling thought that just won't go away, there are many situations that can lead to negative emotions, or even real mental blocks. 

In this case, why not try the Ho'oponopono method? This age-old Hawaiian tradition involves taking full responsibility for your actions and letting go of limiting beliefs to reconnect with yourself and others. Here's how it works.

What started out as an ancestral tradition aimed at resolving conflicts within a community, or even a family, the Ho'oponopono method has gradually evolved into a whole life philosophy, and even a personal development practice. 

But the basic objective remains the same: to eliminate certain limiting beliefs (or memories) with the help of a mantra, in order to regain inner peace and resolve situations considered stressful or conflicts with others. In a way, this life philosophy is based on introspection and empowerment, with the key coming from your inner self and not from others.

What does it promise?

According to the website Hawaiian Dictionaries, the term "ho'opono" can mean "righteous, respectable, correct, upright," or "to behave correctly." But, more precisely, it's a tradition aimed at overcoming certain conflicts (professional), relationship problems (like an imminent breakup) and other difficult situations (like a death) all through the art of introspection.

"Ho'oponopono is the practice of sincere apology and true forgiveness. It is used today by many families, and in the past few decades, it has found its way around the globe," reads an article on the subject by Psychology Today.

When is it useful?

As mentioned above, the Ho'oponopono method is now considered a life philosophy, so there are no limits or restrictions, whether for adults or children. Any unpleasant situation, whether it affects your mind or your emotions, can justify the use of this personal development practice. "When heartfelt, ho’oponopono rectifies and helps heal the person asking forgiveness or all the people involved in the process," explains the American magazine.

How does it work?

While this method is based on a four-part mantra, to be repeated tirelessly to yourself (and in silence), it's not just a matter of saying these words to make yourself feel better and resolve your conflicts – whether internal or relational. 

This practice requires a certain amount of introspection, and is based on an awareness of your own personal responsibility for this or that action or situation .

Once this principle has been grasped, it's time to move on to the famous mantra. This involves repeating the following, over and over in your head – I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you – whenever you encounter a situation likely to affect you. As we've seen, the idea is to eliminate certain beliefs that can trap you in, or even foster, difficult situations. – AFP Relaxnews

Source linklR

You use the mantra, "I'm sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you," to acknowledge and take responsibility for any negative thoughts, actions, or emotions that may have contributed to conflict or disharmony. The mantra helps release these negative elements and transform them into positive, healing energy

Heal your life, get over haunting memories, overcome deep-seated guilt, and let go of generational baggage and negativity through Ho'oponopono Prayer. This beautiful prayer is a traditional Hawaiian practice as a tool for reconciliation and forgiveness across lifetimes. As you repeat or hear this mantra meditation, try to feel it from your heart. Forgive and be forgiven. May your life come to balance through the magic of Ho'oponopono. #Prayer #Meditation #MindBodySoul


R


Related post:


How you perceive stressful situations could help minimise their health impact

R

How you perceive stressful situations could help minimise their health impact

Seeing a stressful situation as a challenge, rather than a threat, can help you avoid suffering both physically and mentally. — AFP

Reframing stressful situations could help minimise health and well-being problems


 FROM mounting workloads to relationship problems, moving house or looming exams, stressful situations come and go, but they all have one thing in common: they can play havoc with your health.

But it all depends on how you view them, a new British study reveals. In fact, seeing stressful situations as challenges, rather than threats, could prove beneficial to physical and mental health.

The figures speak for themselves: the global population is struggling. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly a billion people worldwide were living with at least one mental disorder in 2019, and the situation has since worsened considerably.

The global health authority estimates that the worldwide prevalence of anxiety and depression rose by 25% in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic alone. 

It's an edifying finding, and one that serves as a wake-up call to the importance of taking action to try and curb the phenomenon.

While action is needed on a global and national scale, each of us also has the opportunity to take action, at our own personal level, to better cope with situations that could affect our health and well-being.

So suggest the findings of a new study by researchers at the United Kingdom's University of Bath, who found that the way we approach stressful situations can have an impact on our physical and mental health (or not, as the case may be).

Perception of stress

The study authors started from the simple observation that a person can perceive a stressful situation in two ways. 

They can either feel overwhelmed, and therefore see it as a threat, or they can feel capable of dealing with it, or even managing it, and therefore see it as a challenge.

This can be particularly true in the world of sport, where mindset can influence an athlete's performance.

In fact, the researchers turned to athletes to carry out their research, which is based on "valid and reliable" measures of challenge and/or threat assessment, mental health, well-being, and physical health problems from 395 athletes who responded to an online survey.

Published in the journal Stress and Health, the results suggest that participants who saw stressful situations as threats were at greater risk of physical and mental health problems, compared to those who saw them as challenges.

"We found a convincing link between mental and physical ill-health, and the way a person typically views stressful situations," said study co-author Dr Lee Moore from the Department for Health at the University of Bath, quoted in a news release.

"The more you’re able to appraise a stressful situation as a challenge, the more likely you are to report good health and well-being."

He continues: "Researchers have speculated for the past 15 years that people who repeatedly believe they don’t have the resources to cope in stressful situations are putting their health at risk, but we believe this is the first time the theory has been properly tested, leading to us finding a link between stress appraisals and health."

Although the study was carried out on athletes, its authors believe that the findings are equally valid for the rest of the population. 

They point out that the negative consequences induced by the way stressful situations are approached can range from a simple cold or flu, or even a weakened immune system, to mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression. 

It is hoped that this research will ultimately lead to the improved identification and management of people at risk of health problems due to increased stress.

"Most people will fluctuate in the way they appraise a situation, depending on the details of the specific situation, however, some people are far more likely to appraise all stressful situations as a threat, and this study shows that this tendency is associated with poorer health and well-being," concludes Moore. – AFP Relaxnews

Pullout quote: "The more you’re able to appraise a stressful situation as a challenge, the more likely you are to report good health and well-being." - Dr Lee Moore

SSource linkl

R

Related post:



 Nagging thoughts? Try this Hawaiian mantra to achieve inner peace

 

Re

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Overlooking principles

 


CLICK FOR CONTENTS:

Friday, March 8, 2024

China: Democracy that Delivers

 

Thousands of NPC deputies & CPPCC members gather in Beijing with their proposals about national policies. In a one-hour special episode, CGTN's Liu Xin engages with experts about China's democratic practices, and one mystery guest appears to share insights! #2024ChinaAgenda


Whole-Process People's Democracy from a Global Comparative Perspective

A recent global survey by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies reveals that the value and practice of whole-process people’s democracy have won widespread plaudits throughout the international community.

Developing whole-process people’s democracy is one of the intrinsic requirements of China’s modernization. It is a creation of the Communist Party of China in the process of advancing democratic theories and practices through drawing on the historical lessons of China and the world in governance. Whole-process people’s democracy fits Chinese conditions, as manifested in China’s nationwide vibrant vitality. It also contributes Chinese wisdom to the global promotion of democratic practice.

In 2023, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies conducted a survey in 23 countries across five continents on practice and modern development of democracy in China. Results showed that the value and practice of whole-process people’s democracy has won widespread plaudits throughout the international community.

While “acting” as deputies to the people’s congress, foreigners from the Global Young Leaders Dialogue program experience the solemn exercise of state power on behalf of the people by pressing voting keys on the desks of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress. (Photo: China Today)

While “acting” as deputies to the people’s congress, foreigners from the Global Young Leaders Dialogue program experience the solemn exercise of state power on behalf of the people by pressing voting keys on the desks of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress. (Photo: China Today)

Democracy Takes Root in China

Democracy is a universal aspiration. In light of different social and political conditions, as well as historical and cultural traditions, however, different countries have followed different democratic paths. Upon the end of the Cold War came a call from the international community to follow the Western approach to democracy, which it regarded as “universal,” eternal, and humanity’s sole pathway to a happy life.

Western countries hence exported their particular vision of democracy, which certain developing countries aped. But the result, rather than peace and development, was turmoil. Former Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra once said that many countries had lost interest in Western democracy, rather preferring their own versions, and nor did they buy the Western interpretation of human rights. The loudly overt disinclination on the part of these countries to bow to Western democratic norms strikes a chord in the international community, Hoekstra said.

Results of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies survey showed that 95.7 percent of respondents endorsed the view whereby countries should choose the path to democracy and modernization that is best suited to their national conditions; moreover that variances in countries’ national conditions and stages of development make impossible the Western one-size-fits-all democratic model.

Whole-process people’s democracy has advanced and been formed on the basis of China’s historical traditions, culture, and economic and social development. It embodies the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture. As the world’s longest “continuous civilization,” China boasts more than 5,000 years of history, which embodies the Chinese nation’s most profound spiritual pursuit. It is also imbued with the Chinese nation’s specific world view, values, and conceptions of history, civilization, and democracy. Chinese traditional culture regards people as the foundation of a state which, when solid, endows stability and tranquility upon that state. The people are thus more important than the ruler. Traditional Chinese democratic ideas and aspirations regarding the common good so form the cultural basis whereon the values of whole-process people’s democracy are nurtured.

The survey also showed that the traditional values conveyed by whole-process people’s democracy have achieved recognition throughout the international community. More than 86 percent of those polled endorsed the values of harmony, benevolent government, rule of law, and rule of virtue as most precious and relevant to improving global democratic politics.

Democracy with People at the Center

Democracy is not a decorative ornament, but an instrument for addressing issues that are of concern to the people. Distinguished British journalist, academic and political commentator Martin Jacques has targeted Western democracy with a torrent of questions. Given that many in the West regard their governance system as the world’s best – hence one with which the Chinese system could not possibly hope to compete – why is it that the West is in such a rapid decline? And how has China managed to attain such upending changes over the last 40 years? Don’t the two respective governance systems have impact on such distinctly contrasting trajectories?

The Global Satisfaction with Democracy Report, published by Bennet Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, showed that people in more than 100 countries and regions are dissatisfied with Western democracy, and that 2019, the year the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, reflected the highest level of democratic discontent on record. The reason may be that the malfunctioning Western democracy has resulted in governance failure; hence that Western democracies are suffering a crisis of faith.

Whole-process people’s democracy, meanwhile, requires that the running of the country by the people is specifically reflected in governance policies and measures. Ronnie Lins, CEO of Center China & Brazil: Research and Business, said in 2017 at the BRICS Governance Seminar in Quanzhou that China’s governance model exhibits extremely high efficiency by virtue of the country’s remarkable achievements. China has indeed won the people’s support through state governance that emanates from democratic practice, which is tailored to the people’s interests and needs.

Results of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies survey showed a global belief on the part of respondents that China’s employment of whole-process people’s democracy to improve the state’s capacity for governance and modernize the state governance system stands as testament to the strong practical efficacy of the Chinese democratic system. An average 94 percent of respondents from 23 countries – a 7 percent increase over the previous year – praised China’s capacity for state governance, saying that the country’s highly efficient, stable, and sustainable policy decision-making embodies the modernization level of the country’s democratic governance. A substantial proportion of respondents from developed countries – almost 10 percent higher than that of the previous year – was particularly lavish in their plaudits.

Whole-process people’s democracy lays great store on resolving the contradiction between people’s ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced, inadequate development. It is committed to realizing sound, stable, high-quality development, and ensuring that development results bring the people ever greater benefits. Ong Tee Keat, chairman of the Center for New Inclusive Asia in Malaysia, said in an interview with Beijing Review that China’s democracy is for the people and realized through a goal-driven approach. Substantial improvements in people’s lives, large-scale poverty reduction, and a far higher standard of public health services provide solid evidence that the priorities of the Chinese government are fueled by its pursuit of the people’s wellbeing.

The practical efficacy of whole-process people’s democracy has won widespread approbation throughout the international community. The survey showed that respondents from 23 countries are optimistic about China’s economy. An average 93 percent of them believed that China’s economy shows resilience and high potential, and that it will sustain growth in the long run. They spoke highly also of China’s manufacturing and technological innovation, saying that whole-process people’s democracy has spurred social innovation. More than 90 percent of respondents praised China’s Internet technology, high-speed rail technology, 5G telecommunication technology, infrastructure, and super hybrid rice technology. They believe that China heads the world in technological innovation, and provides its people with high-quality products.

While “acting” as deputies to the people’s congress, foreigners from the Global Young Leaders Dialogue program experience the solemn exercise of state power on behalf of the people by pressing voting keys on the desks of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress. (Photo: China Today)

Foreign young representatives from the Global Young Leaders Dialogue program visit an exhibition about the development history of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. (Photo: China Today)

Holistic Approach to Democracy

Functionally, democracy is supposed to build consensus in society, rather than social division or confrontation. But today, political polarization is rampant in Western democracies. Disputes and confrontations prevail within organizations and communities, and also among different political parties, social classes, and ethnic groups. The State of Democracy in the United States: 2022, published by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March 2023, observed that the United States has fallen victim to the vicious cycle of democratic pretensions, dysfunctional politics, and a divided society. Such problems as money politics, identity politics, social rifts, and the gulf between rich and poor have worsened. A 2024 Gallup poll shows that only 28 percent of American adults are satisfied with U.S. democracy – lower even than the 35-percent satisfaction rate shortly after the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. A record low indeed.

China, meanwhile, after more than 40 years of reform and opening-up, has created two miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability. Whole-process people’s democracy has been instrumental in maintaining long-term social stability. It ensures that the people gain equal benefits from development achievements and enables them to express their demands and concerns in a timely manner. Favorable public opinion thus provides a stable foundation for China’s sustainable development. The Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies survey showed that 92 percent of respondents in 23 countries – almost 5 percent more than in 2022 – regard Chinese society as stable, solidary, safe, and orderly. Similarly positive opinions among respondents in developed countries rose by nearly 10 percent.

Practice has shown that the Chinese people fully recognize and support the role that whole-process people’s democracy plays in realizing the running of the country by the people, and building consensus. This demonstrates China’s institutional strength, as well as the vitality and bright future of whole-process people’s democracy, the latter of which (the survey showed) has greatly improved public confidence in and satisfaction with the government. More than 98 percent of Chinese respondents said that they trust the government, and are satisfied with the country’s democracy and clean government. Over 94 percent of the Chinese people polled expressed satisfaction with social fairness and the environment, and confidence in the Chinese culture. The effect of whole-process people’s democracy is obvious in having heightened the people’s sense of advancement, happiness, and security, as reflected in the opinions of more than 96 percent of Chinese respondents.

Since 2021, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies has organized the Global Young Leaders Dialogue program, under which it launched a global youth salon themed on observing whole-process people’s democracy through Beijing’s practice. Young people from more than 10 countries, including the United States, Italy, Pakistan, Nepal, and Colombia, had an immersive experience of China’s whole-process people’s democracy in the offices of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress, and in the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, as well as in residential communities. In the event, these young representatives from foreign countries “acted” as deputies to the people’s congress where they pressed the voting key, so experiencing the solemn exercise of state power on behalf of the people. They also put into operation the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress online budget supervision system, and were awed at the extent to which big data empowers the people’s congress review of the government budget.

These young foreign representatives believe that China’s democracy consists in a process of building consensus, which entails collecting and fully discussing public opinions, and then reaching consensus. For both mundane matters, such as everyday life issues and transport, and more important ones, like urban planning and implementation of reform measures, the people can express their opinions and make suggestions through democratic channels, thus for administration, legislation and law enforcement to be more procedure-based, democratic, sound, and effective.

There is no one-size-fits-all political system. Each country presents its distinctive values in building democratic systems and advancing democracy. Whole-process people’s democracy is not about exporting Chinese democracy to other countries. Rather, it tells those that are pursuing democracy that each country is entitled to search out the political system and path to democracy best suited to their national conditions. In the future, countries should learn from each other while forging ahead. Both drawing on the experience gained from fine political civilizations and giving full consideration to their national conditions and political practice, countries should take a problem-oriented approach to seeking out a model of democracy that fits their national contexts. Countries should join hands in opening up new chapters in the politics of human civilization.  

By YU YUNQUAN                     

YU YUNQUAN is president of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies.


Two Sessions 2024

Check out our special coverage to explore more news on Two Sessions 2024

By Global Times | 2024/3/7 15:24:45

#GTGraphic: China's annual legislative and political consultative sessions, also known as the two sessions, will open next week. Take a look at the graphics to get some basic information.