SUN Tzu said the greatest victory in war is that which requires no battle.
Centuries after Sun Tzu, the Chinese leaders are following the revered philosopher in the Art of War, and this is quite evident in the Oct. 1 grand parade at Tienanmen square, during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
We refer to the bold display of modern-day armaments, the roll out of the Dong Feng 41 missiles and the hypersonic multiple-nuclear warhead ICBM that reportedly cannot be intercepted and can reach any part of the United States in case of an armed confrontation.
While China showed the world that it is prepared for war, the underlying essence of its socialism with Chinese characteristics is to win peace and prosperity for itself and for the world. That is the constant message from China in the past decade and a most resounding theme of the celebration.
Ancient China was prosperous because of the Silk Road trade, exporting silk, tea and ceramics to Europe. But it suffered a century of humiliation following defeat from western colonial powers. Social upheaval, civil war, World War 2, and a victorious revolution afforded the nation the resolve to rise from the ashes and after 70 years, it is now a glowing model of peace, stability and progress for every nation to emulate.
The Chinese people have emerged from a life of feudal poverty to prosperity of a mixed economy it describes as socialism with Chinese characteristics under the long-term stability of a One-Party State. The magic formula is stability and balance of state economic planning plus private entrepreneurial initiative.
As a result, China is home to the world’s largest middle-income group of over 427 million people. It lifted out of poverty some 700 million people. Investment in infrastructure has seen China’s high-speed rail reach a mileage of 30,000 kilometers, more than two-thirds of the world’s total.
Watching the day-to-night celebration on television or online, one notes the grand visual finale of the festivities. The amazing fireworks, the mass assembly on Tienanmen grounds forming various symbols and characters readable by aerial video, concluded with a dove that transformed into a symbol of the globe and then showed the characters for New Era.
The new China under President Xi Jinping believes it is leading the New Era for the world to attain global peace and prosperity.
