That China is among the world’s most developed countries and one of the largest economies is no secret.

In fact, China boasts trillions of US Dollars in nominal Gross Domestic Product, making it second only to the United States.

From emerging technologies to climate change adaptive strategies to modern infrastructural developments, China has proved to the world that a shared vision of sustainable growth is achievable through a people-centered leadership; one that focuses on continually improving the living status of the people.

From childhood, I have only learned about China through the media. From the martial arts movies that we enjoyed in our childhood to the reports we currently consume through our local as well as international media outlets, China’s image had always been imaginative to me until I had the chance to experience China’s charm, culture, and development drive first hand when I attended an exchange program organized by the Chinese government among my other industry colleagues.

Infrastructural network

As soon as we left Beijing’s Daxing International Airport for our residential hotel within China’s Capital, my long-lasting impression about China’s status on the global space as far as development is concerned.

The over one-hour ride allowed me an opportunity to marvel at China’s captivating road network featuring by-passes and expressways.

More fascinating was the greening initiative in the form of well-maintained trees characterizing the avenues and streets of China. At every little opportunity we got to move around, we took the sub-way; this, was actually my first time to ride an underground train; quite a memorable experience.

During the rides, I was amazed by the curiosity of the Chinese people about us; they clearly yearned to exchange little casual talks but language was always going to be an issue, so we always left it at just “Ni Hao”, which is the Chinese “hello” greeting. During our two week visit to China, we moved between Beijing, Ningbo, and Jiaxing cities, catching glimpse of significant historical sites as well as some of the facilities that characterize China’s high development status.

Development drive

With a population of over 1.4 billion Chinese citizens, it always got me thinking how the government was able to achieve the amount of quality road networks while balancing the cost of life for its citizens. I found my answer in the governance of the People’s Republic of China under the Communist Party of China (CPC) currently led by President Xi Jinping. “Putting the People First” has always been the driving mantra for China’s sustainable growth.

On this analogy, China’s economic growth and overall development has been driven by the quest of a shared prosperity where the collective national achievement hinges on the need to carry everyone along the development journey; this way, China has managed to eradicate absolute poverty within its borders.

The nexus between China’s history and development

In the book The Governance of China, volume five, President Xi Jinping repeatedly talks about putting the people first as the guidance towards formulating and rolling out of the country’s five-year short term development plans.

This mantra draws from the lessons harbored by the various Chinese historical features and sites such as the famous Great Wall of China and the Red Boat. The Red Boat particularly is quite significant to the understanding of China’s development drive as it served as the birthplace of the Communist Party of China (CPC) back in 1921, thereby setting the country on an onward sustainable development journey.

The story of the red wooden boat and how it has over the time inspired the sustainable development of the People’s Republic of China is one that will last for centuries if not a lifetime.

It is said to have hosted the first National Congress of the CPC on Nanhu River in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, after the initial attempt of the convention was thwarted by imperialists back in Shanghai.

The “Red Boat Spirit” is particularly significant in China’s governance, as it inspired the ideals upon which the CPC party has governed the People’s Republic of China spanning the General Mau Zedong era to the current economic reforms under President Xi Jinping.

China’s space in global development

“Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” is a popular quote by President Xi Jinping which basically underscores the need to protect the environment amidst the clamor for development and economic growth. In his analogy as summarized in his book The Governance of China, the world bears rich resources which need to be utilized for the common good.

This, according to President Xi Jinping, is possible when world leaders would agree and uphold the need to make the global environment conducive for the mankind, as envisaged in the leadership ideals of the People’s Republic of China.

Having managed to eradicate absolute poverty through China’s shared prosperity guiding policy, the Asian vast nation is now on course to assist other countries realize a similar growth pattern through cooperation agreements

Global cooperation

The China-Africa magazine is instrumental in communicating the various areas of cooperation between China and other developing countries.

The emergence of the South-South Cooperation approach has accorded China the opportunity to rub its development oil onto the skin of other developing nations across the world. Based on its belief for a shared prosperity, China is now entering into mutually beneficial cooperation with developing economies with the single objective to make their living environments much more habitable.

In my country Kenya, the cooperation with China has majorly manifested through infrastructural development: The Standard Gauge Railway between Kenya’s Capital Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa as well as the Nairobi Expressway are encouraging illustrative evidence. The Zambia-Tanzania railway is another project that illustrates the impact of the ambitious China-Africa Cooperation approach.

Drawing from my first-hand experience of China’s charm, culture, and development, I believe the global cooperation approach that the People’s Republic of China has adopted under President Xi Jinping will be able to catapult developing countries like Kenya to realize their dream development status.