Economy, pandemic and democracy: messages from key briefing ahead of China's "two sessions"

Guo Weimin (2nd R), spokesperson for the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), answers questions via video link due to COVID-19 prevention and control requirements during a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, March 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)

BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese spokesperson on Thursday voiced strong confidence in the outlook of the world's second-largest economy, stressed the importance of the country's zero-COVID policy and criticized American democracy, as China entered its annual political high season.

China's long-term economic fundamentals remain sound and unchanged, said Guo Weimin, spokesperson for the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), at a press conference ahead of China's annual "two sessions."

China's economy kept its stable recovery last year, with gross domestic product up 8.1 percent year on year, Guo said when answering questions.

While acknowledging severe challenges facing China due to a more complex and uncertain external environment, Guo said the CPPCC National Committee members and experts are confident that China has the capability and conditions to achieve stable, healthy and sustainable economic development.

China will continue to take solid measures to expand high-level opening up and work to build an open world economy, Guo said.

The foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, hit a record high in 2021, which has shown overseas investors' trust in China's opening-up policies, business environment and development prospects, he added.

The annual session of the National Committee of the CPPCC will start on Friday in Beijing and conclude on March 10. The 13th National People's Congress, China's national legislature, will kick off its fifth annual session on Saturday.

Journalists attend a press conference of the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) via video link in Beijing, capital of China, March 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

CORRECT POLICY

At Thursday's press conference, Guo stressed China's dynamic zero-COVID policy has helped keep the operation of the global industrial and supply chains basically stable.

"Recently, some public opinions overseas suggested that China's anti-COVID-19 approach has affected the global industrial and supply chains, which I think is incorrect," he said.

"It is precisely because China has adopted a correct epidemic prevention policy that we've taken the lead in restoring economic growth and ensuring the basic stability of the global industrial and supply chains," Guo said.

He said both the scale of China's foreign trade and its share of the international market reached record highs in 2021, which injected strong impetus into the global economic and trade recovery.

Official data showed that China's total trade in goods moved up another notch in 2021, exceeding 6 trillion U.S. dollars for the first time, despite the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to weigh on global trade.

Specifically, Guo expected foreign trade to keep running in a reasonable range this year thanks to a solid industrial foundation and strong resilience.

DEMOCRACY NOT A PATENT

The spokesperson also criticized the American democracy, saying that the United States uses democracy as a pretext to serve its own interests.

The purposes for the United States to convene the so-called "Summit for Democracy" are to suppress others, divide the world while maintaining its hegemony, Guo said while answering a question about whether China and the United States are vying for a greater say in democracy.

"Democracy is diverse in its forms, and is not a patent held by a few countries," the spokesperson said. "The democratic systems of countries should be chosen independently by their own people based on national conditions."

Guo criticized some Western countries for imposing their democratic systems on other countries through "color revolutions," which have caused serious disasters.

He also hailed China's whole-process people's democracy and the roles the CPPCC has played in facilitating scientific and democratic decision-making through consultation, oversight, participation, and cooperation.