China's Proposed Path of Progressive and Fair Development Becomes the Focus of Global Modernization — An Interview with Gennady Zyuganov, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation
G.A. Zyuganov, male, born in 1944, is a native of Oryol Oblast, Russia (USSR) and holds a Doctorate in Philosophy. He is currently the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), the leader of the Communist Party faction in the Russian State Duma, and the leader of the Union of Communist Parties—Communist Party of the Soviet Union (UCP-CPSU), a regional association of communist parties. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Zyuganov led the reconstruction of the CPRF. Since the Party’s re-establishment, Zyuganov has consistently led Russian communists in their struggle to critique and indict capitalism, resist the "neoliberal" reforms carried out in Russia, and strive for the restoration of socialism in Russia. In addition to his identity as Chairman of the CPRF Central Committee and a renowned Russian political activist, Zyuganov is a Doctor of Philosophy who has authored numerous monographs and political essays. To date, Zyuganov has published over 80 works, including The Drama of Power, The Great Power, October and Modernity, Foundations of Geopolitics, Globalization and the Fate of Humanity, Russia Under the Gun of Globalism, The Turn of the Century, Builders of a Strong State, On Russia and Russians, Loyalty, Forward, Stalin and Modernity, and On the Eve of Dawn, many of which have been translated and introduced in other countries.
In November 2012, the 18th National Congress of the CPC explicitly stated: "Humanity has only one Earth, and all countries share one world," and "We should promote the awareness of a community with a shared future for humanity." In September and October 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping successively proposed the cooperation initiatives of building the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road." China’s proposal of the "Belt and Road" Initiative (BRI) immediately garnered attention from the international community, including Russia. Russia actively supports the BRI, and relations with China have continued to deepen. On June 5, 2019, the heads of state of China and Russia decided to elevate bilateral relations to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for a New Era"; on the same day, China and Russia signed the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Developing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for a New Era and the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Strengthening Contemporary Global Strategic Stability. To date, it has been over ten years since the BRI was first proposed. How do contemporary Russian political activists understand and evaluate Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, including the BRI and the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity? To this end, we conducted an exclusive interview with G.A. Zyuganov, Chairman of the Central Committee of the CPRF and leader of the Communist Party faction in the Russian State Duma.
I. China's Achievements Expose the Fabrications of the Imperialists
▲ (Interviewer, same below): Chairman Zyuganov, hello! Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to accept our interview. We have noted your view that China is undergoing epochal changes: in the concluding year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China has proposed grand new objectives; China's achievements directly affect the entire world; and of great importance is that on the international stage, China supports common development, advocating for a transition from hegemonism to equality and from unipolarity to multipolarity. You have suggested that the greater China's influence in the world, the closer we come to realizing these objectives that meet the requirements of the times. Please tell us how you formed these views.
● (Interviewee, same below): Certainly. It is clear to all that Western-centrism has brought many disasters to humanity. It successfully imposed a lie upon the people of many countries—namely, that the Western path of development is the best and only correct one. Relying on this lie, capitalist elites easily resolved the task of expansion for themselves.
Thus far, in addition to exerting economic influence on other countries, the global oligarchy has supplemented its methods with a series of others, including exerting influence over education and mass culture through global media, and pushing "humanitarian projects" that are subversive in nature toward sovereign regimes. Through these mechanisms, influential compradors [1] are cultivated within non-Western societies; these compradors then use their capacities to thrust their own countries into the "warm embrace" of global capital.
The results are tragic. The resources of dozens of countries have been plundered, they are entangled in the noose of debt, and their cultural and educational systems have collapsed; consequently, these countries have lost true sovereignty. Even my homeland (referring to the Soviet Union—Ed.) embarked on a highly dramatic path orchestrated by imperialist countries led by the United States. In 1991, she was forcibly divided into 15 parts—15 parts that were weak, dependent, afflicted by various serious illnesses, and bowing and scraping to Washington. To this day, the destruction of the Soviet Union continues to have an extremely negative impact on the lives of our people. In Ukraine, controlled by NATO, the flames of war are raging. Moldova, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia are all unsettled. This is because the root causes of the crisis have yet to be eliminated, and the proper conclusions have yet to be drawn.
The West also prepared an even more tragic script for China. In the 1980s, the ideological trend of "total Westernization" [2] surged in China. Leaders of the CPC Central Committee, such as Deng Xiaoping, recognized this developmental trend and its catastrophic consequences in a timely manner. After China implemented the policy of reform and opening up, it continued to advance along the socialist road. Any change made in China must first undergo meticulous and comprehensive analysis; implementation only begins if these changes conform to the characteristics of the country and its people. This is the wisdom of "crossing the river by feeling the stones" [3].
Despite the many lessons that should have been learned, Western-centrism remains stubborn. Because of this, in international politics and media, those significant events occurring in the United States and Europe receive an extraordinary level of attention. They describe Donald Trump’s return to power as a decisive factor for the fate of humanity. Some describe it from a negative perspective, others from a positive one, as if the imperialist policies of Washington would undergo a fundamental change due to a change in personnel. Of course, there may be some adjustments in the behavior of global capital, but these are tactical; the goals of the global oligarchy themselves will not change. The U.S. pursuit of hegemony has not changed in the slightest. When Trump promises to "Make America Great Again," he is largely calculating to achieve that goal at the expense of other countries.
In Russia, as elsewhere, there are those controlled by illusions. They hold their breath, listening to Trump's every word and observing the twitch of his eyebrows, ready to draw "profound" conclusions after a faint grunt of disdain from the American president—this is the theme of many articles and television talk shows.
International politics and media pay much less attention to China's developmental process. We Russian communists see this as a strange and monumental oversight. Trump cannot fundamentally change the strategic direction of the U.S. and the West as a whole, but China can. This is directly related to what is happening on Earth. The emergence of the term "Global Majority" is not accidental. Today, the vast majority of countries in the world advocate for a qualitative improvement in international politics, believing it is necessary to discard hegemonism and establish a fairer international system. Combining the political aspirations of these countries with China's growing economic power can change many things in our world.
There is a clear imbalance in the reporting of today’s significant events and processes. What is the reason for this? In Russia, this is mainly because many of those who manage our information policy still hold deep-rooted Western-centric mindsets. They secretly hope to restore the friendliest possible contact with the United States and the EU, while maintaining a more exclusionary stance toward China and other countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Why is this so? On the one hand, Putin's Munich speech [4] demonstrated a policy of defending Russian sovereignty; on the other hand, there are still many people in important positions in Russia who once "celebrated with hats in the air" [5] over the destruction of the Soviet Union. Although the West has been intensifying its aggression against Russia in recent years, these people refuse to admit their mistakes, still view socialism as the enemy, and are prepared to align with the West again under any conditions, even undignified ones.
The CPRF resolutely disagrees with this! Moreover, the Russian people do not agree! The Russian people approve of having true sovereignty. To further improve Russia’s information policy, the CPRF has exerted much effort. To this end, we utilize our prestige in society, the parliament, information media, and all other possible means. We clearly state that China’s policies deserve high attention. This is especially important now, as the world stands at a fateful crossroads. Humanity is at a moment of choosing its path: either submit to cold, ruthless Western capital, or achieve true independence. In the first scenario, the world will long fall under the "pyramidal" rule of imperialist countries led by the U.S.; in the second scenario, if the people of all nations defend their independence, an alliance of equal nations may be established.
▲ How, then, can we objectively analyze these important issues?
● To do this, one must expose a series of "myths" spread in the information world. One such myth claims that China has exhausted its potential for rapid development and is beginning to lag behind, while other countries like India are catching up. As confirmed by those acting behind the scenes, the Chinese economy is closely linked to Western economies, and today the Chinese economy is suffering losses because of these links. They self-importantly believe that Washington’s measures—including raising import tariffs, withdrawing manufacturing from China, and establishing "semiconductor alliances"—will cause irreparable harm to China. But this is a lie from start to finish. First, the size of India's economy is currently only one-fifth that of China's; even if India's economy grows at its current rate, it would take decades for it to approach China's scale. Second, the West's dependence on China is much greater than China's dependence on the West. The increase in trade deficits proves this. Chinese customs statistics show that the U.S. trade deficit with China reached a record $361 billion in 2024. In 2024, the U.S. purchased $525 billion worth of goods from China (an increase of 4.9%) but only sold $164 billion worth of goods to China (a decrease of 0.1%). The trade situation between China and the EU is similar. Data released by Eurostat shows that in 2024, EU countries sold 213 billion euros worth of goods to China but purchased 518 billion euros worth of goods from China. Indeed, exports remain important for China's economic development. Among China's employed population, a significant proportion is directly or indirectly involved in export-related work. However, whereas 20 years ago the total value of foreign trade accounted for 60% of China’s GDP, that indicator has now fallen to just over 30%, replaced by the promotion of domestic production, trade, and consumption.
Upon closer inspection, the "theory of Chinese economic contraction" is also collapsing. We have heard much talk about a "soft landing" or even a "hard landing" for the Chinese economy. Such talk surfaced during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, the 2008 international financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, but every time, China’s response was to emerge stronger, thereby bringing disgrace to all critics and skeptics. It is the same now. According to consolidated data for 2024, China's GDP grew by 5% compared to the previous year. Specifically, the value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size grew by 5.8%, while the value-added of high-tech manufacturing grew by 8.9%. We can compare this with the United States and the EU. In 2024, U.S. GDP grew by 2.8% over the previous year. The EU’s GDP grew by less than 1%. If we pull back for a "long-distance" analysis, the gap is even wider. Over the 40-plus years of implementing reform and opening up, China's economy has grown at an average annual rate of 8.9%—an achievement no other large contemporary economy can match. In other fields, China has also achieved remarkable successes; in 2024, total national grain output reached a record...
...100 million tons, while per capita disposable income grew by 5.1% in real terms over the previous year, and the surveyed urban unemployment rate also declined. From the perspective of international trade, China has become a major trading partner for more than 150 countries and regions—a number that continues to trend upward. According to Chinese customs statistics, the total value of China's imports and exports reached 43.85 trillion RMB in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 5%, hitting a new historical high. China's position as the largest nation in trade in goods is firmer than ever.
For a long time, China has been the engine of global economic growth. In recent years, China's contribution rate to world economic growth has remained around 30%. It is precisely for this reason that the American ruling class is hostile toward China. This ruling class falls into states of hysteria from time to time, and various anti-China fabrications are the consequences of such hysteria. However, anyone who grasps the real data will not be misled by the delusions of the imperialist countries led by the United States.
II. Uphold Principles and Accomplish Development Tasks
Interviewer: China has achieved great success, but this does not mean we have a smooth road to the future ahead of us. China is an essential component of world politics and economics; such a country cannot stand apart from the trends of economic globalization. Please discuss how China should respond in this context.
Zyuganov: First, it must be stated that the aspiration of the United States and its vassals for global dominance is a contemporary reality. In the strategic documents of all NATO countries, the Communist Party of China is listed as a primary threat. The fact that Republicans have now taken power in the U.S. has changed this not one bit. The new U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said bluntly: "China is the most powerful and dangerous adversary the United States has ever faced." U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has incessantly hyped the "China threat," launching verbal attacks on the Chinese military and Chinese-funded enterprises. He has even declared that the U.S. must forcefully deter "threats in the Western Hemisphere" from China to prevent a so-called "outbreak of war."
China's future destiny depends on whether it can establish an effective defense system and launch a counter-offensive; this will also determine the situation of the entire world, including Russia. Ignoring "China's response" would be a grave mistake with negative consequences and significant losses. Currently, China is in a very responsible stage of development. The 14th Five-Year Plan [6] is approaching its conclusion; its task is to adapt the Chinese economy to increasing global volatility and respond to external challenges. Next, China will launch a new Five-Year Plan to accomplish goals no less important than those of the 14th. Furthermore, the "Made in China 2025" [7] action plan will conclude in 2025, which necessitates a detailed seminar on the achievements made and further development.
Interviewer: How do you view China's achievements and its future development plans?
Zyuganov: The direction and path of China's comprehensive development are determined at the National Two Sessions [8] held annually. The "Two Sessions" refers to the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which usually meet in March. During the 2025 Two Sessions, a series of important reports were released, and the tasks China is to complete in 2025 were deliberated and decided upon. For instance, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council delivered the Government Work Report, and heads of relevant departments delivered reports on the plan for national economic and social development, as well as reports on the central and local budgets.
Key issues in these reports regarding the general requirements and policy orientation for economic and social development in 2025 deserve special attention. First, developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions and accelerating the construction of a modernized industrial system. In 2025, the budget for science and technology expenditure is 398.119 billion RMB, a 10% increase over 2024. Second, the national defense budget grew by 7.2% to 1.784665 trillion RMB, or approximately 250 billion USD. Third, the plan is to maintain the GDP growth rate at a level of 5%. To this end, special attention will be paid to "industries of the future," particularly bio-manufacturing, quantum technology, embodied intelligence, 6G, and other sectors. Fourth, measures to boost consumption are regarded as a key element of national development. Domestic demand is viewed as the primary driver and "stability anchor" for economic growth. Accordingly, the general price level will be kept within a reasonable range, with the 2025 target for consumer price increases set at around 2%. Fifth, China will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace and engage in constructive interaction with other countries. While opposing the hegemony and power politics of individual nations, China consistently maintains its willingness to open up to the outside world and reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding international fairness and justice. Sixth, it is emphasized that national development will proceed according to the general strategy of the Party Central Committee, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.
The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, to be held in the autumn of 2025, will undoubtedly be a particularly important meeting. At this plenum, the preliminary plan for the next quinquennium will be deliberated. The specific timeframe for the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development is 2026 to 2030.
Based on previous major events in Chinese political life, one can form a general outlook on China's primary development directions and concepts. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee held in July 2024 provided important material for this reflection. The session reviewed and adopted the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization (hereinafter referred to as the Decision). The Decision focuses on deploying major reform measures for China over the next five years, proposing more than 300 important reform measures. The Decision points out that the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core "has had the courage to charge into deep-water zones, tackle tough issues, and navigate dangerous shoals [9], resolutely breaking down institutional and mechanistic barriers in all areas, realizing a transformation of reform from local exploration and breaking the ice to systemic integration and comprehensive deepening... pushing our country onto a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. The current and future period is a critical stage for comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization." The necessity for the CPC to keep pushing reform forward can be explained by the complex international and domestic situation, the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and the need to meet the new expectations of the masses. It must be emphasized here that without appropriately responding to contemporary challenges, it would be impossible to uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, modernize the national governance system and capacity, sustain the steady and long-term progress of the cause of the Party and the state, and meet the needs of the masses.
Interviewer: You have always followed the question of how China upholds Marxism while developing its economy. Please share your views on this issue.
Zyuganov: The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee took Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding ideologies for further comprehensively deepening reform, taking the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people's well-being as the starting point and ultimate goal. The leaders of the Chinese Party and state clearly remember one of Marx's critiques of capitalism: that "the devaluation of the world of men is in direct proportion to the increasing value of the world of things." The value of socialism and its humanism is expressed precisely in the ability to solve this problem. Thus, Marx and Engels pointed out: "If man is shaped by environment, his environment must be made human."
Chinese Communists began researching the solution to this problem long ago. During the 11th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee on December 3, 2013, Xi Jinping pointed out: "To uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must constantly adjust the relations of production to adapt to the development of the productive forces, and constantly improve the superstructure to adapt to the development of the economic base." "Our proposal to carry out comprehensively deepening reform is intended to advance social development by adapting to the movements of the basic contradictions of our society." "The basic contradictions of society are always developing, so the adjustment of the relations of production and the improvement of the superstructure must be carried out continuously and correspondingly." "Reform and opening up is a process that only has a 'starting' mode and no 'finished' mode [10]. This is an attitude of historical materialism."
On October 18, 2017, in his report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping specifically noted the necessity to "construct a system of institutions that is comprehensive, scientifically standardized, and effective in operation, to give full play to the superiorities of our country's socialist system." He simultaneously emphasized that "only socialism can save China, and only reform and opening up can develop China, develop socialism, and develop Marxism. We must uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and continuously advance the modernization of the national governance system and capacity." On July 18, 2024, the Decision adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee stated: "By 2035, we will have finished building a high-standard socialist market economy in all respects, further improved the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, generally realized the modernization of our national governance system and capacity, and basically realized socialist modernization, thereby laying a solid foundation for building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of this century."
I also noted other important ideas proposed in the Decision. First, while requiring that "the market be allowed to play the decisive role in the allocation of resources," the Party hopes to "better leverage the role of the government, uphold and improve the basic socialist economic system, and promote high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology." Second, it focuses on developing whole-process people's democracy, emphasizing the "organic unity of Party leadership, the people's position as masters of the country, and the rule of law," while setting the task for the construction of a socialist country under the rule of law to reach a higher level. Third, it emphasizes "improving the institutional mechanisms for the development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries, promoting cultural prosperity, enriching the people's spiritual and cultural life, and enhancing the country's soft power and the influence of Chinese culture." It is extremely important that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee continued to emphasize the fundamental system of maintaining the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field. As is well known, the Chinese leadership has seriously studied the lessons of the destruction of the Soviet Union. During seminars with our Chinese friends, I have more than once answered the question: "What were the causes of this tragedy that befell the Soviet Union?" Chinese politicians, leaders of economic departments, and scholars all pay attention to this issue. Through extensive research, they have reached several important conclusions. A fundamental conclusion is that the ossification of ideological work led to the weakening of the Marxist-Leninist party and the restoration of capitalism. In this regard, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed improving the study system for Theoretical Learning Center Groups of Party Committees (and Party Leadership Groups), improving the system for ideological and political work, "innovating the Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project, implementing the philosophy and social sciences innovation project, and building an autonomous knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences."
Fourth, special attention is paid to improving the quality of people's lives. To this end, it is necessary to improve the systems for income distribution and employment,健全 (strengthen) the social security system, and enhance the balance and accessibility of basic public services, with the ultimate goal of promoting the well-rounded development of the individual and common prosperity for all. Fifth, building a "Beautiful China." This means improving the ecological environment, prioritizing ecology, promoting conservation, intensive, green, and low-carbon development, and promoting the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. Sixth, focusing on building a "Peaceful China" [11] of a higher level. To achieve this, it is necessary to enhance the capacity to safeguard national security. The seventh point is the last in the list of general objectives, but also the most important. The Decision states: "Focus on improving the Party's leadership level and long-term governing capacity, innovating and improving leadership and governing styles, deepening the reform of the system for Party building, and improving the system for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party."
China's anti-corruption struggle continues. According to official data, in 2024, national disciplinary inspection and supervision organs "filed 877,000 cases, including 73 cases involving officials at or above the provincial or ministerial level, 4,348 at the departmental or bureau level, 35,000 at the county or division level, and 121,000 at the township or section level. Cases were filed against 104,000 current or former village Party branch secretaries or village committee directors. Punishments were handed out to 889,000 people, including 680,000 Party disciplinary actions and 270,000 administrative sanctions; 73 officials at or above the provincial or ministerial level were punished, along with 3,838 at the departmental or bureau level, 31,000 at the county or division level, 112,000 at the township or section level, 128,000 general cadres, and 613,000 other personnel in rural areas and enterprises."
To summarize, China has proposed grand reform tasks and plans to...
These tasks are to be completed by 2029, the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. I believe that as long as China remains steadfast in the principles proposed at the important meetings mentioned above, and continuously promotes the implementation and completion of development tasks, it will be able to respond to various international and domestic challenges and achieve even more brilliant accomplishments in the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.
III. Advancing Along the Path of Comprehensive Progress
Q: Please discuss the achievements you have observed in building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.
A: One could say that the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state formulated their program of action amidst an increasingly complex global situation. Humanity is currently sailing upon a turbulent sea of contradictions and conflicts resulting from the crisis of capitalism. In this vast space, China’s national "ark" has set sail fully prepared. China possesses everything required—an experienced command team, precise nautical charts, and clear emergency instructions. China's goal is to finish building a great modern socialist country in all respects, and to comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. I have every reason to believe that the Chinese people will continue to unite closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and continue to successfully push forward the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. By adhering to socialist principles, the Chinese people can ensure the realization of the country's comprehensive modernization.
The CPC's "Second Centenary Goal" is to build a great modern socialist country by 2049, the centenary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The "First Centenary Goal" referred to the comprehensive buildup of a moderately prosperous society in all respects [12] by 2021, the centenary of the founding of the CPC; this goal has been successfully realized. China has already reduced the incidence of extreme poverty to zero ahead of schedule. This is a historic feat of the CPC. One must remember that at the beginning of Reform and Opening-up, China's poverty rate exceeded 80%.
The goals formulated at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee serve as the foundation of current policy. For instance, in February 2025, Xi Jinping visited Jilin Province and encouraged Jilin to demonstrate greater initiative in the construction of Chinese-path modernization. According to Xi Jinping's instructions, Jilin must focus on high-quality development, which requires guarding the foundation of the real economy, coordinating planning, improving industrial competitiveness, fostering new quality productive forces, and promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into actual productive forces. The 2025 Annual Meeting of the China Development Forum, attended by Premier Li Qiang, specifically discussed the country's development prospects. The modernization of national industry was listed as a key task, including promoting scientific and industrial innovation, strengthening support for education, science, technology, and talent, and improving various policies to benefit and assist enterprises. At the same time, Chinese leaders are prepared to focus efforts on improving people's welfare, achieving this goal by stimulating employment, enhancing the quality of healthcare, and forming a developed social security network. The meeting also discussed issues related to the world economy, proposing the necessity of maintaining a high level of opening up to the outside world, optimizing tariffs and other fiscal policy measures for import and export, and specifically proposing the deepening of cooperation with countries participating in the "Belt and Road" Initiative [13]. China is willing to actively participate in global governance and in discussions on bilateral and multilateral financial and economic issues. While integrating into the process of economic globalization, China regards domestic consumption and the stimulation of internal demand as key factors for development. There are plans to increase the purchasing power of citizens, including the development of the "silver economy" [14]. In short, 2025 will be dedicated to achieving new economic accomplishments, realizing major technological breakthroughs, and strengthening international cooperation. According to the forecasts of most institutions, China is capable of maintaining stable economic growth of 5%, which is consistent with the goals set in the 14th Five-Year Plan.
However, China does not only issue short-term solutions. The goal of maintaining an annual GDP growth rate of 5% also aligns with the Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035 to double the size of the economy. The Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China predicts that China's average annual economic growth rate over the next 10 years will remain at a level of 4.7% to 5%; thus, by 2035, China's GDP will have doubled compared to 2020. This means China's GDP will exceed that of the United States. By then, the total US economy will be 32–33 trillion USD, while China’s total economy will grow to 35 trillion USD, making China the world's largest economy.
Q: Uncertainty in the external environment is rising. What is your view on China's response?
A: Chinese leaders intend to achieve their ambitious goals through several closely related strategies. First is the shift in fiscal policy: from "prudent" to "moderately loose." Economists believe this includes the following measures: first, increasing the supply of medium- and long-term liquidity through measures such as lowering the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) to maintain ample market liquidity; second, lowering policy interest rates and reducing the interest rates of structural monetary policy tools; third, improving existing structural monetary policy tools and creating new ones to support scientific and technological innovation, the expansion of consumption, and inclusive finance.
Developing internal demand is the second major objective of recent economic policy. Chinese leaders intend to use internal demand to mitigate the impact of external uncertainties, including the tightening of trade policies by the Trump administration. The Chinese government will raise funds by issuing government bonds for infrastructure projects, supporting the housing market, and stimulating domestic consumption. I believe these decisions are entirely correct. Domestic consumption is more predictable and controllable than foreign trade; it should play a balancing role to ensure the sustainable development of the economy amidst international financial crises. A representative measure for stimulating domestic consumption is the policy of "trading in old consumer goods for new ones" [15]. At the beginning of 2025, according to a notice from the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance, the number of household appliance categories eligible for trade-in subsidies was increased from 8 to 12. Additionally, new subsidies were added for the purchase of three categories of digital products: mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches/bands. Other initiatives include increasing the issuance of vouchers and extending promotional periods. For example, the 2025 National Online New Year’s Shopping Festival lasted from January 7 to February 5, a national online consumption promotion activity hosted by the Ministry of Commerce. Through the implementation of these measures, the growth rate of the retail sector in 2025 is expected to exceed the overall economic growth rate, reaching at least 5.5%.
In addition to subsidies for trade in goods and the service sector, the steady increase in fixed-asset investment has also stimulated domestic consumption. Infrastructure investment has been particularly successful, most importantly in manufacturing. In 2024, investment in high-tech manufacturing increased by 8% year-on-year. The growth in fixed-asset investment has increased the consumption of building materials and construction machinery, created new jobs, and increased resident income, which in turn increases demand. Infrastructure investment is expected to grow by 5.5% year-on-year in 2025, and manufacturing by 6%. The intensive commencement of major projects in January 2025 was a significant achievement. As I understand it, in Xiamen, Fujian Province alone, 77 major projects were launched with a total investment of 77.5 billion yuan. The scale of development is impressive. In Hebei Province, the Fengning Power Station—the world's largest pumped-storage power station—has gone into full operation. The station is equipped with 12 sets of 300,000-kilowatt single-stage reversible pump-turbine generator units, two of which are variable-speed units, with a total installed capacity of 3.6 million kilowatts. In Anhui Province, the first batch of 622 major projects for 2025 was launched with a total investment of 405.75 billion yuan. More than half of these are emerging industry projects, including the production of new energy vehicles (NEVs) and new materials. Provinces and cities such as Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Liaoning have announced plans to stimulate the chip industry. Today, chips are seen as the key to developing an advanced economy. Guangdong and Shanghai intend to consolidate their leading positions in the field of NEV manufacturing, where China possesses a technological advantage. Furthermore, 20 cities (or city clusters), including Guangzhou, have launched pilot applications for "vehicle-road-cloud integration" [16] for intelligent connected vehicles. The Sichuan-Chongqing Economic Circle, formed by Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality, places special emphasis on the development of intelligent transportation technology.
Moreover, China's active promotion of leading-edge technology development is also a key aspect of its response. Several provinces have launched a series of "AI Plus" initiatives. Beijing's public artificial intelligence computing platform has expanded again, with its intelligent computing scale exceeding 10,000P. Anhui Province is striving to create a national magnetic confinement nuclear fusion technology innovation center, building the Tiandu Laboratory to high standards, and promoting the lead in initiating the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) mega-science project. Shanghai, which produces the C919 passenger aircraft, is working on developing the large aircraft industry. Hainan is implementing a unique project using wind power to produce hydrogen. In 2025, China is expected to launch vertical take-off and landing "air taxis." Shanghai will be the first city to possess this innovative transportation system, with plans to establish no fewer than 150 low-altitude flight routes by the end of 2025, and no fewer than 400 by the end of 2027. Fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5G) and China's "Beidou" satellite navigation system will be used to manage and control low-altitude traffic. There will also be a new innovation in 2025: the commercial application of electric general aviation aircraft. Development work on hydrogen-fueled aircraft will also continue. The world's first prototype of a four-seater hydrogen internal combustion aircraft completed its maiden flight in 2024.
The deployment of the "Thousand Sails Constellation" [17], a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet constellation, will be a major breakthrough. In August 2024, the first batch of 18 satellites for the Thousand Sails polar orbit was launched. The plan is to complete a regional network of 648 LEO satellites by the end of 2025. This satellite group will eventually surpass the American "Starlink." China's "Thousand Sails" aims to create a massive constellation of over 14,000 LEO broadband multimedia satellites in the future, which will provide global internet connectivity, monitor global air pollution, and create a near-Earth asteroid defense system. Currently, the spacecraft assembly and launch area of the Wenchang International Aerospace City in Hainan is constructing Asia's largest satellite "super factory," with an annual capacity of 1,000 satellites.
China's automobile industry is developing rapidly. China's NEV production accounts for more than 60% of the global total. In 2014, China's total automobile exports were 948,000 units, while global supply was approximately 37 million units; Chinese exports accounted for 2.5% of global supply. According to 2023 data, China exported 4.91 million vehicles, and Chinese automobile sales abroad reached 8.1% of global supply.
Finally, China is setting new records in computing power and the development of artificial intelligence. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has proposed that by 2025, China's computing power scale will exceed 300 EFLOPS (EFLOPS refers to quintillions of floating-point operations per second). In January 2025, the Chinese startup DeepSeek set the tech world ablaze. It launched an open AI chatbot that is not inferior to its Western counterparts. DeepSeek is being actively embedded into the products of Tencent, an integrated internet service provider that supports instant messaging. The Chinese search engine Baidu and leading automaker BYD are not trailing behind and have connected to DeepSeek. Even the administrative services of some local governments have integrated the DeepSeek system.
Technological leaps are unimaginable without progress in science. China has achieved impressive results in this regard as well. In 2024, China ranked 11th in the "Global Innovation Index," becoming the only middle-income economy to enter the top 30. Even the American outlet Bloomberg, which rarely shows favor toward China's performance, predicts that by 2026, China's high-tech industries will account for 19% of its GDP, compared to only 11% in 2018. If the "New Three" [18] high-tech products—NEVs, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products—are included, this proportion will rise to 23%. In October 2024, 22 new "Lighthouse Factories" [19] were added globally, 13 of which are from China. "Lighthouse Factories" are considered to represent, to a certain extent, the global frontier of intelligent, digital, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly manufacturing. China has made a decisive contribution to the global "energy transition," providing the world with 70% of its photovoltaic modules and 60% of its wind power equipment. In 2024, exports of wind turbine units grew by 72%, and 3.91 billion lithium batteries were exported, setting a historical record.
IV. Building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity and the Future of Human Civilization
▲: Despite the great achievements of the "domestic big circulation," China remains a vital participant in the process of economic globalization, a role that has expanded alongside the growth of the country’s economic strength. China’s behavior within international economic and political processes stands in stark contrast to the hegemonic line upheld by the United States. China opposes global oligarchic autocracy, advocates for mutually beneficial cooperation, and maintains that the Earth is one big family and humanity is a community. In this big family, everyone has a legitimate right to speak. What is your view on the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, and the future of human civilization?
●: China advocates the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity and calls for the establishment of a new international order. This was fully reflected in Xi Jinping's report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2022. Xi Jinping pointed out that the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century [20]. On one hand, the historical trend of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results is unstoppable; the people of all countries seek cooperation and development based on mutual benefit. On the other hand, the deficits in peace, development, security, and governance are intensifying, which is linked to the hegemonic, overbearing, and bullying [21] behavior of certain major powers involving the bullying of the weak, predatory acquisition, and zero-sum games.
Here, I would first like to look back at the history of the Chinese Revolution. China is a country with a long history; its most critical chapter was the modern period of suffering under colonial aggression and facing the danger of being partitioned, yet the outstanding sons and daughters of China never ceased their struggle. At the time, this drew the high level of attention of Lenin. Evaluating the impact of the first Russian Democratic Revolution of 1905–1907, Lenin wrote: "Following the 1905 movement in Russia, the democratic revolution has swept the whole of Asia—Turkey, Persia, China. In British India, unrest is also intensifying." Lenin further noted: "World capitalism and the 1905 movement in Russia have finally awakened Asia. Hundreds of millions of the downtrodden and brutally treated people, long stagnating in medieval conditions, have awakened and are moving toward a new life, struggling for basic human rights and democracy." "The awakening of Asia and the beginning of the struggle for power by the advanced proletariat of Europe mark a new stage in world history opened at the beginning of the 20th century." The Sixth (Prague) All-Russia Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party passed the "Resolution on the Chinese Revolution" drafted by Lenin, which specifically noted: "The revolutionary struggle of the Chinese people is of world significance, for it will bring liberation to Asia and undermine the rule of the European bourgeoisie. The Conference greets the revolutionary republicans of China, affirming that the Russian proletariat follows with deep interest and profound sympathy the successes of the revolutionary people of China, and condemns the behavior of the Russian liberals in supporting the predatory policy of the Tsarist government."
When Lenin dealt with China, the Chinese proletariat had not yet become an independent and powerful political force; therefore, Lenin spoke highly of Sun Yat-sen's democratic revolutionary program, viewing it as a means to mobilize the masses to participate in the revolution. Lenin wrote: "Between the lines of Sun Yat-sen's program, one finds a militant, sincere democracy." He further noted: "What we see here is the truly great ideology of a truly great people; such a people would not only grieve for their historical status as slaves, not only yearn for freedom and equality, but would also struggle against China’s historical oppressors." As early as 1916, Lenin pointed out that wars of liberation by the people of colonies and dependencies against imperialism were inevitable, with countries like China being at the forefront. This analysis by Lenin was fully confirmed; the Chinese Revolution from 1911 to 1949 was a continuous revolutionary war against imperialism and feudalism. The nature of China's future political power was of great interest to Stalin. In November 1926, Stalin pointed out: "The future revolutionary government in China, in terms of its nature, will generally resemble the kind of government we spoke of in 1905, namely, a democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry; however, the difference is that it will primarily be an anti-imperialist government."
Mao Zedong developed Marxism-Leninism based on his own country's experience and wrote a series of important works on the question of the Chinese Revolution, primarily On New Democracy (1940) and On the People's Democratic Dictatorship (1949). Mao Zedong successfully integrated theory with practice, led the Communist Party of China to victory, and became the principal founder of the New China. The CPC adheres to Marxism-Leninism and has successfully applied it within its policies. On this basis, the CPC has found methods to respond to major challenges and severe threats, and is leading the Chinese people toward new victories. I fully agree with Xi Jinping's judgment: "Human society faces unprecedented challenges. The world has once again reached a crossroads in history, and its direction depends on the choices of the people of all countries." China firmly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, upholds the basic norms of international relations, and defends international fairness and justice. China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and respects the development paths and social systems independently chosen by the people of all nations. As Xi Jinping emphasized in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, China "resolutely opposes all forms of hegemonism and power politics, opposes the Cold War mentality, opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs, and opposes double standards." This uncompromising stance against dictates, and the pursuit of friendship and equal cooperation among all nations, is entirely consistent with the spirit of Marxism-Leninism.
China recognizes that building a community with a shared future for humanity is the way forward for the people of the world. This means following common principles and seeking cooperation and reciprocity. No one can fail to acknowledge the justice of this position. In fact, only by basing ourselves on these principles can we ensure world security and prosperity. By elaborating its position on international affairs in detail, China has expressed its willingness to work with the international community to put the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative into practice. Xi Jinping calls for the promotion of the common values of humanity—namely peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom—to promote mutual understanding and affinity among all peoples, and to respect the diversity of world civilizations, so that exchanges between civilizations transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcends conflict, and inclusiveness transcends superiority. Xi Jinping noted: "We live in an era full of challenges, but also an era full of hope. The Chinese people are willing to join hands with the people of the world to create an even better future for humanity!" This clearly shows that China is striving to create a completely different set of relations and an atmosphere on the world stage to jointly respond to global challenges.
China’s foreign policy always follows the principles it has established. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated at the 2024 Seminar on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations that "building a community with a shared future for humanity has become a grand cause in which all parties participate... and more and more countries are joining the ranks of building a community with a shared future." In 2024, China signed agreements on jointly building a community with a shared future with countries such as Brazil and Serbia. China and African leaders agreed to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the New Era; in the words of Wang Yi, this "demonstrates the common aspiration of the over 2.8 billion people of China and Africa to stand together through thick and thin and move forward hand in hand." Regional communities with a shared future—China-Central Asia, China-ASEAN, China-Lancang-Mekong countries, China-Arab States, and China-Latin American and Caribbean States—have been launched successively, continuously expanding new realms of civilization characterized by harmony and coexistence. On January 2, 2025, the Research Center for a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity was established in Beijing, marking an important step toward building such a community. The research center, primarily established by China Foreign Affairs University, aims to deepen academic research, provide policy advice, conduct publicity and promotion, and train talent regarding the community with a shared future for humanity. In his speech at the unveiling ceremony of the center, Wang Yi pointed out that building a community with a shared future for humanity "organically combines the fundamental interests of the Chinese people with those of the people of all countries, and closely links the future and destiny of China with that of the world." He added, "We are pleased to see that the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity has transformed from an initiative into a consensus, and from a vision into practice, driving positive and profound changes in the landscape of today's world."
China’s diplomatic activities revolve around the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity. In 2025, China will host a series of important events. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit will be held in China from late August to early September 2025; it is expected that at this summit, leaders of SCO member states will sign a series of important documents, including the SCO development strategy for the next decade. This is not the only task during China's rotating presidency of the SCO; nearly 40 activities are being prepared, including the SCO Political Parties Forum, the Forum on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development, and the International Investment and Trade Fair. The 2025 SCO Countries Media Cooperation Forum was held in Xinjiang in May, with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation's television channel, "Red Line," attending as a guest. It is worth noting that the CPRF television station is an information partner of the "Belt and Road" project news network.
The next Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is also expected to be a significant historical event. Its participants must chart a course for development during a period when Washington is intensifying its aggressive policies. For over a decade, the "Belt and Road" initiative has proven to be highly fruitful. China has signed cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, by the end of 2023, China had established 17,000 overseas enterprises in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, with a direct investment stock exceeding $330 billion. Economic and trade zones open to member states have created 530,000 jobs. China's trade with Belt and Road countries grew by 6.4% year-on-year, accountings for over half of China's total foreign trade for the first time. As Xi Jinping said, multilateral cooperation has entered a new stage of high-quality development; it is necessary to "uphold the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, adhere to the concepts of openness, green development, and integrity, and strive to achieve the goals of high standards, sustainability, and improving people’s livelihoods."
The communists of the Russian Federation believe that the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity is productive and fully aligns with the interests of all countries and nations—including, of course, Russia. It is particularly noteworthy that Russia and China share a common position on establishing just international relations. This proximity of positions on the world stage will drive increased mutual understanding between China and Russia on other issues. President Xi Jinping of the PRC, President Putin of the Russian Federation, and other state and political figures, experts, and scholars from both countries have pointed out many times that the bilateral relationship has reached its highest level in history. Fortunately, this assessment is well-founded. I firmly believe that we must cherish this relationship and make every effort to bring the people of our two countries even closer. For the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, this is the most important focal point of our efforts. Building a community with a shared future for humanity requires strengthening high-quality cooperation and improving mechanisms for planning, coordination, and management. This is the stance of the founder of this vision—General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of the PRC, Xi Jinping. It is important that all progressive forces support his call to respond firmly and bravely to any risks or challenges and to continuously deepen cooperation.
The future is based on history, and today the outlines of the future are being drawn. What the future of humanity will look like depends in many ways on today, and to a large extent on China. The processes taking place in China have an impact on Russia and the rest of the world. The fact that this influence is high-capacity and creative is redefining the socialist path of the Chinese people.