On March 30th, 2018, the LIETUVOS Rytas, published a signed article by H. E. Mr. Shen Zhifei, Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, entitled "The Choice by Chinese People Should Be Respected". The full text is as follows:

The Choice by Chinese People Should Be Respected

Recently, the First Session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) of China was concluded in Beijing. As a major political event, it is the first session to be held after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC) last year. Representatives of the NPC reviewed and discussed the Report on the Work of the Government, making suggestions on major issues concerning the national economy and the people's livelihood, passed the Constitution's amendments and the State Council's institutional reform program, established the National Supervisory Commission as an anti-corruption agency and elected new state leaders. During the session, China's development and reforms have been summarized and deployed, with the release of a large number of policies benefiting people's livelihood. The achievements of the session of NPC reflected the requirements of the time and echoed the people's expectations. The Session of NPC, the Chinese economic development and Chinese Path in particular, has aroused great attention from the international community. Many Lithuanian friends congratulated me on the Session's success and hoped that they could learn more about China through the Session.

A Positive Outlook of China's Economy

The performance of the China's economy for the past five years and its future direction can all be answered in the annual government work report delivered by China's Premier.

Over the past five years, against the background of the uncertainties of the world economy, China's GDP has risen from about 8.5 trillion US dollars to 12.2 trillion US dollars, with an average annual growth of 7.1%; and its share in the global economy has increased roughly to 15% up from 11.4%. China's contribution to global growth has exceeded 30%. With 6.9% of GDP growth in 2017, China handed over a stable and better-than-expected transcript to the world.

The Government Work Report also made a clear plan for China's economic and social development in 2018. In accordance with the requirements for high-quality development, the target for China's GDP growth this year is at 6.5%, with the creation of over 11 million new urban jobs and a total of 10 million people to be lifted from poverty. China will continue to transform its growth model, improve its economic structure and foster new drivers of growth, by furthering supply-side structural reform, focusing on the development of real economy and making China a country of innovators etc., to strengthen the stability, sustainability and effectiveness of China's economic development and seek more economic growth points. China adheres to the path of peaceful development, practices opening-up strategies of mutual benefit and win for all, and will actively promote the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen exchanges and cooperation with other countries, so as to benefit mankind and make unremitting efforts to build a community with shared future for mankind.

On the other hand, we are well aware that China is still a developing country, with some problems caused by unbalanced and inadequate development, unimplemented reunification and external challenges like new trade protectionism etc. Challenges coexist with opportunities. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, the CPC and the Chinese government will always work diligently and stably, effectively respond to all challenges and overcome all difficulties, to achieve our goals. I firmly believe that the Chinese people have firm will, full confidence and sufficient ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve complete China's reunification.

The Chinese Path Leading to the Chinese Dream

The new revision of the Constitution, the new leadership, and the new institutional reforms are focuses of the NPC Session this year.

China's Constitution was revised again after 14 years, which reflects the new achievements and new requirements for the development of the country's various causes, and provides a strong constitutional guarantee for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a New Era and the Chinese Dream of realizing the national rejuvenation. Thereinto, "to build a community with  shared future for mankind" is included in the Constitution for the first time, which is of great significance. It will not only benefit China's economic and social development, but also help strengthen global governance and enhance mutual cooperation among the international community.

The new leaders of the state institutions were elected and appointed. Looking to the future, China is closer to, more confident in and capable of realizing the goal of the national rejuvenation than any time in history, but China is also in a critical period of "climbing over the ridge". The new era calls for a strong leadership core and leading group that can fight for the complete accomplishments of all goals and tasks. At the NPC session, the re-election of President Xi Jinping and the election of other leaders are exactly out of the expectation of the general public.

The state institutions were merged, reorganized and newly established in the NPC session. The reform has continued to advance in depth, which was conducive to perfecting functions, improving efficiency, and implementing powers and responsibilities, and successfully integrating China's reform and development into a more dynamic institutional system.

The path determines future and leads to the dream. The Chinese dream of realizing the national rejuvenation is to realize the prosperity of the country, the revival of the nation, and the happiness of the people. To realize the Chinese dream, the Chinese path must be followed . This is the path of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.

China is the second largest economy and an influential power in the world. What kind of path China will follow in the future will affect the nerves of the international community. During the National People's Congress, by perfecting and revising the Constitution, the Chinese people made a choice and gave a strong voice: The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. In the future, China will build a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, powerful, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful, and build a community with shared future for mankind, to safeguard the world's sustainable development and lasting peace.

China's development path and model have gained the understanding of most countries and peoples in the world. Just as a senior Lithuanian politician once told me, China's development in the last five years has attracted worldwide attention and admiration, it has proved the correctness of China's development model. As long as it can achieve tangible results and benefit more people, it is a good path.

At the same time, I also noticed that very few individuals, such as a member of the European Parliament, still have a grudge against China and defamed and vilified Chinese path and model. In my opinion, these people's remarks are not only the out-dated thinking but also the fact that they do not understand China's history, development process and people's mind.

China has enjoyed an splendid civilization of over 5000 years, full of glory as well as hardship. Following the aggression of the Western powers in the 19th to mid-20th century, the Chinese nation experienced suffering of unprecedented proportions. It's natural and hard-won that China today has succeeded in embarking on a right development path, to achieve the prosperity of the country, the rejuvenation of the nation, and people's well-being. The path of China's development is a choice made by history.  

China has a population of about 1.4 billion. They know better about China's actual conditions than anyone else, and they are more qualified to choose the political system and development model for their own. The Chinese path of development is the choice made by the people.

Despite the fact that Lithuania was once one of the European powers, it also experienced the foreign aggression and interference, suffering from the loss of sovereignty and freedom. Both the Chinese and the Lithuanian people are well aware of the great value of independence and self-determination, and disgusted by the external interference.

China remains firm in pursuing an foreign policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and resolutely rejects such mentality as the weak are the prey of the strong or winners take all, etc. China will neither export social system or development model, nor denounce the development paths of other countries. Likewise, we don't allow any other country to interfere with our internal affairs, make irresponsible or even misreading remarks on China's political system and development path. This path has been and will be further proved right by China's tangible achievements for its people and contribution to the world. The choice by the Chinese people should be respected.