China's rapid economic rise is the result of sustained reforms, modernisation, and global integration, according to Sun Jiwen, former Chinese ambassador to Gabon. Speaking at a seminar in Beijing titled "Exchange of China's Experience in Reform and Opening-Up for Developing Countries," Sun attributed China's transformation to strategic policies beginning with Mao Zedong's 1949 revolution, which established the People's Republic of China. He highlighted the first five-year national development plan from 1953 to 1957 as foundational, laying the groundwork for industrial and agricultural growth. The pivotal shift came with Deng Xiaoping's reforms starting in 1978, which opened China to foreign investment, introduced market mechanisms, and led to the privatisation of most small and medium-sized state enterprises. Deng's creation of special economic zones further integrated China into the global economy, accelerating growth. Under current President Xi Jinping, Sun said, China has consolidated past reforms and lifted 100 million people out of poverty since 2020. He described Chinese modernisation as inclusive, citing that 320 million women are employed, making up 43.4 per cent of the workforce. Environmental efforts were also noted, with 69.33 million hectares of land afforested out of a global reforestation total of 208 million hectares. Sun emphasized China's commitment to peaceful development, south-south cooperation, and opposition to hegemonism, promoting a new model of international relations. He acknowledged ongoing challenges, including regional disparities between eastern and western China and the complexities of developing a socialist economy for a population of 1.4 billion. Sun projected that China aims to achieve socialist modernisation by 2035 and become a fully developed nation by 2050 through deeper reforms and expanded global engagement.
The scale of China's poverty reduction under Xi Jinping—100 million people lifted from absolute poverty since 2020—is unmatched in recent global history, suggesting that state-driven development models can deliver transformative outcomes when anchored in long-term planning. While many developing nations struggle with fragmented policies, China's continuity across decades, from Mao's foundational plans to Deng's market reforms and Xi's modernisation push, reveals the power of strategic persistence over political turnover. This trajectory challenges the assumption that liberal democracy is a prerequisite for large-scale economic advancement. For African countries observing from the sidelines, the real lesson may not be in copying China's system, but in recognising the value of coherent, long-range vision in development.
