Newspaper drums up confidence in 'Chinese road'

The People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), carried an editorial on Tuesday calling for confidence in Chinese methodology as the one sure path to realize the "Chinese dream."

The call was made after China's leadership transition was completed during the annual parliament session, and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to achieve the "Chinese dream" at the session's closure on Sunday.

Xi said that Chinese people should enhance confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics and make persistent efforts to realize the "Chinese dream," characterized as a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

To make the dream reality, China must take the "Chinese road," or adhere to socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

The Chinese road is hard-won, said the editorial. The Chinese dream has been a historical mission ever since the dawn of modern time. However, generations of search for a correct road proved futile until the CPC assumed the task and altered the nation's destiny, according to the People's Daily

The Chinese road is effective, the editorial said. It is this path that transformed the country into the world's second-largest economy.

The paper further listed the achievements made as a result of socialism with Chinese characteristics. China managed nearly 10 percent annual economic growth for more than 30 years, and a 30-fold increase in residents' income. Moreover, it said, the country has formed a social safety net in a decade, an achievement Western countries took a century to accomplish, and China has constituted over 70 percent of progress made in global poverty reduction in less than 20 years.

"The astonishing economic growth underscored the effectiveness of the Chinese model," said the paper, adding, "It is the Chinese road that brought us closer than we have ever been to the Chinese dream."

However, the closer we are to the dream, the more problems pop up, the paper pointed out. The editorial asserted, "It is in such a moment that we need, more than ever, confidence and strength to unswervingly carry on the Chinese road."

The paper finally called upon the 1.3 billion Chinese to pool their wisdom and strength to realize the dream of "the hardship-torn yet resilient Chinese nation."