Keywords to Understand China

Keywords are one of the best ways to understand a country. In China， with the rapid development in different areas， the keywords keep changing. ChinAfrica presents a selection of prevailing keywords to help readers understand China better.

The Chinese Dream

chinese President Xi Jinping first explained his vision of the Chinese Dream on November 29， 2012， when visiting the exhibition The Path to National Renewal. National renewal has been the greatest dream of the Chinese people since the beginning of modern times. It is a dream that spans generations， a dream that reflects our national interests， a dream embraced by every Chinese.

China will strive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all aspects by 2021 when the Communist Party of China （CPC） celebrates its 100th birthday， and to make China a modern socialist country that is prosperous， strong， democratic， culturally advanced， harmonious and beautiful by 2049， the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic.

That is what the dream of Chinese national renewal is all about. In essence， the Chinese Dream is a commitment to bring prosperity and happiness to the country， the nation and the people. It is a dream of the country， the nation， and the people. To make the dream come true， it is important to follow the Chinese path to development， elevate the Chinese spirit， and boost national cohesion. The Chinese Dream is a dream of peace， development， cooperation and prosperity for all， benefiting not only the Chinese people but also the people of the rest of the world. Only by staying focused on achieving real results and making sustained and unwavering efforts， can we bring our dream to fruition.

The Chinese Dream is not a flower reflected in a mirror or a moon reflected in water. It is not an empty slogan. The goal of the CPC corresponds to the peoples yearning for a better life and a brighter future.

Remain True to Our Original Aspiration

During a study and inspection tour in early February， 2016， Xi emphasized that “no matter how long the journey， we should remain true to our original aspiration.”

In his speech of July 1， 2016 at the celebration of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the CPC， he called upon all the members of the Party to “remain true to our original aspiration and keep moving forward as we face the future and face our challenges.”

Subsequently， “remaining true to our original aspiration” rapidly became an axiom which attracted a great deal of attention throughout society. Put it simply， the “original aspiration” was the fighting spirit which was formed when its members founded the Party， and their devotion to the people. To “remain true to our aspiration” is to never forget the Partys ideas， beliefs and mission. To always remain true to our aspiration means always having Marxism as our guide.

It means remembering that from its very beginnings the CPC fought for communism and socialism， and making that its own creed. It means remaining confident in the path， theory， system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It means promoting the Overall Plan for Development in Five Areas and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy. It means firmly upholding reform and opening up. It requires a firm belief that the Party is rooted in the people and that its strength comes from them. It means never deviating from the path of peaceful development and following a strategy of opening up which is beneficial to all. It means keeping the Party advanced and free of corruption.

The Overall Plan for Development in Five Areas

An Overall Plan for Development in Five Areas - the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics encompassing economic， political， cultural， social and ecological development - was proposed on November 8， 2012 at the 18th National Congress of the CPC. While economic development continues to be the central pillar， economic， political， cultural， social and ecological development are to be promoted on all fronts， modernization is to be fostered in all areas， and all elements are to be developed in a coordinated manner.

The Overall Plan for Development in Five Areas and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy support each other and interact in a planned manner. Proceeding from economic growth， they help develop a socialist market economy， democratic governance， advanced culture， ecological progress， and a harmonious society. Together， they help make the people more prosperous， the country stronger， and China more beautiful. The enunciation of the Overall Plan for Development in Five Areas illustrates how the CPC continues to extend its understanding of coordinated development and of the framework of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Only Through Down-toEarth Efforts Can We Make Our Dream Come True

In his speech at the exhibition The Path to National Renewal on November 29， 2012， Xi said， “It is a glorious undertaking to make our dream of national renewal come true， but this is no easy task. It entails a commitment that spans generations. We cannot afford to indulge in empty talk； only through down-to-earth effort can we build a strong nation.”

He later elaborated on the same idea on many other occasions， focusing on the importance of a down-to-earth approach to realizing our dream. According to him， our happiness will not come to us by itself， and our dream will not become a reality by itself. The path to success is hard work. All Party members and officials at all levels and， indeed， all Chinese citizens should embrace a down-to-earth attitude and work hard toward our goals. The whole ethos of the society and hard work of the people that inspire and empower everyone to move forward is key to making the Chinese Dream come true， that is， building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects and bringing about national renewal.