How China’s Political Leadership Elevates Progress

By Robert Lawrence Kuhn

I have been coming to China for more than 30 years. I have traveled all across the country， visiting over 100 cities together with my long-term partner， Adam Zhu， for research and interviews， books and essays， television and documentaries. I have given much thought， over the years， as to what has brought about Chinas developmental miracle.

The underlying principles

One， a people who work hard to improve the lives of their families and the destiny of their country.

Two， the prioritization of economic and social development over ideological rigidity.

Three， a one-party-leadership system， what is called “the multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China（CPC），” that enforces political stability and media control， and encourages economic development and social enhancement.

Four， a one-party-leadership system that is structured in hierarchical administrative levels.

Five， a one-party-leadership system that prioritizes selection， training， monitoring and inspection of key personnel， inculcating a high degree of administrative and managerial professionalism.

Six， a one-party-leadership system that solicits， and pays attention to， expert opinion， whether in the CPC or not， as exemplified by the increasing social power of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference（CPPCC）. （The CPPCC serves as a key mechanism for multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC. Its main functions are to conduct political consultation， exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and the handling of state affairs.—Ed）

Seven， a one-partyleadership system that solicits， and pays attention to， public opinion.

Eight， the setting of long-term goals， mid-term objectives and short-term policies that are monitored and modified continuously； policies that need long-term commitment have long-term commitment.

Nine， a way of thinking that experiments and tests new policies before implementation and rolling them out.

Ten， a one-party-leadership system that leverages industrial planning and state capital to gain economies of scale and competitive advantage. Eleven， a one-partyleadership system that provides checks and balances via anti-corruption institutions. And twelve， a one-party-leadership system that is willing to admit and correct errors.