By Virgilio Adrian
President of Club Primera Plana, Mexico
SYNOPSIS
In these lines, we intend to give an overview of what, since the first history classes of universal history, surprised us to learn about Chinese civilization, as one of the oldest in the world, which flourished on the banks of the Yellow River, and then the Republic of China in 1911, overthrew the last dynasty, defeat of the Japanese Empire in World War II and that by withdrawing its troops from China, the Communist Party won the Civil War and proclaimed the People’s Republic of China in October 1949.
With the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, its leader as president and its People’s Peasant Army, that world changed. Although Western and Japanese skeptics predicted the revolutionary movement was a mere illusion, China returned to its roots of more than 3,500 years.
We also remember the great inventions that China contributed to humanity, for example: the compass more than 2,000 years ago, gunpowder, paper and printing with which science and culture were spread, the kite, the seismograph, silk, porcelain, the plow, alcohol, the mechanical clock, biological pest control, suspension bridges, paper money, fingerprints, toothbrushes, and probably many more in recent decades.
NOW
Today, the world knows that China is one of the nations that has accelerated its economic growth, to the point that since 1914 it has been one of the leading developed economies if we take into account its GDP, without prejudice to its purchasing power. As an open manufacturing country, it is one of the largest exporters and importers of industrial goods, fortunately always seeking to avoid generating trade wars.
It’s worth mentioning that Mexico and China’s relations are very long-standing, dating back to 1899, when they signed a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation. Mexico proposed that China join the United Nations (UN) in 1971. China is currently a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Due to its renowned diplomacy in international relations, it is also a member of many multilateral organizations, such as the WTO, APEC, BRICS, and the G20.
To speak of China is to go back millennial or centuries, and with a vision of grandeur by connecting to great cultures, it established the Silk Road, which, over time, became one of the strongest economies in those territories of those worlds.
But not everything was peaceful, because when it found itself besieged by barbarian peoples, it had to protect itself by building the Great Wall of China, a thousand-year-old undertaking that took 2000 years to complete. With this bulwark, the age of technology began, expanding economic activity that led to the use of paper as currency, increasing rice cultivation in some regions, and boosting trade with a naval force but with its own culture, widely recognized in the Eastern and Western world.
Knowing a little about Chinese culture and its social evolution, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a pleasant surprise, particularly with regard to women, which: Establishes a series of strategic objectives and measures for the advancement of women and the achievement of gender equality in 12 crucial areas: Women and poverty, Women’s education and training, Women and health.
There is no doubt that, for any society, regardless of its level of culture or academic achievement, education is essential for continued progress and prosperity. The People’s Republic of China is a living example of this. Through its public policy efforts, the government has managed to maximize the human and economic resources it has used in a short period of time, achieving achievements few countries could match now or in the future.
CHINA AND MEXICO
This is the advantage that the Chinese people are admired in Mexico today, especially now that they are its second-largest partner, having significantly increased bilateral trade. It is also due to another major advance China has achieved: its technological advancement, which has made it a powerhouse, and its priority in science and research, which, in one way or another, it exports to many countries through its cultural and commercial relationship, while also cementing productive investment abroad.
We know that this is a consequence of its 14th Five-Year Plan, which eliminated the problems of foreign investment in its various economic sectors, both in services and even in the public health sector with foreign capital. The great Republic of China, which according to United Nations estimates will have a population of 1,416,000 million, also represents a large, privileged commercial market, with government regulatory guarantees for business development, that is, without protectionism or unfair practices.
It is worth remembering that China has always demonstrated that it is a society that seeks good understanding with other nations. Therefore, we applaud its proposal to the United Nations at its 78th General Assembly to establish the “International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations.” A proposal that holds great human meaning, considering the wars that have been unleashed between peoples where the most sacrificed are children, the elderly, and the civilian population, who know nothing about weapons and who also disagree with a conflict that could lead to human extermination.
Tensions and arrogance that exist between some countries over religious, political, or territorial issues, as in times of barbarism, it is time to build bridges of understanding, negotiation, and definitively erase the fear of a universal war. Contrary to this, there is the example of peace and progress that China demonstrates, for example: the message sent by Wang Haoze, the first female space engineer to work with the Chinese space station, who sent greetings to women and girls in a video broadcast on the occasion of International Women’s Day, last March 8.
Regarding the marine economy, China reached a significant milestone in 2024, exceeding 10 trillion yuan in its gross ocean product for the first time, which represents an increase of 5.9 compared to the previous year. The hybrid power supply system at China’s Qinling Station in Antarctica, which integrates wind, solar, and hydrogen energy, along with diesel, or the Harbin Ice City, which receives more than 90 million visitors, is also worth mentioning. The winter sports craze has boosted tourism to Harbin Ice City.
It is also worth mentioning that China has taken a global lead in the advancement of quantum computing. An example of this is the presentation of prototypes by Chinese scientists last March. This achievement establishes a new quantum computing advantage within superconducting systems. For example: It has been announced that China “will promote the application of big data and Artificial Intelligence (Al) as well as other new technologies to improve care for the elderly,” reported Minister of Civil Affairs Lu Zhiyuan.
CONCLUSIONS
At the end of 2024, the population aged 60 or older in China was 310 million, representing approximately 22% of its total population. China’s economic expansion is undeniable, to the extent that growth of 5% is expected by 2025, according to the Government Work Report released in March.
This economic growth allows this People’s Republic to provide care to older adults, who have made a significant contribution to the development of its society. This demonstrates the government’s concern and the significant potential it has for integrating programs that other countries, to date, are not even remotely able to address the most urgent needs of this nature.
The Republic of China’s financial ties have reached such a magnitude that they allow for commercial cooperation with many countries. For example, “China’s technology and digital intelligence parent company, Alibaba Group, announced the opening of its first cloud region in Mexico, which is key in an effort to drive digital transformation and innovation.” The company added that, with this infrastructure, as the first data center in Latin America, it will provide development companies with secure, resilient, and stable cloud services, which will strengthen Mexico’s position as a leading technology center in the region.
*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.