On 18 November 2022, the Chinese Embassy in Cyprus held a briefing on the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). It was held for main media groups, friendly party and think tank in Cyprus, under the theme of New Journey of China, New Opportunities for the World. Ambassador Liu Yantao attended the briefing and made a keynote speech. It was also attended and addressed by Mr. Nikos Ioannou, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of AKEL, and Dr. Kostas Gouliamos, Vice President of Prometheus Research Institute and former Rector of European University Cyprus. More than a dozen journalists from mainstream media outlets reported on the event, including CyBC, CNA, Cyprus Mail, Pontiki, CCN and Xinhua News Agency.

Ambassador Liu said that the success of the 20th CPC National Congress attracted worldwide attention. Its most important political outcome was the election of the new central leadership with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core. The Congress approved the report made by General Secretary Xi on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee. The report fully elaborated on a series of major theoretical and practical questions on upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. It also presented a grand blueprint and strategic arrangement for China’s development. The Congress discussed and adopted the CPC’s Revised Constitution, which reflected the outcome of theoretical, practical and systemic innovation since the 19th CPC National Congress.

Ambassador Liu shared his reading of the rich implications of the Congress in three Rs. The first letter R refers to Reality, or the real situation in today’s China. In the past decade, China has experienced great changes. Close to 100 million poor rural residents have been lifted out of poverty, and absolute poverty has been eliminated. China has pursued a more proactive strategy of opening up, contributing 38.6% to global growth each year. China has implemented a people-centered philosophy of development, promoted harmony between humanity and nature, and ensured material and cultural-ethical advancement. China has made significant advances in exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, and achieved an overwhelming victory and fully consolidated the gains in the fight against corruption. These great changes truly prove that China’s development is peaceful, open, green, coordinated and win-win. With its own development, China has also created opportunities for the world, and contributed to humanity.

The second letter R refers to Reason, or the underlying reason behind the great changes, which is the Two Establishes, i.e. establishing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the CPC as a whole and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. A strong leadership core and sound theoretical guidance are the hallmark of a mature Marxist party. They hold the key to the continued vigor and vitality of the CPC. The Two Establishes is of decisive importance to the development of the Party and the country in the new era, and to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It has become the broad consensus and shared aspiration of the CPC and the Chinese people. It has given them a strong sense of certainty, confidence and reasurrance in the face of all kinds of uncertainty.

The third letter R refers to Relevance, or the global relevance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The Thought not just fits China, but also provides inspirations for the whole world. The common values of humanity, an imporant aspect of the Thought, have provided guidance for building an even better world. Guided by the Thought, China has played a constructive role in the reform and development of the global governance system to safeguard international fairness and justice, and worked to build a community with a shared future for mankind, thus answering the key question of the times, i.e. “what is wrong with this world, what we should do about it”. China is ready to work with other countries to respond to the changes of the world, the times, and history, and jointly create an even better future for humanity.

Ambassador Liu stressed that modernization is what people from China and other countries are all aiming for. Chinese modernization is socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the CPC. It contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context. It is the modernization of a huge population, common prosperity for all, material and cultural-ethical advancement, harmony between humanity and nature, and peaceful development. It will have a positive impact on Cyprus and other countries, and create more development opportunities for businesses around the world. China will always stand on the right side of history, and firmly expand high-standard opening up in the course of Chinese modernization.

Ambassador Liu also stressed that China has always been committed to its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development. China is dedicated to building a community with a shared future for mankind, whose objective is to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity. This will be realized through promoting a new type of international relations, with the common values of humanity, and based on the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI). Building a community with a shared future for mankind has been widely recognized and supported by the international community. Importantly, China is committed to building a community with a shared future while developing relations with Cyprus. The China-Cyprus relationship has set a good example of sincerity, friendship, equality, unity and coordination between countries of different sizes.

Ambassador Liu’s keynote speech was warmly echoed by representatives from the friendly party and the think tank. They said that the 20th CPC National Congress is of vital importance, based on which China has embarked on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects. General Secretary Xi emphasized a series of important concepts and initiatives, including Chinese modernization, high-quality development, whole-process people’s democracy, a community with a shared future for mankind, GDI and GSI. They have provided Chinese wisdom for global governance and Chinese proposals for human development. They are thus highly relevant to the whole world. In the past decade, China has made remarkable achievements. It has played a increasingly significant role in spearheading the world and driving global development and world peace.

Ambassador Liu also answered questions from the journalists, including on China-Cyprus relations, the Cyprus Question, and China-EU relations, etc.

Before the briefing, participants attended the Photo Exhibition on An Extraordinary Decade of China in the New Era. A short video for the CPC’s international image, titled Who Am I, was played. Ambassador Liu also presented the book of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China IV to the participants.