Voice of Reason – Chinese Theory in Practice | Self-reliance vs. Opening to the Outside World

On May 28, 2023, C919, the domestically produced aircraft, completed its first commercial flight and officially entered the civil aviation market. This is China’s first jetliner with independent intellectual property rights. In the past, the catchy phrase “800 million shirts traded for one airplane” described the hardships endured by Chinese manufacturing, but now China finally has its own large aircraft!

However, some say that the C919 uses foreign parts and is thus not domesticaly produced. Is that so? In fact, this shows a lack of understanding about the global division of labor under economic globalization. We are surrounded by products from the ballpoint pen in my hand to the camera in front of me, and the cell phone and computer you use – the raw materials, parts and components of these products, and even the production process, may come from various countries and regions.

As is the case with a chef, it’s hard to request that the cabbage and garlic be grown by the chef himself. C919, like its global competitors, has a supply chain widely distributed across the world, but its design team, IP ownership, and key R&Ds are located in China, which naturally makes it a domestically produced aircraft. Promoting Chinese-style modernization requires the correct handling of a series of major relationships, including the one between self-reliance and openness to the outside world, and the C919 aircraft is a vivid epitome of China’s commitment to both self-reliance and openness to the outside world.

I was born in Guizhou, and grew up in the mountains. When it comes to the mountainous areas of Guizhou, you may think of them as closed and backward, but there is a particularly advanced and open place there, which is the town of Kedu in Qiannan Prefecture. This remote town hides a mechanical giant – the world’s largest radio telescope - China’s “Sky Eye” that can see through 10 billion light-years. It took 22 years to build the “Sky Eye” with independently-developed technology, and starting from March 2021, astronomers from all over the world could use it to observe the universe. In the past, the town of Kedu was rarely touched by industrial civilization, but now it has become an “astronomical town” at the forefront of modern science and technology, and this is the progress brought by openness. Faced with tumultuous changes of the world, particularly the latest containment and isolation, China’s sharing of its leading radio telescope offered a breath of fresh air to the global tech community. Now China’s “Sky Eye” has observed more than 800 new pulsars. Indeed, a look into the vastness of the starry sky and the universe can offer a glimpse into the values of openness and tolerance.

China’s innovation is innovation in an open environment without isolation or exclusion. It adheres to open development and becomes more open as it develops. For China, self-reliance and opening up are not in a contradiction, rather, they’re mutually dependent.

Then, how to correctly deal with the relationship between self-reliance and opening up to the outside world?

The very central idea is to “insist on developing the country through its own strength, and firmly grasping the destiny of China’s development and progress in its own hands”. The key here is “autonomy”. It means taking the initiative on one’s own and not being dominated by others.

Modern China opened its first port in 1842, which, instead of boosting development, brought plunder to the country. I teach history of China’s trade in the modern era, I feel particularly sad each time I talk about foreign trade during that period. Do you know what China imported the most in 1871? It was opium, and it accounted for as much as 37% of China’s total imports.

Therefore, only voluntary openness could bring prosperity. China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a move of opening-up that we actively sought. Since then, China has leapt to become the world’s largest country in trade in goods and we’ve become both a beneficiary and a contributor to globalization. As you may know, China went through tough negotiations for the accession, which took a lengthy period of 15 years when “the black-haired negotiators became gray-haired men”. This being said, China’s entry into the WTO was not only something negotiated, it was earned with real growth. Without enhancing its own strength, it would have been difficult for China to join the WTO while holding its own bottom line.

Walking an independent path and seeking independent development in its own way, China has deepened reform and achieved growth with openness, and has maintained its independence over the course of opening up. As General Secretary Xi Jinping said, “China’s development ultimately depends on itself.” Specifically, China must prioritize two tasks in handling the relationship between self-reliance and opening up.

First, make breakthroughs in key core technologies. Main technological advancements aside, core technology is seen in all aspects of our lives. Eggs have become quite an ordinary part of the Chinese breakfast, but it actually involves some core technology. In the past, most of the main species of laying hens were provided by foreign countries, during an outbreak of avian influenza abroad, or a price hike at the upstream, egg supplies in China could be affected. The core breed therefore must be controlled independently in order to avoid containment from the outside. Finally, after years of cultivation, the domestic egg industry has gotten rid of the dependence on foreign breeds, and its productivity can fully meet domestic demand. Today, the Chinese eat 1.2 billion eggs every day, thanks to independent breeding over the past few years with the support of core technologies. 2023 was the third year of China’s seeding revitalization initiative, the cultivation of main seeding sources is a vivid footnote to China’s self-reliance in seed science and technology. The breakthrough of core technologies day after day in various fields is a testament to persistent efforts. Only by mastering these core technologies can we avoid being “strangled” by others, safeguard economic security, and truly achieve self-reliance.

Second, engage deeper in the global industrial chains. One may say that China has long been integrated into global industrial chains after 40 years of reform and opening up. It’s important to take note of the current changes in global industrial chains, some countries have begun to “build walls and barriers” aimed at “decoupling and breaking the chain”, which is the challenge we face. The best strategy to deal with “decoupling” is cooperation. Just like if someone wants to isolate you, the best solution is to make more friends. Therefore, China is promoting a high level of opening up to the outside world, actively expanding its circle of friends, and engaging in more in-depth cooperation with countries around the world. Therefore, China is promoting a higher level of opening up to the outside world, actively expanding its circle of friends, and engaging in more in-depth cooperation with the rest of the world. The RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) entered into effect on June 2, 2023, integrating China more deeply into the production network of the entire Asia-Pacific region. 2023 also marked the 10th anniversary of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, and China’s industrial cooperation with “Belt and Road” countries is increasingly strengthened. Only through deep participation in global industrial division of labor can China make good use of both domestic and external resources and expand the space for Chinese-style modernization.

Finally, as General Secretary Xi Jinping said, “China’s door is always open, while we must set our mind and concentrate on our own path, and we must build up such a self-confidence that we will definitely do well in our own endeavors and stand firm among all nations.” As we look to the future, with a strong sense of independence and an open mind, we will be able to promote socialist modernization and at the same time contribute to common development and prosperity of the world.