Chinese Dream
The Chinese Dream, also called the China Dream, is a term closely associated with Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and China's paramount leader. Xi began promoting the phrase as a slogan during a high-profile tour of an exhibit at the National Museum of China in November 2012, shortly after he became leader of the CCP. The exhibit at that time was called the "Road to National Rejuvenation". Xi said that the Chinese Dream is the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation".
Since then, the use of the phrase has become widespread in official announcements and it has also been characterized as the embodiment of the leadership's political ideology under Xi Jinping. Their strategic implementation closely ties to two significant milestones: the centenary of the CCP's founding in 2021 and the centenary of the People's Republic of China in 2049. During the "First Century", Xi's short-term goal was to achieve a moderately prosperous society by the centenary of the CCP's founding in 2021. This involves doubling the GDP per capita income from its 2010 level by 2020, which is part of the broader prospect for improving living standards and eradicating poverty, a key component of the "China Dream."
As for the "Second Century", its long-term goal extends to the centenary of the People's Republic of China in 2049. The objective is for China to become a "modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, and harmonious.", including other political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions. Xi said that young people should "dare to dream, work assiduously to fulfill the dreams and contribute to the revitalization of the nation." There are various connotations and interpretations of the term. The concept of the Chinese Dream is part of the inspiration for the Belt and Road Initiative and Made in China 2025.
History
Chinese literature
The phrase "Chinese Dream" corresponds with the associated idea of a hope for restoring earlier dynasties lost national greatness and has ancient origins in Chinese literary and intellectual history. In the Classic of Poetry, the poem "Flowing Spring" describes a poet waking up in despair after dreaming of the former Western Zhou dynasty. During the troubled Southern Song dynasty, the poet Zheng Sixiao wrote a poem in which he coined the phrase "Heart full of Chinese Dream, the ancient poem 'Flowing Spring'", referring back to the classical poem. Popular patriotic literary and theatrical works in early 20th century China also made reference to a "China Dream".Western literature
In 2010, author Helen H. Wang published her book The Chinese Dream, which was translated into Chinese and published in China in 2011. In 2012, the second edition of The Chinese Dream with a foreword by Lord Wei was published. He wrote:''The New York Times''
The British publication The Economist credits a column written by the American journalist Thomas Friedman for popularizing the term in China. A translation of Friedman's article, "China Needs Its Own Dream," published in The New York Times was widely popular in China. Friedman attributes the phrase to Peggy Liu, the founder of the environmentalist NGO JUCCCE. According to Isaac Stone Fish, former Asia editor for the magazine Foreign Policy, Friedman said, "I only deserve part credit... ensuing the concept of 'China Dream' was promoted by my friend Peggy Liu, as the motto for her NGO about how to introduce Chinese to the concept of sustainability."James Fallows of The Atlantic has pointed out that the phrase has frequently been used in the past by journalists. He mentions Deborah Fallows' book Dreaming in Chinese, his own article "What Is the Chinese Dream?," and Gerald Lemos' book The End of the Chinese Dream as examples. In response to Fallows, The Economist cites an article in the Xinhua Daily Telegraph that directly credits Friedman.
The Economist writes that references to Friedman's article have also appeared in other Chinese media outlets, including a translation in Reference News, in an article written for China's State Council Information Office, on the cover of the magazine Oriental Outlook as the main caption, in a magazine article published by Frontline, and in an article for a local newspaper written by China's ambassador to Romania, Huo Yuzhen.
In the preface of the Oriental Outlook "Chinese Dream" issue, the editor states that "the 18th national congress of the Chinese Communist Party convened November 8th. "Does the next generation of Chinese leaders have a 'Chinese Dream' that is different from the "American Dream"?.... This was a question raised by one of America's most influential media figures, Thomas Friedman."
Xi Jinping
Shortly after becoming General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in late 2012, Xi announced a political slogan that developed into a major theme of administration discourse: "Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation in modern times." Formulated by Wang Huning, Xi's Chinese Dream is described as achieving the Two Centenaries: the material goal of China becoming a "moderately well-off society" by 2021, the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, and the modernization goal of China becoming a fully developed nation by about 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.Xi's initial formulation of the Chinese Dream concept was later expanded, and published in English as:
Xi's view is that "China is in the best development period since modern times and the world is in a state of the profound change on a scale unseen in a century." On this belief, Xi contends that "time and momentum are on China's side" citing: the accelerating rise of emerging and developing countries, the rate of new technologies replacing old ones, and changing patterns of global governance.
Xi's use of the slogan ties national and personal prosperity together to evoke a patriotic goal based on Chinese peoples' efforts to build better lives for their families. In May 2013, Xi Jinping called upon young people "to dare to dream, work assiduously to fulfill the dreams and contribute to the revitalization of the nation." He called upon all levels of the Party and the government to facilitate favorable conditions for their career development. Xi told young people to "cherish the glorious youth, strive with pioneer spirit and contribute their wisdom and energy to the realization of the Chinese dream."
According to an opinion piece by Robert Lawrence Kuhn, published by China's state-controlled newspaper China Daily, the Chinese Dream has four parts: "strong China", "civilized China", "harmonious China", and "beautiful China". Khun states, "the Chinese dream is described as achieving the 'Two 100s'", a concept promoted by Xi Jinping, adding, "The material goal of China becoming a 'moderately well-off society' by about 2020" and "The modernization goal of China becoming a fully developed nation by about 2050".
The Economist reported that Xi "had seen the American dream up close, having spent a couple of weeks in 1985 with a rural family in Iowa. " Since the idea was put forward by Xi in November 2012 and repeated by him on numerous important occasions, the CCP's propaganda chief, Liu Yunshan, has directed that the concept of the Chinese Dream be incorporated into school textbooks.
In an article for the Huffington Post, French sinologist David Gosset presented the idea that the so-called "Liyuan Style" is an illustration of the China Dream. Gosset said that China's new First Lady Peng Liyuan is at the intersection of what he labeled "Modern China," "Civilizational China", and "Global China".
Interpretations
The Chinese Dream is vaguely defined, and has led to multiple interpretations describing the phrase's meaning. Although the content of the Chinese Dream is described variously, the phrase generally describes a set of aspirational qualities, values, and goals for the Chinese nation and people. Its articulation by Xi has led to an outpouring of commentary.Economic and political reform
The core task of the China Dream is economic development. The primary means of developing the economy pursuant to the China dream is infrastructure development, including via the Belt and Road Initiative.Some government officials and activists view the Chinese Dream as a need for economic and political reform. Sustaining China's economic growth requires economic reform encompassing urbanization, the reduction of government bureaucracy, and weakening the power of special interests. Chinese liberals have defined the Chinese Dream as a dream of constitutionalism. Southern Weekly, a liberal newspaper based in Guangzhou, attempted to publish an editorial titled "The Chinese dream: a dream of constitutionalism" which advocated the separation of powers, but was censored by the authorities.
Both Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang support economic reform, but have shied away from discussing political reform. Premier Li has said that "But however deep the water may be, we will wade into the water. This is because we have no alternative. Reform concerns the destiny of our country and the future of our nation." According to official CCP sources, the Chinese Dream is the "essence of Socialism with Chinese characteristics."
In October 2013, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, described the Chinese Dream as a political reform that includes "rebalancing from investment to consumption."
Financial inclusion is an important component of Xi's view of the Chinese Dream.
Sustainable development
The China Dream has been defined as sustainable development. Peggy Liu and the NGO JUCCCE coined the phrase "China Dream" as a movement based on sustainability, which was later popularized in China through a New York Times article and adopted by Xi Jinping. Pollution and food safety are significant concerns in China. China's rising middle class is expected to increase by 500 million people by 2025 and will continue to put a strain on the country's dwindling resources. Xi Jinping's conception of the Chinese Dream has incorporated the idea of ecological civilization and increased its prominence.According to Liu, the Chinese Dream of sustainability can be achieved through the promotion of green technologies and the reduction of widespread conspicuous consumption. China's high growth has caused widespread environmental damage, and without environmental reforms, the deterioration could threaten the legitimacy of the CCP. The Chinese Dream is a dream of a prosperous lifestyle reconciled with a sustainable lifestyle. According to academic Zhang Yiwu's articulation, "Chinese citizens have expressed a desire for both continued economic development and increased environmental protection. People need both cars and blue skies. How to achieve a balance between these two interests is a long-term challenge for the government."