Nation helping solve puzzle of global modernization

Participants in the C Star African Youth Innovation Entrepreneurship program, sponsored by China Merchants Foundation, pose for a photo while visiting the headquarters of online service provider Meituan in Beijing in June, 2023. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Development miracle

Stevius Mfuko, a Tanzania Airports Authority human resources and administration officer, said: "It was my dream not only to study in China but also to learn about the reform and opening-up initiated by Deng Xiaoping in the 1970s. This marked the start of significant economic reforms, and opening China to foreign trade and investment leading to rapid economic growth and modernization."

Mfuko, who obtained a master's degree in public administration from ISSCAD, said, "We not only learned theoretical concepts in class, but also visited Shenzhen, which is a prime example of China's rapid development (as it) transformed from a small fishing village into a major global business and financial center."

"The knowledge and insights gained from China's development experience will enable me to contribute effectively to Tanzania's own development initiatives and apply the lessons learned about economic reforms, infrastructure development, and efficient public administration to help foster sustainable growth and development in Tanzania," he said.

Zhou Yongmei, director of global partnership at ISSCAD, said, "China is indeed a 'shining star' among developing countries in terms of sustainable growth and poverty reduction in the past four decades."

"China's success makes people curious," she said, adding that "if you want to identify a development strategy, China stands out as an inspiration."

Through the study program, foreign students were taken to Shenzhen, Guangdong province, to learn about its development from a fishing village to a megacity. They also traveled to Pingyu in Henan province to learn how the impoverished county became a destination for industries looking to relocate from coastal provinces, where labor costs had become too high.

"It inspired the students to see how such a county, without a solid industrial foundation, realized development," the professor said.

Ethiopia's Government Communication Services Minister Legesse Tulu said China now leads the world in fields such as electronics, vehicles, and renewable energy thanks to its emphasis on innovation.

He gained his position after graduating from Peking University with a PhD, and his job includes providing citizens with government information and enabling them to engage in issues of public interest.

"The ambitious objectives … to improve China's manufacturing capacity and lessen reliance on foreign technology, impressed me," he said.

The country demonstrates its strategic approach to international economic relations through its involvement in global trade, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative, Tulu said. "It's also impressive how fast the government can change its policy in reaction to economic difficulties," he added.

"I find it significant that the implementation of environmental fees to tackle pollution demonstrates a commitment to sustainable growth," he said.

"These instances highlight China's economic policies' depth and breadth, as well as their effects on sustainability and the world economy."