W.Minh Tuan
In 2003, China’s GDP was only 1,400 billion USD, per capita income was only 1,000 USD/year. After only nearly 8 years, by 2011, their GDP had increased more than 3 times, 5,700 billion USD, the second largest in the world, taking over the position that the Japanese occupied for 43 years.
China’s GDP in 2022 is 11,000 billion USD, per capita income is 9,000 USD, 4 times ours Vietnamese.
Their growth rate is always above 8%/year.
Very admirable.
And their defense industry is truly amazing.
Infantry guns, aircraft, cannons, tanks, warships, submarines, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, they can all produce themselves, with quite sophisticated technology.
China built a high-speed railway, failed, tried again, and now they are quite successful. They dare to make the most modern technology in the world. And if you do it, there may will be mistakes and failures. But “failure is the mother of success”, Uncle Ho also taught the Vietnamese people like that.
In early 2016, China just signed a contract with Spain to build a high-speed railway connecting China and Spain, over 15,000 km long, the longest railway system in the world, passing through more than a dozen countries.
Very proud. And our Vietnam’s National Assembly rejected building a high-speed railway that Japan Government want to help.
A nation that defeated the Yuan army three times, won the Ming, won the Qing, dared to fight the French, and won the French. Dare to fight America, and win against America. Victory over Pol Pot on the southern border, victory over China on the northern border.
Yet now the heroic Vietnamese people are afraid to build high-speed railways, and they loudly laugh at others for building high-speed railways.
The French, more than 100 years ago, dared to decide to build a railway in Vietnam. At that time, Vietnam’s economy had almost nothing, the main passengers on the train were women selling rice, bananas, and chickens, duck,,,.
But just a few years later, it was that railway system that made Vietnam’s economy develop, and when our Communist State gained independent and managed the country, that railway system was extremely useful.
If the French 100 years ago were as hesitant and fearful as our heroic National Assembly today, we probably wouldn’t have a railway right now.
The Japanese are just like the Chinese, in the beginning they just copied technology from other countries, and failed a lot. But the Japanese were silent, patient, with iron determination, not afraid of failure, so the Japanese succeeded.
And now, the Japanese are secretly watching the Chinese developes the high-speed rail system, and the Japanese are really worried.
That is the reason why China has developed so rapidly that the whole world is in awe.
Remember in 1978, when China started to innovate, they were still inferior to us Vietnam in everything. The Cultural Revolution and Mao Zedong’s All People Make Iron and Steel campaign for more than 10 years exhausted them. At that time, their GDP was just over 300 billion dollars, their population was 800 million, and their per capita income at that time was still lower than ours Vietnam.
Yet, now, after more than 40 years, they and I are worlds apart.
In the previous war with the Americans, we Vietnam were inferior to America in every way, but we had the Socialist faction behind us, supporting all war materials, free weapons, even sugar, milk, and flour, noodles, clothes,,,.All were free of charge, no money.
Now, we Vietnam are alone, buying all the weapons ourself, and no one is giving us free aid anymore.
If we want to deal with a Big Dear Friend, first we must humbly learn from their good things, then let’s talk about dealing with them.
What is their good point in developing the country of China?
First, in 1980, China established 5 Special Economic Development Zones, namely Shenzhen (General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong of our Party visited Shenzhen on October 14, 2015), Zhuhai, Shantou, of Guangdong province, Xiamen of Fujian province and Hainan.
Then, in 1984, China opened 14 more coastal cities, becoming “open” cities: Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Tianjin, Yantai, Chengdao, Lianyungang, Nan Tong, Shanghai, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, and Beihai.
In 1985, China continued to build “open economic zones“, namely the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Southern Fujian Delta, Shandong Peninsula, Liaodong Peninsula, Hebei province, and Guo Autonomous Region West, forming an open coastal economic belt.
Since 1992, China has reopened its mainland “open” economic zones, building 15 Bonded Zones, 49 State-level High-Tech Economic Development Zones, and 53 Industrial Development Zones, local high-end technology.
What are “open economic zones” and “special economic zones”?
It is an area with open and airy policies, low taxes, simple administrative procedures, non-draconian laws, and a business environment as free as the same as of developed capitalist countries, even in many aspects are more freer than other countries.
For example, corporate tax in China is currently only about 18%, among the lowest in the world, while that of the US, Germany, France, is about 25% to 35%, and Japan’s is the highest in the world, about 41%.
China dares to allow some private company owners to join the Communist Party of China, and in the near future, a number of Chinese millionaires and billionaires will be included as members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
That will help change the color of the Chinese Communist Party.
These things have created the strength and attractiveness of the Chinese economy today.
So far, it can be said that China has fully opened its economy, with open policies, attracting foreign investment, and stimulating the domestic economy.
In terms of the open business environment, in terms of simplified administrative procedures, in terms of the professionalism of state employees, and in terms of attractive low tax rates, China is considered one of the most attractive economies in the world.
Thanks to that, each year China attracts about 100 billion dollars of foreign investment capital. Vietnam attracts about 10 billion each year.
Our Party Vietnam has also repeatedly considered building Special Economic Zones. We have heard that Hai Phong, Chu Lai-Da Nang, etc. may be allowed to build open Special Economic Zones.
However, the discussion continued until now, at the end of 2016, we saw the opening of the Van Don – Quang Ninh area only.
If we follow China’s example and all coastal provinces become Open Economic Zones, it can be said that our GDP Vietnam will now not be flat at 300 billion USD in 2022, but mabe at 500 billion USD, 1000 billion USD, or more.
Singapore has 5 million people, an area is smaller than our Hanoi, and its GDP in 2022 was more than 460 billion USD, 1.5 times more than ours Vietnam. If we open up and establish open coastal Special Economic Zones, our coastal provinces can form several zones as big as of Singapore. Vietnamese economy will large as of 5 times of Singapre.
Japan, from 1945 to 1968, after 23 years, rose from the ashes of war to number two in the world in terms of economy, and held that position for 43 years, until February 2011, just surpassed by China.
Because the whole of Japan is an open economic zone, not just a few zones like China. Our country Vietnam has been reformed DOI MOI since 1986, until now, 2022, it has been 40 years, but it is still doing well at a slightly above poverty level.
China has a political system of one Party leadership, but multi-Party consultation.
Saying that China has many parties, many Vietnamese people probably don’t believe it.
China’s Political Consultation Conference, which we call Chinh Hiep, is an organization similar to Vietnam’s Fatherland Front-Mat Tran To Quoc, and its main task is to consult with other Chinese political parties and organizations. China, united under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
The current Chairman of the Chinese Politburo is Mr. Jia Khanh Lam, member of the Politburo, who welcomed our comrade Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2011.
China currently has 8 other Parties and Political Organizations below:
1-The Workers’ and Peasants’ Democratic Party of China, founded in 1930, currently has 80,000 members.
2-Chinese Zhi Gong Party, founded in 1925, currently has 20,000 members.
3-Cuu Tam commune, a political organization of intellectuals, not a mass organization like ours in Vietnam, founded in 1946, currently has 80,000 members.
4-Taiwan Democratic Autonomous Alliance, established in 1947, currently has 1,800 members.
5-The China Association for the Promotion of Democracy, also of intellectuals, founded in 1945, currently has 81,000 members.
6-The Chinese Association for Democratic National Construction, founded in 1945, by patriotic businessmen, currently has 85,000 members.
7-The Nationalist Party Revolutionary Committee, founded in 1948, by democratic figures, currently has 650,000 members.
8-The Chinese Democratic Alliance, founded in 1941, of workers and intellectuals, currently has 156,000 members.
Until now, no any these parties and assocciations desolved, they are still existed and.
Of course, compared to the over 300 million members of the Chinese Communist Party, the hundreds of thousands of members of the eight political parties and organizations mentioned above are just ornamental plants.
But it is a bonsai that is also worth studying.
China dared to execute the Secretary of the Shanghai Party Committee and Politburo member for corruption.
Our country once had two other brother parties, united with the communist party to develop the country.
These are the Democratic Party, founded in 1944, and the Socialist Party, founded in 1946, composed of patriotic intellectuals.
By 1988, these two parties disbanded themselves.
The Vietnam Democratic Party has famous party members such as Nghiem Xuan Yem, General Secretary and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly during the 1981-1987 period. Vu Dinh Hoe, Minister of Justice, Nguyen Van Huyen, Minister of Education.
The Socialist Party has famous party members such as Nguyen Xien, General Secretary, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Hoang Minh Giam, Minister Foreign Minister.
President Ho Chi Minh always reminded our party to be humble and learn.
General Tran Hung Dao wrote the book “Essentials of War”, which talks about military tactics, absorbed a lot of Chinese combat knowledge, and developed his own military techniques.
Now, with China’s great development in both economy and defense, we should also humbly learn.
There’s no shame here.
We have been studying America and France, which is our old enemy, but why are we now embarrassed when it comes to studying China?
Some of our “patriots-straw heroes” even loudly cursed “the Chinese have nothing to learn”.
Calm down.
We don’t know who is more patriotic than the other.
But before confronting with them, please calmly learn how to make their delicious ca la thau dish.
To learn them, to develop better than them, to protect the sea and islands, to preserve a 4,000-year-old civilization, that is the greatness of our Vietnamese people.
If you continue to blow your own trumpet and praise yourself like now, if you succeed a little then you boast that you has reach to the high sky, then the only thing you can do is continue to beg and need for ODA from the world.