Chinese President: We Will Open Our Economy More to Foreign Companies

The National Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China, held every ten years, began on Wednesday with a speech by Xi Jinping, the current leader of the country. In the opening ceremony of this congress, the President of China praised efforts to combat corruption in state institutions and emphasized that Beijing 'will not close its doors to the world' and that China's economy will be more welcoming than ever. Xi Jinping, addressing 2,300 representatives of the Communist Party from across China gathered in Beijing, stated, 'Opening up will bring us progress... China will not close its doors to the world; we will only become more and more open.' The remarks of the leader of the People's Republic of China are seen as an alternative to the policies of the President of the United States. International media outlets suggest that these statements indicate Beijing's intention to position itself as a 'leader' in globalization in response to Donald Trump's 'America First' policy. Xi Jinping stated that all those who trade in the country will be treated 'equally.' However, these statements have critics in Europe and the United States who argue that this is not the case in practice. Reports indicate that American and European companies have raised various criticisms regarding lack of access to certain sectors and forced technology partnerships with domestic competitors in China. Donald Trump, who is set to visit China next month, has currently ordered investigations into how 'intellectual property' is handled in China. Intellectual property grants creators the right to benefit from their ideas, and although it is not a tangible object, it is tradable. In other parts of his speech, the President of China called for further development in the technology sector and stated that his country will create a globally competitive military. Xi Jinping mentioned, 'With hard work over a long time, Chinese socialism has entered a new arena; now a new historical period in our country's development begins.' The latest Congress of the Communist Party of China comes at a time when the country continues to face widespread criticism regarding its handling of political and religious freedoms, censorship, pressure on journalists, and the civil society space. China has one of the most extensive and powerful censorship networks in cyberspace, known as the 'Great Firewall,' a play on words with the Great Wall of China and the wall of censorship in cyberspace. Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and civil rights activist in China, died of cancer while in police custody. Various reports have emerged regarding pressures on different believers, including Muslims, Buddhists, and others in the country. In a few days in 2015, dozens of human rights lawyers and activists in China were detained, interrogated, or disappeared. This ongoing trend, now referred to as the '709 crackdown,' is considered one of the worst of its kind in dealing with the legal community in contemporary times. China faces criticism for its interference in the affairs of others, including Taiwan, which is governed independently and democratically but is viewed by Beijing as a 'rebellious province.' Neighboring countries in the South China Sea have repeatedly accused Beijing of increasing military activities and controlling islands that other countries also claim ownership of. There is currently no doubt that Xi Jinping will be retained as President of China for another five years. However, what has drawn more attention is to what extent he will maintain his allies, and whether the Congress will move towards continuing his leadership after the end of his ten-year term. Will Xi Jinping claim the title 'Lingxiu,' meaning leader or chief, in the coming days; a title that has previously only been given to Mao Zedong and Hua Guofeng, the former being the founder of the People's Republic of China and the latter his successor?