Addressing the BRICS Business Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 25, President Xi Jinping said: "Success comes only through hard work." He used this old Chinese saying to describe the arduous journey China has taken and the remarkable achievements it has made.

When the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, its gross national product was a mere $10 billion and it had almost no heavy industries. Thanks to the self-reliant and hardworking Chinese people, the country has climbed high up on the global political and economic ladder.

When China faced a serious crisis with its economy on the verge of collapse in the late 1970s, it made the strategic choice of making economic development its central task and adopted the policy of reform and opening-up. This economic policy has helped China to become the world's second-largest economy, and take historic leaps forward in science and technology, as well as to boost its national defense and comprehensive national strength.

Today, China is on road to fulfill its goal of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way by 2020.

Still, to be certain of realizing that goal, China has to transform its extensive but inefficient economic development model to make it more effective, transition to high-quality development, and bridge the development gaps between urban and rural areas and between the eastern and western regions.
In fact, the building of a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way entails tough measures to defuse, if not altogether eliminate, major risks, carry out targeted poverty alleviation programs, prevent and control pollution, and deepen reform in all areas.

However, some people are loath to see China's development, and refuse to accept the fact that more than 1.3 billion people are living a better life, as they believe in unilateralism, protectionism and trade bullying. Which are challenges China has to overcome.

China, however, is confident of meeting those challenges, as it is still one of those countries with the strongest development momentum, the highest potential and greatest tenacity in an era that has created historic opportunities, which could lead to unlimited possibilities.

China stands firm, as socialism with Chinese characteristics provides the fundamental institutional guarantee for progress and development in these times, and building a community with a shared future and shared interests with win-win cooperation has become the common aspiration of the people and an irresistible trend.

Yet some people still choose to oppose that trend and betray humankind just to fulfill their selfish agenda by building tariff barriers and holding on to their hegemony. In the end, however, they would be hoist by their own petard.
China may be experiencing some rain and storm today, but nothing is going to stop the Chinese people from pursuing a better life and building a brighter future.

This is an excerpt translated from a Chinese language article published by People's Daily on Tuesday.