China at 70, a lesson for Uganda

BEIJING - Starting with the week of 16th this month to 1st October is a celebrations period to mark 70 years of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing.

On the streets of Beijing, military parades are often sighted especially during weekend nights with colorful rehearsals. At the great hall of the people in Tian'amen square opposite the Forbidden City, officers clad in various ceremonial uniforms are also visible.

Founded in 1949 after a long military struggle against imperialism and monarchical leadership, China under Communist Party of China (CPC) started a new journey that has been precipitated by a number of milestones with challenges notwithstanding.

Among the milestones include building China from a poorest to a second-largest economy in the world with record-breaking poverty eradication results.

In the 70 years of new china, over 700million people have been lifted out of poverty and currently, China has over 300 million middle-income citizens, a number equivalent to the entire population of the United States.

These results could not have been achieved by just one person say Chairman Mao Zedong, PRC's founding father or his comrades in arms but by sacrifice of the Chinese people.

These revolutionary leaders had a vision, a vision to make China a super economy, a vision to make every Chinese citizen live a prosperous life and a vision for an inclusive development where China wants to develop with others.

China is extending a helping hand to other countries develops with it because it knows the bitterness of poverty and doesn't wish it to any other country.

When Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni visited China in June this year, he acknowledged the contribution and the inspiration of the 1949 Chinese revolution to fight against colonialism in Africa.

"One of the three factors that enabled Africa to end these five centuries of shame (the slave-trade and the colonial times) were two happy events that took place in Europe and Asia. The first was the October communist revolution in the Soviet Union and the second was the communist party victory in China in 1949, Museveni noted.

Now that this Chinese revolution inspired Africa and Uganda as confirmed by Museveni also a revolutionary leader of Uganda's National Resistance Movement (NRM), the fruits of this revolution should also inspire Uganda by taking lessons from how they were achieved.

First China defined its policies, own thinking, economic, social and democratic order without any due external influence. This order is defined as socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The west criticise this kind of economic model, they preach capitalism against socialism. China has fortunately proved that a country can chose its own way to success without necessarily succumbing to external models.

The Chinese model with its own characteristics has brought an improved modern health, education and transport infrastructure that has built an economy from nothing to trillions.

These characteristics are defined and enforced by the Chinese people. Externally criticized but internally cherished and respected. In Uganda for instance, all politicians run to the west when they claim to have been politically tormented by the regime. This kind of practice cannot allow countries to work without obstruction.

When these politicians ascent on to power, they end up implementing the western interests and not the interests of the people they claim to lead, no country can develop with this kind of political interference because politics defines the country's priorities for development.

Uganda should learn from China that it can independently set goals, work hard and achieve them with its own economic model and political order.

Secondly, PRC prioritized decentralization and made provincial governments that effectively deliver services to the people. These provinces were created purposely for economic goals as opposed to political decentralization in many countries.

With about 33 provinces including special administrative regions, the provinces collect taxes and implement policies and programs designed and agreed upon by the CPC.

The richer provinces sometimes help those which are economically struggling. When the current President Xi Jinping was still Governor of the Fujian province in the 90's, he introduced poverty eradication programs to the neighboring province of Ningxia, lifting thousands out of poverty.

This set a great precedent for other provinces to learn how to help brothers in the struggling provinces and the CPC structures throughout the country jealously supervise these provincial governments for proper accountability to the people.

How I wish Wakiso district would design poverty eradication programs to the poor people of Kamuli or Agago!

PRC's 70years' journey is not only an inspiring story to the poor and developing countries but a great lesson to Uganda.