China Is the World’s Leading Actor in the 21st Century

Looking back, how many political parties once set out full of hope on their journey, only to be abandoned by the course of history along the way. This includes my own party — the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. Yet the Communist Party of China has withstood the test of history. Today it stands towering, leading China forward without pause, and has become the world’s largest ruling party, with over 95 million members. The Communist Party of China overcame hunger and poverty, lifting the entire nation out of destitution. The Communist Party of China led China’s development into the world’s second-largest economy. If every other region of the world could achieve what China has achieved, if the entire world could be rid of refugee tides, war, famine, racism, nationalism, and fascism, what a scene of happiness human society would be!

忆往昔，曾经有多少政党充满希望地踏上征程，途中却被历史的进程所抛弃。其中也包括我所在的政党——德国统一社会党。然而，中国共产党却经受住了历史的考验，如今她巍然屹立，领导中国不断前行，并且成为拥有9500多万党员的全世界最大执政党。中国共产党战胜了饥饿贫穷，使全国人民摆脱了贫困。中国共产党领导中国发展成为世界第二大经济体。如果全世界其他地区都能取得中国这样的成就，如果全世界都能够摆脱难民潮、战争、饥荒、种族主义、民族主义和法西斯主义，当今人类社会将是怎样的一幅幸福场景?

All of China’s friends are pleased to see that, at its Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, on the basis of the principles of historical materialism, profoundly summed up past experience and looked ahead to future tasks. The timing of this session coincided with the 30th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. On December 26, 1991, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union disintegrated from within, dissolved by its highest leadership — an act condoned by the United States. The enemies of the Soviet Union rubbed their hands in glee, believing that capitalism had defeated socialism, that it could finally dominate the world alone, and that Marxism was dead. Those bourgeois ideologues miscalculated; they did not anticipate the steady accumulation and sudden release of strength by the People’s Republic of China. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the fruit of the Communist Party of China’s adherence to the integration of Marxist theory with China’s actual conditions. The brilliant achievements of China in the last decade are inseparable from the correct leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. In essence, socialism with Chinese characteristics is also a part of the international communist movement and the workers’ movement. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has infused new content and vitality into the socialist idea. China’s history proves that such goals can only be achieved when a Marxist party holds supreme power and is guided by Marxism-Leninism.

中国所有的朋友都高兴地看到，中国共产党中央委员会在十九届六中全会上基于历史唯物主义原则，深刻总结了过去的经验，展望了未来的任务。本次会议的召开时间恰逢苏联解体30周年。1991年12月26日，苏联共产党从内部瓦解，由最高层宣布解散，这一行为得到了美国的纵容。苏联的敌人弹冠相庆，认为资本主义已经战胜了社会主义，终于可以独霸世界了，认为马克思主义已经死亡了。那些资产阶级思想家的如意算盘打错了，他们没有料到中华人民共和国的厚积薄发。中国特色社会主义是中国共产党坚持马克思主义理论与中国实际相结合的成果，中国最近十年内取得的辉煌成就离不开以习近平同志为核心的中国共产党中央委员会的正确领导。从本质上看，中国特色社会主义也是国际共产主义运动和工人运动的一部分。中国特色社会主义给社会主义理念注入了新的内容和活力。中国的历史证明，只有在马克思主义政党掌握最高权力、在马克思列宁主义的指导下，才能实现这样的目标。

I believe that the Communist Party of China’s integration of Marxism-Leninism with China’s specific realities, and its continuous development of Marxism-Leninism, has historical and contemporary significance of an international character.

我认为，中国共产党将马克思列宁主义与中国具体实际相结合，并且不断发展马列主义，其产生的历史和现实影响具有国际意义。

When I carefully read the documents of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, I felt they confirmed a basic position I have previously expressed: regarding the vanguard role in human progress, the leading actor of the 18th century was the French Revolution of 1789, the leading actor of the 20th century was the great Russian Socialist October Revolution, and the 21st century will be led by the People’s Republic of China. Socialism with Chinese characteristics will have a profound impact on the direction of world history. The German philosopher Hegel’s prophecy is quite insightful: “World history travels from ‘East’ to ‘West,’ for Europe is absolutely the end of history, Asia the beginning.”

当我仔细阅读了中共十九届六中全会的文献之后，我感到它证实了我曾经表达的基本立场：作为人类进步的先锋队角色，18世纪的主角是1789年的法国大革命，20世纪的主角是俄国伟大的社会主义十月革命，21世纪则由中华人民共和国担当主角。中国特色社会主义将对世界历史的走向产生深远影响。德国哲学家黑格尔的预言很有道理：“世界历史从‘东方’到‘西方’,因为欧洲绝对地是历史的终点，亚洲是起点。”

China has set a development goal of achieving a moderately prosperous standard of living for all its people, establishing a worthy objective for the peoples of all countries to strive for. On this earth, I see no leader of any country who can present to the entire people such a long-term development perspective as China’s leaders do — looking ahead to the bright prospects of the middle of the 21st century, the centenary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Given the various risks and challenges facing the world today, China’s exemplary power has a future value that cannot be underestimated.

中国设定了所有人生活都达到小康水平的发展目标，为全世界各国人民树立了一个值得努力奋斗的目标。在这个地球上，我看不到任何一个国家的领导人能够像中国领导人那样向全体人民展示如此长远的发展前景，即展望中华人民共和国成立100周年时的21世纪中叶的光明前景。鉴于当今世界面临着各种风险挑战，中国的榜样力量尤其具有不可低估的未来价值。

I come from a Germany that existed from 1949 to 1990, namely the German Democratic Republic. The GDR maintained friendly diplomatic relations with China from its founding to its end. The Federal Republic of Germany, on the other hand, took a long time to recognize the One-China principle and to recognize China as the sole legitimate representative in the United Nations. Even 30 years after German reunification, deep divisions still exist within Germany — not only between East and West, but also a new “Berlin Wall” within society. People’s anxieties about the future are growing day by day. In today’s capitalist society, one simply cannot feel the public welfare, collectivist spirit, social fairness, social care, social security, and solidarity that once existed in the GDR. If before 1990 Germany had two hostile systems, socialism and capitalism, today Germany once again has a dividing line caused by wealth disparities. Perhaps Marx and Engels would describe this phenomenon as the contradictory relationship between wage labor and capital.

我来自一个曾经于1949年至1990年存在过的德国，即德意志民主共和国。民主德国从成立到终结都与中国保持着友好的外交关系。而联邦德国则用了很长时间才承认一个中国的原则，以及承认中国是联合国唯一合法代表。即使在两德合并30年之后，德国仍然存在着深深的分裂现象，不仅在东部与西部之间，而且在社会中存在着一道新的“柏林墙”。人们对未来的担忧与日俱增。在当今资本主义社会中，根本就感受不到当年民主德国的公共福利、集体主义精神、社会公平、社会关怀、社会安全感和团结精神。如果说1990年之前的德国存在着社会主义与资本主义两大敌对的体制，如今的德国重新出现了因财富差异而形成的分水岭，或许马克思和恩格斯会把这种现象描述为雇佣劳动与资本之间的矛盾关系。

In December 2021, the Federal Republic of Germany formed a government of three parties in coalition. People call it the three-color “traffic light” government: red for the Social Democratic Party, green for the Green Party, and yellow for the Free Democratic Party. The new federal government came into being at a time of escalating international tensions and renewed intensification of the situation in Europe. The Green Party’s entry into government reminds me of the Green Party foreign minister from 1998 to 2005, Joschka Fischer. Foreign Minister Fischer granted legitimacy to the German military’s first participation in combat operations since the Second World War — namely, the deployment of German troops in the NATO-led Kosovo War.

2021年12月，德意志联邦共和国组成了一个由三党联合执政的政府。人们称之为三色“交通灯”政府：红色指社会民主党，绿色指绿党，黄色指自由民主党。新联邦政府产生的时刻，正值国际紧张形势升级、欧洲局势再度激化之时。绿党加入政府行列，使我回忆起1998年至2005年时的绿党籍外交部长约斯卡·菲舍尔(Joschka Fischer)。菲舍尔外长给予德军在第二次世界大战之后第一次参与战争行动的合法性，那就是德军部队参与了北约发动的科索沃战争。

Germany’s new female foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, also seems intent on maintaining this tradition of the Green Party. She promotes what she calls a “values-based foreign policy,” which in the end amounts to exporting “German values” to other countries, thereby interfering in their sovereign affairs. In comparison, former Chancellor Angela Merkel was clever enough to know that such crude anti-communist rhetoric and actions were of no use whatsoever to Germany’s pursuit of economic and trade interests. Ms. Baerbock intends to fundamentally change Merkel’s course. She has sworn to take a tough stance toward China. Such an approach will inflict the most severe and real damage on German interests. Pursuing NATO’s anti-China strategy is a policy that ignores all of Germany’s historical lessons and heads toward the brink of disaster. It is precisely because of this stance that she was welcomed during her recent visit to NATO headquarters.

德国新任女外长贝尔伯克(Annalena Baerbock)似乎也将维持绿党的这一传统。她宣传其所谓的“以价值观为导向的外交政策”,实际上最终是要将“德国的价值观”出口到其他国家去，从而介入他国的主权事务。与之相比，前总理默克尔(Angela Merkel)就足够聪明，知道这类粗野的反共言行根本无助于德国追求经济与贸易利益。贝尔伯克女士意图根本改变默克尔的路线。她信誓旦旦地宣称要对中国展示强硬。这种做法将对德国利益造成最激烈、最真实的破坏。奉行北约的反华战略，是无视德国所有历史教训、走向灾难边缘的一种政策。正是因为这一立场，她在最近访问北约总部时受到了欢迎。

Admittedly, the Federal Republic of Germany is not the German Empire, and today’s generations bear no responsibility for the imperialist policies Germany once inflicted upon China. But history should not be forgotten. Just over 100 years ago, Kaiser Wilhelm II, when seeing off the Imperial German Navy troops on their expedition to Qingdao, gave the order to shoot at the Chinese people, declaring that the Chinese should “no longer dare to look askance at any German!” It is also for this historical reason that I consider the recent dispatch of a German Navy frigate to the South China Sea to be a provocative act. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that socialism with Chinese characteristics not only strengthens its economic power but also possesses the military capability to defend against aggressive imperialism.

诚然，联邦德国不是德意志帝国，今天的几代人也无须为帝国主义德国对中国犯下的罪恶政策承担责任，但是不应忘记历史。仅仅在100多年前，德国的威廉二世皇帝在为远征青岛的德意志帝国海军官兵送行时曾经下达过向中国人开枪的命令，他要让中国人“不敢再斜视任何德国人!”也是由于这一历史原因，我认为德国海军近期派遣一艘护卫舰前往南中国海的做法是一种挑衅行为。因此，至关重要的是中国特色社会主义不仅要在经济上增强实力，而且也应具备防范侵略性帝国主义的军事实力。

What has impressed me deeply is that China has presented a detailed and balanced peace plan to the peoples of the world. I read with great interest the content of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s call at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China for building “a community with a shared future for mankind.” In his speech, he pledged that China will never develop itself at the expense of other countries’ interests, nor will it give up its legitimate rights. No one should expect China to swallow the bitter fruit that harms its own interests. China pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. China’s development does not pose a threat to any country. No matter what stage of development it reaches, China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion. This is a proactive and humane declaration of future development prospects, a firm response to the months of Western clamor about the “China threat theory.”

令我印象深刻的是，中国向全世界人民提出了一份详尽、平衡的和平计划。我以极大的兴趣阅读了习近平总书记在中国共产党第十九次全国代表大会上呼吁建设“人类命运共同体”的内容。他在讲话中承诺，中国决不会以牺牲别国利益为代价来发展自己，也决不放弃自己的正当权益，任何人不要幻想让中国吞下损害自身利益的苦果。中国奉行防御性的国防政策。中国发展不对任何国家构成威胁。中国无论发展到什么程度，永远不称霸，永远不搞扩张。这是主动地、人道地宣示未来发展的前景，是对西方几个月以来连篇累牍鼓吹“中国威胁论”的坚定回应。

Although China is Germany’s number one trading partner, Germany’s portrayal of China’s image remains far removed from China’s actual conditions. Western neoliberals go to great lengths to vilify the socialist China-proposed “Belt and Road Initiative,” which is based on equality and mutual benefit, because what they find most intolerable is that China’s leading force is the Communist Party of China. What they most hope to see is a China without the Communist Party. Their propaganda stirs up nationalism and anti-China, xenophobic sentiments. Their conduct does not serve Germany’s interests. Here, I recall a remark by August Bebel, the 19th-century leader of the German Social Democratic Party: if my enemy praises me, it means I have certainly made a mistake. Reasoning in reverse implies: the more frenziedly, absurdly, and stupidly Western politicians and their media vilify China, the more clearly it shows that the People’s Republic of China is taking the correct path. This was especially evident in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. China controlled the pandemic better than Western countries. If the COVID-19 pandemic persists over the long term, people will face a series of questions: How will we survive in the future? Can we replace a society of deceit and scheming with one of solidarity and mutual assistance? Can we replace the exploitative class’s law of the jungle—the strong devouring the weak—with socialist humanitarianism? As early as a century ago, the German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg, in her book *The Crisis of Social Democracy* (i.e., the *Junius Pamphlet*, April 1916), quoted a famous saying of Engels: “bourgeois society stands at a crossroads: either the transition to socialism or regression to barbarism.” [1]1 This quotation is attributed to Friedrich Engels, as cited by Rosa Luxemburg in her 1916 pamphlet *The Crisis of Social Democracy* (the *Junius Pamphlet*). The exact phrasing varies; the author presents it as a characterization of the dilemma facing bourgeois society. China has already extricated itself from this dilemma; China has already made its choice. This country is advancing on the bright road of socialism, and other countries will follow. (Notes omitted)

尽管中国是德国的头号贸易伙伴，但是德国对中国形象的宣传仍然远离中国的现实状况。西方新自由主义者极力丑化社会主义中国提出的平等互利的“一带一路”倡议，因为他们最不能忍受的是中国的领导力量是中国共产党。他们最希望看到一个没有共产党的中国。他们的宣传挑唆民族主义和仇华反华的情绪。他们的行径并不符合德国的利益。在此，我想起了19世纪德国社会民主党领导人奥古斯特·倍倍尔(August Bebel)所说的一句话，如果我的敌人表扬我，那就说明我肯定犯了一个错误。逆向推理则意味着：西方政治家及其媒体越是丧心病狂、愚蠢荒唐地丑化中国，就越能清楚地表明，中华人民共和国走的是一条正确的道路。尤其是在应对新冠肺炎疫情时更为一目了然。中国比西方国家更好地控制住了疫情。如果新冠肺炎疫情长期持续下去，人们就会面对一系列问题：我们未来将如何生存下去?能不能用一个团结互助的社会取代那个尔虞我诈的社会?能不能以社会主义的人道主义取代剥削阶级弱肉强食的虎狼逻辑?早在一个世纪之前，德国革命家罗莎·卢森堡(Rosa Luxemburg)女士就在《社会民主党的危机》(即《尤尼乌斯小册子》,1916年4月)一书中引用了恩格斯的一句名言，“资产阶级社会面临着一种两难处境：不是向社会主义过渡，就是向野蛮状态倒退”。中国已经摆脱了进退维谷的两难境地，中国已经作出了抉择。这个国家正走在社会主义的光明大道上，其他国家也将跟随而来。（注释略）

[Egon Krenz is former General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and Chairman of the Council of State of the German Democratic Republic; Wang Jianzheng is Senior Advisor to the China International Strategic Studies Association]

【埃贡·克伦茨(Egon Krenz)系前民主德国统一社会党总书记、国务委员会主席;王建政,中国国际战略学会高级顾问】

Online Editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑