When Francisco Javier Ayllon Piquero, a Spanish expert at the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, first encountered the term "debut economy" in a Chinese-to-Spanish translation work, he was unsure of its exact meaning.

His confusion was resolved when he saw a news segment on TV about U.S. ice cream and fast food giant Dairy Queen opening a hot food restaurant in Shanghai.

How brands, both domestic and international, are opening their first stores serves as a perfect example illustrating the debut economy. The concept is also about the unveiling of other new things, such as a product, service or technology. Subsequently, he was able to identify the appropriate Spanish term for this concept.

Piquero shared this insight on August 6 at the Hong Ting Forum themed Understanding the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

There, he represented the translators who had worked on the resolution adopted at the plenary session, known for setting long-term strategic directions and policies, which took place in Beijing on July 15-18.

In his opinion, translating China's official government documents is also a way of telling the country's stories. "Sharing stories about China is a way to deepen our understanding of the country," he said at the forum.

For the majority

Co-organized by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee and Xinhua News Agency, the Hong Ting Forum is a think tank event that presents new concepts, categories and expressions of the CPC's history and theory to the international community.

Over 200 diplomatic envoys in China, think tank experts and reporters from over 60 countries attended the event both online and in person.

Fu Hua, President of Xinhua News Agency and Chairman of the Academic Committee of Xinhua Institute, stated in his speech that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed more than 300 important measures to further deepen China's reform comprehensively. They define the key tasks for advancing Chinese modernization in the coming period.

At the forum, Piquero also shared a story from a recent trip to Kashgar in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China. "I saw the word 'Guangdong' appear on many boards on the street and wondered why," he said. Then he learned it was due to a pairing program that dates back to the 1990s. Through this program, developed regions pair up with less developed areas to support their development. Guangdong Province in south China has been paired with Kashgar. Piquero cited this as a good example of how China's development efforts are aimed not at a small portion of the population, but all of its people.

Echoing Piquero's observation, Aldonov F. Alvarez, Ambassador of El Salvador to China, said China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity and has sets a model of peace, friendship, development and unity for many other countries.

Ni Siyi, Director of the International News Department at Xinhua News Agency, said he had visited Kazakhstan and Tajikistan twice—once five years ago and again this year, and observed considerable development in both countries after they participated in the China-initiated Belt and Road Initiative. The China-proposed initiative aims to boost connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.

"To truly understand a country, one must not only see it with his or her own eyes but also view it within a broader context," he remarked.

Key to development

At the Hong Ting Forum, China's reform was viewed in a broader context. Qu Qingshan, President of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, stressed at the forum that the most recent third plenary session represents a milestone in China's history.

"If we consider the entire history of China's reform and opening up, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978 stands out as the first milestone, for ever since 'reform' has been the keyword driving China's development," he said, adding that the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in 2012 marked the second milestone, introducing "comprehensively deepening reform" as the new guiding principle.

Piquero shared insights from his personal experiences, having lived in China for over two decades. When he first arrived in Beijing in 2003, the capital boasted only three subway lines, each represented by a distinct color on the subway map. "As the subway network has continued to expand, now I can't even count how many colors are on the subway map," he joked.

Moreover, blue skies have become a common sight, a stark contrast to just a few years ago. "One day before this forum, one of my colleagues told me that he plans to sell his air purifier," Ni from Xinhua said. When Ni asked just who would buy it, the colleague replied that "a garbage collector might," given no one needs one now.

"This is unbelievable because a decade ago, Beijing was always blanketed in smog and air purifiers were in great demand. Who would have thought that Beijing residents no longer need air purifiers now," he remarked.

Ni also noted that at some international events he attended in recent years, the focus often centered on the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and he was frequently asked which side he supported. "However, for many developing countries, there are more urgent and important issues than taking sides in regional conflicts," he said.

"Looking around the world, what sets China apart is its ability to continuously push forward with one thing for over 40 years: reform," Ni said. He added that he believes these efforts have provided a strong foundation for Chinese modernization and can inject valuable certainty into a world filled with turmoil and uncertainty. 

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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