Interview: Theoretical breakthroughs, bold reforms in practice contribute to China's successes over past 40 years, Vietnamese expert

"The breakthroughs in theory, bold reforms in practice, the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics over the past 40 years have helped change the face of China," a Vietnamese expert told Xinhua.

Do Tien Sam, editor-in-chief of the China Research Journal, published by the Institute for Chinese Studies at the Vietnam Academy of Social Science, made the remark in an exclusive interview with Xinhua in the capital city of Hanoi on Tuesday, on the occasion of China celebrating the 95th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

According to Sam, "the socialism with Chinese characteristics is a product of Chinese reform and opening up process, as well as a result of the combination between basic principles of Marxism and specific practices of China."

The process has resulted in two principles including Mao Zedong Thought and the ideological system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, said the expert.

Talking about the changes to the face of China over the past 40 years, Sam said before the reform and opening up, China remained restricted, poor and outdated. After that, the country has become the world's second largest economy.

In 2015, China's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita reached some 7,800 U.S. dollars, compared to around 200 U.S. dollars before the reform and opening up, the expert explained.

With the maintenance of high economic growth in successive years, China's general power has also been strengthened, Sam assessed, adding that the lives of its people have been improved while the country's international status has been enhanced remarkably.

"The world recognizes China's high economic growth over the years as well as Chinese enormous market with rising purchasing power, as contributing greatly to the growth of regional and global economies," Sam told Xinhua.

"China's development is the impetus for the global economy," Sam affirmed, explaining that previously, people said that main impetuses of the global economy included the United States, Japan, and the European Union (EU). Now, with China's rapid development, China is also the main impetus.

"Especially in the context of the global economic depression in which economies of the U.S. and EU are facing difficulties, Chinese development provides a new driving force for global economic growth," said the expert.

"As such, many people say the world's new economic center has shifted to the Asia-Pacific region," Sam told Xinhua.

Concerning the socialism with Chinese characteristics, Sam said "the biggest feature of it is the combination between socialism and market economy. The combination has helped promote the strengths of both socialism and market economy. For socialism, the advantage is a concentration of resources while for the market economy, it is the effectiveness of resources."

"It can be said that with China's successes over the past decades are strikingly attractive to other developing countries, as they consider their own development paths and take cues from China's triumphs," said the scholar.

"The socialism with Chinese characteristics provides a new paradigm for developing countries. If successfully implemented, such countries can achieve great successes like China," Sam said.

"The future of socialism with Chinese characteristics is in the hands of the Chinese people. As Chinese people continue to see the path as suitable, they will continue their unwavering support of the CPC," Sam said.

The expert added that general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese President Xi Jinping, at an event marking the 95th founding anniversary of the CPC, urged the whole party to strengthen confidence in "the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics."

"I believe that if Chinese people are all confident with the four convictions, then socialism with Chinese characteristics will continue moving forwards," said the expert.

As for Vietnam, he said "Vietnam has many things in common with China in its development path. The two countries are both led by communist parties, take Marxism-Leninism as a governing ideology and are both committed to following socialism."

"The two countries can learn from each other. From the practices of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, Vietnam can learn valuable lessons and combine the basic principles of Marxism with Vietnamese practices," said the expert.

"With a creative ideological model based on reviewing Vietnam's practices, as well as learning from China's many experiences, we can better clarify the theoretical issues of socialism and the path towards socialism that's suitable to Vietnamese conditions and Vietnamese cultural identity," said Sam. Endit