Unmanned farm, achievements of reform and opening-up. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By Staff Reporters

China watchers keenly observed the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee held in Beijing from July 15 to 18 to gain insights into Chinese leader Xi Jinping's perspective on deepening reforms. Many felt that under Xi's leadership, China will reaffirm its commitment to reform and opening-up.

According to Finland's Helsinki Times, Global South countries are looking to China for major reform measures that could create new opportunities amidst rising geo-economic tensions.

The European media platform Modern Policy commented on China's ability to address the challenges in real estate, employment and domestic consumption through reform. It said China continues to expand high-level external opening-up, promote high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and work together with others to implement the Global Development Initiative. Its practical cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, energy, infrastructure, agriculture and advanced technology leads to common progress and development, with tangible benefits for the Southern countries in particular.

Singapore's Channel News Asia said Chinese policymakers are banking on the development of new and cutting-edge technologies to drive growth. This includes biotechnology, green energy, AI and the aerospace industry.

Pakistan Post reported politician Ahsan Iqbal as saying that the world is in the stage of the fourth industrial revolution, and new technologies are changing the basic mode of development. China's economy is changing from labor-intensive to technology-driven, making remarkable progress. This is not only a good thing for the Chinese but also for friends of China.

Xinhua reported Nigerian scholars as saying that China's reform has not only contributed to global prosperity, but also provided valuable experiences for other developing countries striving for progress.

Charles Onunaiju, director of the Centre for China Studies in Nigeria, said, "We've seen that China is already making a significant impact in advancing reform." China is engaging the rest of the world and sharing its prosperity with them.

Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, director of Contemporary China-Africa Research, University of Abuja, said Nigeria has been benefiting from Chinese reforms and the outcomes of the BRI. "We are seeing more job opportunities for Nigerian people. We're getting more infrastructure built up in Nigeria. We are seeing distance reduced. We are having the speed train technology," he said.