The 18th Party congress has successfully realized the country's leadership transition. Xi Jinping was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission. Since the abolishment of the life-tenure of Party leaders starting from the Deng Xiaoping era, China has witnessed three power transitions. The regular term limits and smoother handovers of power show that overall the leadership transitions have become more institutionalized.

This marks key political progress in China since reform and opening-up. The regular leadership transitions have helped China achieve the soft landing as part of its democratic process. China has avoided some disastrous consequences as seen in some other developing countries as a result of implanting a Western system. Meanwhile, China has witnessed economic development and political progress.

The new standing committee members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee are composed of experienced senior politicians. The roster tallies closely with speculation seen at both home and abroad. This shows a respect for public opinion.

Public opinion will wield more and more influence over China's politics and the Party is increasing its capacity to react to this trend. Therefore, a more vigorous reform could be expected. However, as Chinese have been deeply marked by the Cultural Revolution and tragic experiences of some foreign countries, they are willing to seek change while remaining wary of "revolution."

China is continuing its exploration on regulating the selection of officials. For example, the competitive election system has gradually been formed. Assessments of officials rely increasingly on the opinions of different parties. The officials' working experience has become a more important factor. This system could help improve the quality of officials. The next challenge is to make the selection process more transparent and efficient, wining hearts and minds of the public. 

Good institutions cannot be designed and created from scratch but come about as a result of continuous practice. It is obvious that China doesn't have a perfect system. But given the country's current pace of development, it is an arbitrary judgment to assert a Western system would suit China better. Society will not accept this idea.

A smooth power transition at the top, coupled with real diversification at the grass-roots level, ensures the nation's stability and vigor. In between, there are abundant opportunities for the society to create innovation and strive for equality.

The 18th CPC National congress instilled a strong sense of certainty into Chinese politics. The Western political system is stable, but is of little help in solving the problems faced by Western society. This new certainty of Chinese politics incorporates stability, and the determination to tackle various issues of the country. It is a show of strength.

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