Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Editor's Note:

The world is increasingly seeing China as "cool" - a description now frequently used not only by international media but also by a growing number of foreign visitors and observers who have personally experienced the dynamism of this country. A China full of innovative momentum, developmental vitality and cultural inclusiveness is taking clearer shape day by day. As we approach the end of 2025, the Global Times (GT) launches this year-end special series "What makes China cool?" to explore the key to China's growing appeal.

In the fourth installment of the series, GT reporter Ma Ruiqian interviewed South African sinologist Paul Zilungisele Tembe (Tembe) about the coolness of China's development and how it provides momentum and certainty for the world.

GT: Looking back at China's development achievements in recent years, which aspects could be described as "cool" in your view?

Tembe: From my perspective, the eradication of poverty stands out as one of the coolest moments in recent Chinese history. China declared that it had eradicated extreme poverty in 2021. What makes it especially cool is that poverty reduction is a core goal of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and China achieved this goal a full decade ahead of schedule.

I believe that governance must be people-centered; otherwise, it has no meaning. China's development reflects this principle, which I really appreciate. A business that makes billions of dollars without giving back to society ultimately has no future. What is remarkable in China is that development did not result in prosperity for a small group. China has managed to raise the living standards of the entire population.

GT: In a world facing repeated global economic shocks, where does China's confidence and resilience come from? In your view, what forms of economic dynamism lie behind a "cool China"?

Tembe: First of all, China correctly refers to itself as a developing country while at the same time it has built substantial strength. When the "liberation day" tariffs were imposed by the US, China responded effectively. The way China handled the escalation of tariffs showed that China is a force to be reckoned with. It is not only powerful, but also has strategies in place to respond to crises.

Second, China's strong capacity for self-adjustment and reinvention places it in a stronger position amid the current global crisis. Take reform and opening-up as an example: It started in Shenzhen, and other areas followed. Moreover, China has continued to deepen reform and opening-up in recent years. 

When a policy becomes saturated or no longer serves its purpose, China adjusts and changes it. Its ability to adapt, reinvent itself and adjust its systems quickly gives it a clear advantage.

GT: As China moves toward the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, what major development directions and strategic priorities do you see guiding China's economy in this new stage?

Tembe: Today, one of the key words in the global economy is the green economy, including carbon reduction and environmental protection. You can see this in the transformation of China's physical and economic landscape. Fewer industries pursue growth at the cost of excessive resource consumption and environmental pollution, and China has become a cleaner and more livable place. 

This direction was clearly set more than ten years ago, when Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the vision of building a "Beautiful China." These were not just political statements. From 2013 onward, you could already see visible changes in China's environment, as well as shifts in China's global image and international presence. These, in my view, represent some of China's most important long-term strategies.

China's ability to move toward a green economy also reflects its capacity for reinvention. You cannot claim to pursue a green economy while continuing to rely on fossil fuels. Today, we have international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and other climate-related mechanisms, and China has emerged as one of the leading countries in both participation and implementation.

GT: In your view, why can China's development path be described as "cool"?

Tembe: What I find particularly important is that China has not abandoned its traditions in the process of modernization. Instead, it has integrated its cultural values into modern governance and economic systems. In many African countries, by contrast, European systems were inherited, and local traditions were pushed to the periphery.

I believe countries that believe in their own value systems and incorporate them into governance and economic development tend to see their GDP rise, while those that depend on others' value systems tend to perform worse.

A clear example is China's reform and opening-up starting in 1978. China moved away from a planned economy and opened up to the market. At the time, some people believed China would collapse or that it was turning into pure capitalism. Instead, China developed socialism with Chinese characteristics - later extending this logic to modernization with Chinese characteristics. 

China has embedded its culture into its system of governance, its rule of law, its understanding of human rights and its economic production spaces. This is where I think China is cool. 

GT: In a turbulent world urgently in need of stabilizing and constructive forces, how has China provided valuable momentum and certainty for the world?

Tembe: As existing international systems have increasingly failed to deliver, China has put forward global initiatives that, in practice, help sustain cooperation and, in some areas, compensate for, or partially replace, old multilateral frameworks that are fading, particularly in the economic sphere. This does not mean destroying old institutions for the sake of it.

Today's China has put forward the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and, most importantly to me, the Global Civilization Initiative. Through this initiative, China emphasizes that there are no "higher" or "lower" civilizations, and that all civilizations have valuable knowledge to contribute to global discourse.

Another important dimension is the Global Governance Initiative. China's approach to governance transcends that of a single civilization; it emphasizes the shared development needs of humanity, particularly for the member states of the Global South. Overall, China has once again shown its ability to reinvent itself. In the new era, this reinvention is grounded in a more systematized narrative. China now has a governance system supported by a range of tools and instruments - some rooted in its own traditions, others shaped through interaction with the rest of the world.

Through China's initiatives, China has shared, and is ready to further share, its successes of the past more than 40 years with the rest of the world. China today is more confident and willing to say, "We are able to do this." That's cool.