Virus fight sets things right

The system is in turn well-placed to face the challenges ahead on the nation's development path, in areas ranging from hukou (household registration) reform to rural healthcare, he says.

"For example, in order for continued achievement in poverty alleviation, we also need to look at hukou reform. Let's make it easy for people in the countryside, in terms of their hukou, in terms of their eligibility for benefits-when they go to major cities like Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen seeking a better life," Cavolo says.

"The hukou policies are getting better and better, but there's still important work to do in that area, and it is being addressed.

"The government also understands that the root of what households need is safety and stability, and that includes healthcare.

"China has universal healthcare in that sense for its citizens. However, access to that healthcare in the rural areas and expansion of healthcare facilities (is needed)-new hospitals, local clinics, in villages, in the smaller third, fourth and fifth-tier cities. This expansion of healthcare has been going on and it still needs to continue in the future. It's still not enough. And again, it's all in the five-year plan."

Sharing success

The achievements of the CPC-led development and governance are now clear enough to see, so that other developing nations are poised to tap them, he says.

"The China model is the most successful model. The world can see that. And the governments and leaders of other countries are indeed reaching out to China. The African continent is another example. South and Latin America are willing to collaborate and work with China; part of that is adopting their methods of governance because they work, because they're successful. This is also happening very much so through the Belt and Road Initiative," Cavolo says.

"So we have a successful, efficient, capable model of governance in place. That's obvious. And that's a good thing for the world. Because China is now even to the point where globally it's reaching out through the Belt and Road Initiative; also through for example, related to the pandemic, the COVAX vaccine access program, reaching out and helping the world, becoming more of a global partner and the world needs it. Any country's success is greater success for the world, and China understands that."