"The Chinese system with its emphasis on critical freedom, long-term stability and unwavering investment in itself has demonstrated its ability to provide a more holistic approach to societal wellbeing. The Chinese system provides greater overall stability, prosperity and even freedom," Bertrand emphasized.
BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese system, a product of China's unique history, fits China's specific reality and is better at offering stability, prosperity and freedom to its people, French entrepreneur Arnaud Bertrand has said.
During a heated online debate titled "Is the Chinese System Better than the American System?" Bertrand stressed that the Chinese model "plays uniquely to China" and is a product of the country's very long and unique history.
"It also fits the very particular context that China is in today," said the Frenchman who had lived in China.
The debate, organized by American nonprofit educational organization the Intercollegiate Studies Institute eariler in April, has drawn nearly 1,200 comments on YouTube, mostly supporting Bertrand.
"As a Singaporean, I welcome China's growth any day over Americans' gunboat diplomacy," said a netizen named bummers.
This aerial photo taken on Feb. 25, 2023 shows the container terminal at Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)
While the West and its values have done a lot to provide freedom, prosperity and stability for people over many decades, Bertrand said "there are little doubts that it's increasingly losing its way."
In comparison, "the Chinese system has become better in many ways at providing stability, prosperity and even freedom for its people," he said.
The entrepreneur also mentioned China's remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation, saying that led to the largest and fastest reduction of poverty in the world and provided personal freedom for many as a result.
In 2021, China declared the elimination of absolute poverty, having lifted nearly 100 million rural poor out of poverty over the previous eight years.
Citing statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau, Bertrand pointed out that 6 percent of U.S. citizens live in deep poverty, adding that a survey found 25 percent of the U.S. population are worried about money for buying food.
Those people are not really free, as poverty is the antithesis of freedom, according to the entrepreneur.
He also quoted a 13-year study by Harvard University, which showed 93 percent of Chinese are satisfied with the central government, while in contrast, only 20 precent of the U.S. respondents trust their government.
A worker makes bearing products at a bearing industry park near Wangcheng community in Dushan County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 10, 2023. The local government of Dushan County has been striving to develop its bearing industry in recent years. A bearing industry park was set up near the poverty-relief relocation site and Dushan has drawn up policies involving employment and training to improve the resettled people's livelihood. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)
Between 2014 and 2021, China invested 14 trillion yuan (about 2.1 trillion U.S. dollars) into lifting people out of poverty, while the United States spent that amount on wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan, Bertrand said.
"The Chinese system with its emphasis on critical freedom, long-term stability and unwavering investment in itself has demonstrated its ability to provide a more holistic approach to societal wellbeing. The Chinese system provides greater overall stability, prosperity and even freedom," he emphasized.
Bertrand also rebutted accusations about human rights violations in Xinjiang as untrue, saying the U.S. ban on exports from the region only hurts Uygur people more.
Not a single Muslim-majority country has backed the West's claim against China over Xinjiang, he said. In fact, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation made a statement after visiting Xinjiang that praised China's care for its Muslim citizens. ■
