Showing China a ready partner for others

In less than 10 minutes, President Xi managed to highlight and emphasize a number of the most powerful themes of his presidency, elements of which were graphically and dramatically demonstrated in the parade that followed.

President Xi, and the parade, took us on a journey that spanned modern Chinese history: from a century of humiliation to the founding of the People's Republic of China to its current path, seven decades later, of national rejuvenation and being on target to reach the two centenary goals "through concerted efforts and arduous struggle".

Few people in the West know that China was the world leader for centuries and is on the threshold of resuming its leading position. But Xi stressed that China will follow the path of peaceful development and continue its mutually beneficial opening-up strategy, neither as hegemon or opponent, but as partner.

China's Belt and Road Initiative, involvement in international and multilateral organizations as evidenced by the Chinese contingent of United Nations peacekeepers who marched in the parade, and other efforts are elements of this engagement. As Xi said, "We will continue to work with people from all countries to push for jointly building a community with a shared future for humanity." This is the polar opposite of the US leader's selfish and shortsighted "America first".

Another polar opposite is that Chinese people are patriotic in the extreme. As we witnessed in the parade, Chinese people love their country and approve of the way it's ruled and take pride in the economic miracles it has achieved. It's been a long time since many of us Americans have felt this pride, especially in the last few years.

- Harvey Dzodin, a senior fellow at Center of China and Globalization