'Message of hope'

In the keynote speech delivered via video link at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021, Xi reiterated China's commitment to making the BRI "a public road open to all" instead of "a private path owned by one single party". He said: "All interested countries are welcomed aboard to take part in the cooperation and share in its benefits. Belt and Road cooperation pursues development, aims at mutual benefits and conveys a message of hope."

Koh said the concept of building a community with a shared future and promoting development of the BRI under the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits were added to the CPC Constitution in 2017, which best demonstrates the Party's openness.

Moreover, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has joined the global community in combating the common enemy of mankind and extended help to many countries, such as offering vaccines and masks, which is another example of the Party and Chinese government's openness.

Wang Yiwei, professor at Renmin University of China, said China has held openness as a basic State policy and put it into the country's Constitution and the CPC Constitution as well, which is rare in the world and shows that the Party and Chinese civilization have always adhered to openness.

He said the CPC has been localized in China, and sinicization means it has become integrated with the Chinese revolution and traditional culture, transforming the traditional ideals of eliminating wealth gaps and grand unity under heaven into today's building of a society with all-around moderate prosperity and realizing all-around modernization.

He said the CPC has always held an open attitude in its development, and China has learned a lot from Western civilization.

"Traditional China has developed into modern China and is striding toward a China that faces the world, as is evident through the BRI and the idea of 'a community with a shared future for mankind'," Wang said.

He added that the CPC's openness actually drives the openness of China, as well as making a contribution to the world. For instance, China's high-quality reform and opening-up since the late 1970s has boosted the country's economic development and also injected vitality into the global economy. The CPC's exchanges with parties in other countries can also contribute to innovation and the development of humanity's political civilization.