Petr Šimůnek, First Vice-Chairman of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and former Member of Parliament, expressed his deep admiration for the development of Chinese society and economy. In assessing the progress that China has made over the last decade, he stressed that the Czech left should be inspired by the Chinese experience, especially in the social sphere.
„I have followed China's development for 30 years and I am impressed by what the Chinese economy has achieved. If we compare what China looked like 40 years ago and what it looks like today, we see a huge boom. We in the Czech Republic, on the other hand, are losing priorities such as quality social housing, affordable transport and free healthcare,“ Šimůnek said.
He said China shows that systematic management and a focus on people are the way to success. „China puts people first. It creates the conditions for people to create value - i.e. social housing, healthcare and quality education. This is the path we should follow,“ the CPCM Vice-Chairman stressed.
Šimůnek also praised China's ability to face the economic crises and capitalist pressures that he believes dominate Czech society today. „We believe that the Chinese experience gives us a chance to overcome these challenges and achieve similar successes in housing, transport and health care,“ He added.
Šimůnek concluded with a key message: „The pupils of 50 years ago have become teachers. We, the Czech Communists, will do everything we can to achieve the same success in the Czech Republic as our comrades in China.“