A group of tourists, with their children waving national flags, walks through Tian'anmen Square in Beijing over the weekend. Behind them is the Great Hall of the People, where the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has been meeting since last week to set the course of the country's future. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily]

China under the leadership of the Communist Party of China has blazed a new trail for economic and social progress that has not only led the country to its own economic prosperity, but also shown a way in which the rest of the world can overcome the various stumbling blocks that are hindering the progress of both developed and developing countries.

Where you go decides which path you take, and which path you take has a bearing on what you will finally get. The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics has been successful for China not least because it works with the country's particular realities.

For the majority of developing countries, the China model can serve as a reminder that the Western political system and capitalism are not imperative for improving the lives of their peoples. They may learn from China that they can stick to their own political systems, their traditional cultures and their own national characteristics, and can sieve and adapt from the prior development experiences of the West, as long as they find the right path to integrate their own advantages with the right choices for economic development and social progress.

The world is in urgent need of collective efforts to secure global development and peace, especially with the world's largest economy resorting to an all-for-itself approach and reneging on its agreements and global responsibilities.

The building of a community of shared future for all mankind that General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed in his report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC on Wednesday offers a vision of where such a collective journey could lead.

To build such a community, the world needs to seek a one-sum game, in which all the parties involved can benefit, rather than a zero-sum one, in which the winners profit at the expense of the losers. With this in mind, cooperation should always come before competition, and compromises are necessary in one form or another.

To create an environment conducive to forging such a community, the world's governing mechanism must be inclusive and accommodating, so that more countries can participate.

China's leadership has a vision for a destination far beyond their own country's future, one that is about the building of a better world for all people rather than any one country's prosperity; this will not be achievable unless the entire world develops in a sustainable manner.

It is little wonder that the 19th CPC National Congress has attracted the world's attention and will have an impact on where the world will go.