Commentary: China and the US Mapping Out Different Paths to Greatness

While Trump calls for change, Premier Li Qiang's message is to do more of the same

- Yew Lun Tian

As the sun shone outside on the crisp morning of March 5, Chinese Premier Li Qiang spoke at the opening of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's Parliament, at the august Great Hall of the People.

An hour later and halfway around the globe, on a cloudy winter's night, US President Donald Trump addressed both houses of the US Congress in a no less impressive building.

Both the leaders' speeches were essentially about how to make their countries great, at a time when the two nations are engaged in strategic competition with each other.

But the paths they mapped were as different as the atmosphere within the halls where they spoke.

Mr. Trump, who is from the Republican Party that has just been returned to power, wanted changes to Make America Great Again; Mr. Li, who belongs to the Communist Party of China (CPC) that has been in power since 1949, was for continuity. His prescription for making China great is to do more of the same.

Speaking to an audience of 5,000 parliamentarians and political advisers, Mr. Li laid out his government's tasks and priorities for 2025.