November 2012 was a big political moment for China, marking a once-in-a-decade change of top leadership at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The changes will signal how China moves forward in its development as well as sparking debate on how this change could play a decisive role in influencing world affairs. ChinAfrica asked a cross section of media commentators, a publishing executive and an author to share their opinions on this important event:

Zhou Mingwei,

President of China International Publishing Group, the country's largest foreign-language publishing group and a global media corporation

As part of the "China miracle," China has been capable of maintaining rapid growth in a complicated domestic and international environment, which should be recognized. Geographical conditions, a huge population and historical circumstances have led China down a path of uneven development and complexity.

It's normal to have this or that problem during our development, because in 30 years, China has made accomplishments that took decades longer for other countries. The problems China is facing are those that other countries have also faced. Given the fact that China has such a huge population, the new leaders are confronted with arduous tasks.

Every leadership had its own challenges. But the new leadership is elected at a time when China is having unprecedented global influence and enjoying increasing international status, a time that China is more involved in international affairs and shouldering more international responsibilities. Former experience will not be applicable to tackle new problems. The world is getting more complicated, more diverse, and more mercurial, and so the new leaders are faced with unprecedented tests.

Some problems are new, some are old and some are caused by our limited experience, resources and capability. We may not resolve all of these at once, but I am confident that with the Party's tenets, our new experience and the people's efforts, we will resolve them gradually and move forward toward our set goals.

I think the economic growth model, shifting the structure of the economy and problems related to people's livelihood will be the focus after the congress. But in my opinion, as it is the Party congress, the most important thing is the sound development of the Party itself - how to ensure the Party adheres to its tenets and principles, maintains its purity and integrity, manages its members, meets the demand and expectations of the people and deals with problems and challenges that the Party is facing.

Austine Jonathan Odo,

Foreign Desk Editor of Daily Trust, a Nigerian media

To my understanding of the feeling of Chinese people and government, the congress is very significant in the political development of China, because the Communist Party of China will announce a number of political policies, and the congress also formed the new direction of the Party and the country.

I am most interested in how China will relate to the outside world. I am also focusing my attention on what direction China and the CPC are taking in the coming years. 

Regarding the leadership, I think the Party will pursue reforms and opening up more vigorously. China is going to be more aggressive in achieving social development and making new friends, especially in Africa, because we appreciate the role that China plays in Africa. China is very friendly and very open to Africa, especially in the past decade.

Xie Chuntao,

Professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee and editor of the recent bestseller Governing China: How the CPC Works

In my view, the report by then General Secretary Hu Jintao at the 18th CPC National Congress delivers messages in four aspects. First, the CPC is fully aware of the challenges it faces. When reviewing the past 10 years since the 16th CPC National Congress, Hu dwelled upon problems such as income gaps and the corruption of government officials, while only briefly mentioning the achievements. Second, the report shows the CPC's confidence about socialism with Chinese characteristics, a theory that has made it possible for China to achieve rapid development over the past three decades. Third, the CPC is determined to follow this theory in the years to come. It will neither impose self-isolation nor abandon socialism. Fourth, the CPC will tackle difficult problems with a pioneering spirit. As it works to accomplish the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, it will focus on tasks such as deepening reforms, changing China's growth model and protecting the environment.

The CPC will not conduct political reforms based on Western standards. Instead it will implement a wide range of reforms while upholding China's basic political systems such as the people's congress system and the system of CPC-led multi-party cooperation and political consultation. For instance, apart from improving democratic elections, the CPC will continue to underline the importance of democratic consultation through which different social groups and political parties forge consensus. Since it has put in place a socialist legal system, China is stepping up efforts to ensure judicial impartiality and safeguard citizens' lawful rights. Under the leadership of the CPC, it will also improve the self-governance systems of rural villages and urban communities. Moreover, the CPC and the government will put officials under stricter scrutiny to prevent corruption.

Philip Ogunmade,

Journalist from THISDAY, the largest newspaper in Nigeria

The congress is significant. China is growing so much and its development is a miracle. We have seen China open up and develop rapidly, and as before, opening up will continue under the new leadership.

This is the first time for me to come to China; my report will be diverse and mainly on China's economy. We visited Guangzhou, Guangdong Province and we also went to Shenzhen. We saw the level of the development in Shenzhen, which is amazing. I will report that as a message to our people that we need to wake up also. We have to learn from the development experience of China. We want to learn how Shenzhen has developed from a used-to-be fishing village of 30,000 people to its current size with a population of 14 million. I am going to write about the economic growth and the infrastructural advancement.

I will also write about the politics and the reforms and leadership transition after the congress. I expect China to do much more and its level of growth to continue. I hope the development should be all round, and not just in Guangdong or Beijing, but throughout China. It should be a balanced development. We believe that the new leadership will take up this move further, so that when we come here five years later, other provinces have grown like Guangdong.

I think China's presence in Africa is a good development. If China can pay more attention to Africa, its economy will grow much bigger. Because Africans are many, we do a lot of trading and make many transactions with China. China is working hard, and cooperation between China and Africa is improving.