BEIJING - Come rain or shine, the steps of Chinese people in pursuing a better life are unstoppable, according to a Chinese language commentary which was published under the byline "Xuanyan" in the People's Daily Wednesday.

The 4,700-character article, titled "Create a better life, come rain or shine," summarized China's development and reform since 1949, as well as its attitudes towards the challenges facing the country.

The article quoted the words of President Xi Jinping while addressing the BRICS Business Forum on July 25 in Johannesburg, South Africa, as saying that "Success only comes through hard work," an old Chinese saying he used to describe the arduous journey China has taken and the remarkable achievements it has made.

It recalled the situation of the People's Republic of China after it was founded in 1949 when its gross national product was merely $10 billion and it had almost no heavy industry.

Thanks to the self-reliant and hardworking Chinese people, the country rose up both in the political and economic arenas, said the article.