Chen Xiaodong
ON THE occasion of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), the eyes of the world once again fall on China and the CPC. All communities in South Africa also paid great attention to this congress.
A number of political leaders and dignitaries, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, former president Thabo Mbeki, former president Kgalema Motlanthe and the SACP’s general secretary Solly Mapaila, have sent messages of support to warmly congratulate China on the success of the the congress.
They congratulated General Secretary Xi Jinping on his re-election and expressed readiness to deepen exchanges and co-operation with the CPC. This fully reflects the special bond of comrades plus brothers and the high level of China-South Africa’s comprehensive strategic partnership.
Since its founding, the CPC has consciously placed its own development in the context of human development and has always taken it as its mission to make new and greater contributions to humankind.
In the long-term practice of revolution, construction and reform, generations of Chinese Communists bore in mind their original mission. They closely connect the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the cause of human progress, and follow the historical trend of peaceful development of the world and the continuous evolution of the international political parties’ landscape.
They kept abreast of the times, made explorations, and played an extremely important role in winning the understanding, recognition and widespread support of the international community. It has promoted the vigorous development of the CPC’s foreign relations and enhanced the international influence of the CPC.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the CPC’s foreign relations are “an important front of the party, an important part of the country’s overall diplomacy, and an important embodiment of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics”.
Since the 18th CPC national congress, with the personal commitment and guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping, the party’s foreign relations have continued to break new ground and take on a new look.
The party expanded and deepened friendly co-operation with political parties and organisations around the world, fostered the building of a new type of international relations by advancing a new type of inter-party relations, and successfully convened the CPC in dialogue with world’s political parties high-level meetings, the CPC and the World Political Parties’ Summit, among others.
The CPC has maintained regular contact with more than 600 political parties and organisations in 170-plus countries and regions, its circle of friends continues to grow, and an all-round, multi-channel, wide-ranging and deep-rooted global network of political parties’ partnerships has been built.
Against the backdrop of dramatic global changes, the CPC’s foreign relations’ achievements have caught the eyes of the world in the field of party exchanges, increasing the CPC’s global influence and its ability to inspire and shape the world. It also opened up new horizons and created a new paradigm for major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China’s development has entered a new era, with rapid economic and social development, and significant increase of overall national strength.
China has accomplished the arduous task of eradicating absolute poverty and achieved the poverty reduction target set in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 10 years ahead of schedule. More and more countries and political parties are eager to understand “why the CPC works”.
In recent years, the CPC has actively responded to the expectations and aspirations of foreign political parties. It has shared experience in party and state governance with political parties of other countries through various means, demonstrated its concrete practices in party building, economic development, poverty reduction and eradication, and social governance, and provided “CPC solutions” to issues of common concern to political parties of all countries.
All these show that Xi Jinping thought that socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era and socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era hold strong appeal, and the CPC has great affinity in its foreign engagements.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his report to the 20th CPC National Congress that the CPC is willing to strengthen exchanges and co-operation with political parties and organisations of all countries based on the principle of independence, equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
This is a solemn declaration of the CPC’s principles in foreign relations. The CPC will not point fingers at the internal affairs of political parties of other countries. We will not export the Chinese model or ask other countries and political parties to copy our practices. Meanwhile, the CPC will not accept any condescending lecturing, nor will we copy and reproduce the political systems of other countries.
The CPC is firmly opposed to any form of a new cold war or ideological confrontation. We are ready to build and develop relations with all foreign political parties that reach out to us.
At present, the changes of the world, of the times and of history are unfolding in an unprecedented manner, and people of all countries are more closely connected than ever in their pursuit of happiness. We are facing risks and challenges as well as historical opportunities.
As drivers for national policies and representatives of the people’s interests, political parties play an important role in national political life. To promote the progress of human civilisation, it is indispensable for political parties of all countries to seek common ground while reserving differences and learn from each other.
On the new journey in the new era, the CPC will continue to better communicate to the world the story of the CPC, especially the story of General Secretary Xi Jinping, and introduce the contemporary relevance of the Chinese path to modernisation. The CPC will continue to help deepen and expand our global partnerships based on equality, openness and co-operation by strengthening and improving the global political parties’ partnership. We will also continue to deepen the “political parties plus” exchanges and pragmatic co-operation, serve the central tasks and overall work of the party and the country, and work with political parties of all countries to address global challenges.
The CPC, the ANC and the SACP are all century-old parties. We have formed a deep bond of “comrades plus brothers” during our long-term interactions, which has laid a solid political foundation for the China-South Africa Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
On the new journey in the new era, the CPC is ready to further deepen exchanges and co-operation with South African political parties based on the principle of independence, equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. We are ready to strengthen the exchange of governance experience, so as to make new and greater contributions to the well-being of the people of China and South Africa… To the development of a China-South Africa Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and a better future for humankind.
Chen is the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to South Africa.