Durban - July 1, 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The CPC has grown from a small party of some 50 members in 1921 into the world’s largest political party, with more than 91 million members.
Over the past 100 years, under the leadership of the CPC, China has become the world's biggest market and second-largest economy and the first developing country to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on poverty eradication.
And the CPC has managed to preserve the unity and harmony of 1.4 billion multi-ethnic people, with approval ratings above 90 percent.
How did the CPC make such achievements in a country that accounts for nearly one-fifth of the global population?
The CPC is people-centered by its Constitution
The CPC is the vanguard of the Chinese working class, the Chinese people, and the Chinese nation.
It is the leadership core for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and represents the developmental demands of China’s advanced productive forces, the orientation for China’s advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the greatest possible majority of the Chinese people.
Members of the CPC must wholeheartedly serve the people, be ready to make any personal sacrifice, and dedicate their lives to realizing communism.
The CPC is people-centered by its history
Since its founding in 1921, the CPC has taken the happiness of the people and rejuvenation of the nation as its aspiration and united and led the people to fight for a better life over the decades.
Throughout the great journey in revolution, economic development, and reform, the CPC has never wavered in its fundamental aim of serving the people wholeheartedly.
“The Red Army (of the CPC) is the army of the poor. They fought for the rights of the poor”, a bare-footed boy said to an American journalist in 1930s.
The founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on October 1, 1949, allowed the Chinese people to stand upright and become the true masters of the country.
Beginning in 1978, the CPC followed the needs of national development and the will of the people to carry out reform and opening up policies. The Chinese people embarked on the road to prosperity.
Since its 18th National Congress in 2012, the CPC led the people of China into a new era: driving comprehensive reform and opening up, modernizing the national governance system, and marshaling their enormous strength behind the Chinese dream.
The CPC is people-centered by its leadership
The main founder of the PRC Mao Zedong called the party to “serve the people wholeheartedly”. His inscription of “to Serve the People” at the entrance of the CPC headquarters in Beijing keeps reminding all members of their mission.
Widely recognized as “the chief architect of China’s reform and opening-up”, Deng Xiaoping said, “I am a son of the Chinese People. I deeply love my motherland and people. ”He dedicated his whole life to the nation and its people, in weal and woe.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC central committee asks the whole party to remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind.
“Everything the CPC does is for the well-being of the Chinese people, rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as well as peace and development of mankind.”
The CPC is people-centered by its practice
In fighting Covid-19, the CPC values people's lives and health as paramount. More than 4.6 million of its primary-level organizations served as strongholds against the epidemic, rallying and serving the general public. More than 39 million CPC members fought the virus at the front line. Nearly 400 CPC members have defended others’ lives and safety at the cost of their own.
By the end of 2020, China had eliminated extreme poverty - a key goal of the CPC for the new era of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Within the past eight years, 98.99 million people in rural areas living below the current poverty threshold shook off poverty.
Guided by the vision that “green mountains and lucid waters are indeed mountains of gold and silver” by President Xi Jinping, China has come a long way in building ecological civilization. Chinese people are happier, with the improvement of bluer skies, greener mountains and cleaner rivers.
The CPC is people-centered by its global vision
In 2013, President Xi Jinping proclaimed the aspiration of Chinese nation in establishing a harmonious world where all could live peacefully with the spirit of brotherhood.
The CPC observes the four principles of inter-party relations, namely, independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each others' internal affairs.
It has been pushing forward implementing the reform and opening-up policy over the past more than 40 years, and adopted a community of shared future for mankind approach to world relations.
China is fulfilling its solemn commitment to making Covid-19 vaccines a global public good. It has joined COVAX, and quickly responded to the Covid-19 ACT Accelerator initiative to promote equitable and reasonable global distribution of vaccines.
It has been providing vaccine aid to 80 countries, exporting vaccines to more than 40 countries, and cooperating with more than 10 nations in vaccine research, development and production to date.
Based on the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, 171 countries and international organizations had signed 205 cooperation agreements with China on the the Belt and Road Initiative.
China is working with all willing participants to build the BRI into a pathway to poverty alleviation and growth.
“If you want to go fast, go alone; and if you want to go far, go together.” The CPC is striding forward with its African and global partners towards the shared future for mankind.
* Fei Mingxing is the Consul General of Chinese Consulate in Durban.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.