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July 6, 2017

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Why the CPC story remains one of huge success

Source: Xinhua | 00:01 UTC+8 July 6, 2017 | Print Edition

Communism was called a haunting ghost more than a century and a half ago, and few believed the Communist Party of China (CPC) could survive when it was founded in 1921. Now, the world is watching the largest ruling party in the world march toward its first centenary goal.

The CPC celebrated its 96th anniversary on July 1 and the 19th National Congress will be held in the latter half of this year. The congress will elect the leadership for another five year, a critical period for building a well-off nation by the Party’s 100th anniversary.

Once the goal is realized, nearly one fifth of the world’s population will live in a “moderately prosperous society in all respects,” or xiaokang in Chinese.

Since its founding, the Party has been faced with doubts, misunderstanding and even hostility. Yet, the CPC has emerged as one of the world’s most successful and exciting stories. China was a poor nation scarred by foreign aggression and civil war. It is now the world’s second-largest economy and a major international player.

The CPC has evolved from a small group of around 50 members to a 89-million member strong party, with 4.5 million Party grassroots organizations.

“Political legitimacy comes from competence and prosperity,” said Zhang Weiwei, director of the Institute of China Studies under Fudan University. “The CPC experience shows that the ultimate test of a good system is how well it ensures good governance as judged by the people of that country.”

Last year, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, was endorsed as the “core” at the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. Analysts said the position is key for the Party and the country to keep on the right track of development.

The Chinese need to unify around a core figure, a central leader, as their influence can unite the people and collect wisdom to formulate and implement suitable policies, said Professor Liu Dongchao with the Chinese Academy of Governance.

For the first 14 years of the CPC, the Party was without a strong, core leader, which resulted in repeated setbacks of the revolutionary cause. The Party was almost on the verge of dissolution. In 1935, Mao Zedong established his authority within the CPC Central Committee and the military. Since then, the CPC leadership has been integral to the Party in overcoming difficulties.

Now, Xi is determined to lead China toward the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. He has proposed the philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development at a time when sustaining fast growth is becoming increasingly difficult.

Marxism is and must remain the fundamental, guiding principle of the Party. Xi’s thoughts on state governance are often called Marxism in modern China, said professor Xin Ming with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

Reform is pushed forward thanks to decisions that reflect the broad consensus of Chinese society. Social stability is maintained. The market-government relationship, where the market plays a decisive role in resource allocation and the government better serves its duty, can steer the country out of the harm of the current global economic downturn.

This path has gained wide support from the public, thanks largely to the fact that most people have found their living standards significantly improved over the past decades, said Liu Dongchao.

As an evidence of the success of the China path, more than 700 million people have been lifted out of poverty in the decades. In the past more than four years alone, the country has seen over 55 million shake off poverty. The Party has its eyes on the remaining 40 million people still in poverty. By 2020, people in rural areas should no longer worry about food and clothing, they should be guaranteed with education, basic medical care and housing. Every rural resident will be elevated above the current poverty line.

“As long as we pay attention, think correctly, take effective measures and work in a down to earth way, abject poverty is absolutely conquerable,” Xi said during a June tour of north China’s Shanxi Province focusing on poverty. Confident in its own path, China has no intention of promoting its model as an alternative for other peoples or countries.

The leadership has repeatedly warned that the biggest threat to the Party is corruption and the CPC must keep improving if it is to remain in power. Since Xi Jinping took the helm as Party leader, an effective anti-corruption campaign has swept across the country.

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