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“The Communist Party of China (CPC)”, proclaimed General Secretary Xi Jinping, “strives for both the wellbeing of the Chinese people and human progress”.
The world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. Certain countries, amid the global spread of COVID-19, increasingly resort to unilateralism, protectionism, bullying and political smear. Across the globe, there emerges greater deficit of governance, trust, peace and development, resulting in mounting uncertainties and destabilising factors. Yet it should also be noted that peace and development remain the theme of our time, together with mutual respect and win-win cooperation as an unstoppable trend.
Standing on the right side of history, the CPC is committed not only to rallying the Chinese people and leading them in running our own affairs well, but also to building a community with a shared future for mankind to promote world peace and common development. Moreover, the CPC rises above the Cold War mentality and opposes power politics as it endeavours to nurture and contribute to the lofty cause of world peace and development.
The CPC: a firm practitioner of the “people first” and “life first” philosophy.
As General Secretary Xi Jinping stated, to seek happiness for the Chinese people, share weal and woe and maintain close ties with them is the original aspiration and the lasting pursuit of the Party. Over the past seven decades and more since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the CPC has led the Chinese people in bringing about rapid economic growth and long-term social stability, both of which are applauded miracles rarely seen worldwide. Chinese people’s sense of fulfillment, happiness and security has been growing constantly.
The year 2020 will mark a historic moment for China as the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects will be completed and the battle against poverty will be won under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, eliminating once and for all absolute poverty, a problem plagued the Chinese nation for several thousand years. China’s achievements in poverty alleviation have been acclaimed by personages from political parties around the world as “a miracle in the history of human development”.
China’s response to the recent outbreak COVID-19 speaks volumes about the CPC’s governance philosophy of putting people first and its core value of serving the people wholeheartedly. At crucial moments of crisis, the nature and distinctive feature of a political party and a political power can be best judged by the paramount item on its agenda. In the face of the sudden outbreak, General Secretary Xi Jinping has been personally directing and planning China’s response efforts.
The CPC has all along been adhering to the governing philosophy of “people first” and “life first” by prioritising people’s health and safety. All available resources were mobilised in an all-out effort to treat and save each and every patient. More than 39 million Party members fought tirelessly at the frontline. Among the 40,000 plus medical workers sent from around the country to assist Hubei, 56.1% are Party members. Nearly 400 Party members sacrificed their precious lives in protecting people’s health and safety. In the words of political parties and their leaders from many countries, China’s response efforts under the leadership of the CPC has demonstrated the Party’s profound care for its people and the humanitarian spirit.
History and reality have repeatedly shown that the CPC has always shared weal and woe with the Chinese people and maintained close ties with them. The Chinese people are in the best place to make such judgment. According to a recent trust barometer report released by a well-known public relations firm in the US, 95% of the Chinese public trust the Chinese government, the highest among all countries surveyed.
The strong bonds between the CPC and the Chinese people are inseparable as flesh and blood. Any attempts to smear the Party or to drive a wedge between the Party and the people are doomed to fail. Putting people first and serving the people wholeheartedly always remain the deepest hallmark and the most distinctive feature of the CPC.
The CPC: a staunch guardian of lasting peace and universal security
As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, we Chinese Communists know only too well how precious peace is, hence we are resolved to uphold peace. The CPC was born with the peaceful genes that have long run in the blood of the Chinese civilisation. It has led the Chinese nation to a path of peaceful development, which was later solemnly incorporated in the Party Constitution and the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China.
The CPC is committed to settling disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation. It always stands ready to work with world political parties to seek political settlements of international and regional hotspot issues and to meet global challenges including, among others, terrorism, public health crisis and climate change. Many political parties and their leaders pointed out that the CPC, which has never waged a war of aggression in the past seven decades since it came to power, remains an important force for world peace.
The world today is undergoing profound and complex changes. Extremism, terrorism and separatism still manifest themselves. Traditional and non-traditional security threats are increasingly interwoven. All of these present more complicated and severe challenges to world peace and tranquility. The CPC will continue to pursue peaceful development, blaze a new trail in international relations that favours dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance. The CPC will never seek hegemony, engage in expansion, or pursue its own sphere of influence. At the same time, it always stands ready to resolutely defend its national independence, sovereignty, security and dignity, and will never yield to any external pressure.
The CPC has devoted major efforts to working with world political parties to maintain regional and global peace and stability. By enhancing mutual trust on security issues with political parties of neighbouring countries, facilitating communication and cooperation with them, the CPC has succeeded in helping stabilise the situation in the South China Sea, which has won extensive acclaims from the international community. Over 240 political parties and political organisations and 280 well-known think-tanks and NGOs from over 120 countries have stood up for China’s stance on the South China Sea issue.
Despite continuous attempts by a handful of countries outside the region to instigate tensions on the issue, countries in the region have remain cool-headed and calm in analysing and handling the situation. Many political parties in the region and their leaders offered to inform China of their express position that they will not be fooled by the tricks of certain countries to stir up trouble in the South China Sea as they know the trouble-makers will leave unscathed after setting the fire but it’s the countries in the region and their peoples who will suffer.
The CPC will continue to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with political parties of neighbouring countries to pursue friendly coexistence and shared development. Together we will work to maintain peace, stability, prosperity and development of the region.
The CPC: a firm defender of fairness and justice with a strong sense of responsibility.
General Secretary Xi Jinping stated that justice is a lofty goal that people of all countries pursue in conducting international relations. However, fairness and justice are still far away from being realised in contemporary international relations. World political parties need to demonstrate their sense of responsibility, uphold international fairness and justice, defend multilateralism, build an open world economy and foster a more fair and equitable international order.
Political parties of many countries speak highly of the CPC’s efforts to promote international cooperation against COVID-19 and to provide anti-epidemic assistance for the rest of the world while certain countries have been busy scapegoating others and wantonly wielding the stick of sanction. It is easy to tell who is doing the right thing and who is not. More than 240 major political parties from over 110 countries and international political party organisations have issued a joint open letter with the CPC to oppose the politicisation of public health issues, which helps pool strong political consensus for enhancing international anti-epidemic cooperation and building a global community of health for all.
Acting in line with the Chinese tradition of valuing righteousness and credibility, the CPC has adhered to the principle of upholding justice while pursuing shared interests in its international exchanges. In pursuing justice, we never succumb to power, nor do we make benefits thereof the first consideration. We have readily shouldered our due responsibilities and played our due role.
The CPC unequivocally stands for equality among countries, irrespective of their sizes, resolutely oppose any form of hegemony and bullying, firmly defend and pursue multilateralism, and promote multi-polarity and greater democracy in international relations. Our stances and actions have been widely acknowledged by political parties around the world with enthusiastic response.
In conducting international exchanges, the CPC values good faith and sincerity, and has thus made many true friends and good friends. At the height of COVID-19 in China, political parties and personages from various sectors of various countries extended their helping hands. Along with ensuring steady progress in containing the epidemic at home, the CPC has reciprocated the kindness we received by providing needed assistance for over 200 political parties and organisations to the best of our ability.
Together, we have set a shining example of world political parties overcoming difficulties with solidarity and mutual support. What’s been promised must be done. This is our Party’s fine tradition in international exchanges and a distinctive feature of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. As leaders of many developing countries put it, the assistance promised by some countries is more often than not lip service, or comes with harsh political strings. It’s another case when it comes to the CPC. It does mean what it says in helping other developing countries.
The CPC: a committed promoter of mutual benefits and common development.
As General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed, it is the relentless efforts of the Chinese people that have made China what it is today! In rallying the Chinese people and leading them through the extraordinary journey, what our Party relies on are the fine traditions of self-reliance and hard work, the strong awareness of fulfilling our responsibility, and the pioneering spirit of “crossing the river by feeling the stones”.
Meanwhile, by coordinating domestic development and opening up to the outside world, linking China’s development with that of the world, integrating the common interests of the Chinese people and those of other peoples, our Party has made an important contribution to the world economy and global development. It is the prevailing view of world political parties that the CPC strives for both the wellbeing of the Chinese people and that of people around the world.
China’s reform and opening up, which has changed China’s destiny and promoted the development of the region and indeed the world, will continue to deliver benefits to all mankind. Staying committed to an opening-up strategy of win-win cooperation, the CPC actively works for an open world economy. To address unbalanced development which constitutes the biggest imbalance confronting the world today, the CPC initiated and promoted the Belt and Road cooperation on the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, to provide an important platform for all countries to achieve mutual benefits and common development.
With concerted efforts of all parties, the Belt and Road is becoming a model of cooperation for meeting challenges through solidarity, a model of health for protecting people’s safety and wellbeing, a model of recovery for restoring economic and social activity and a model of growth for unlocking development potential. In many countries, political leaders and general public alike have spoken highly of the Belt and Road Initiative. They all share the view that the BRI is by no means the “spheres of influence” or “debt trap diplomacy” portrayed by certain politicians, but a transparent major initiative that leads all countries to common prosperity, and opens up bright prospects for enhancing the common wellbeing of the humanity. It lives up to its reputation as “the greatest development initiative of the 21st century”.
In promoting development, it is better to teach a man how to fish than to just give him fish. The CPC attaches great importance to drawing on its own practices to explore the law governing the evolution of human society and sharing with other countries what it has learned. It is committed to exchanging governance experience with political parties of other countries.
Since its 18th National Congress, the CPC has invited tens of thousands of representatives of foreign political parties to visit China, and held discussions and exchanges in various formats with world political parties. In-depth discussion for experience-sharing and closer cooperation have been conducted on topics such as community-level party building, anti-corruption, targeted poverty alleviation, ecological conservation, economic development, and improvement of people’s livelihood.
Political parties and their leaders from many countries stated that the CPC has not only shared with the world the dividends of economic growth but also the dividends of thoughts and ideas without reservation, offering good reference for other countries, especially developing countries, in their explorations of development paths suited to their own national conditions.
The CPC: a champion in upholding openness, inclusiveness, and mutual-learning among civilisations.
General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that no two political systems are entirely identical, and a political system cannot be judged in abstract terms without regard for its social and political context, its history, and its cultural traditions. The leadership of the CPC and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics are the choice made by history and by the people.
Since its founding, our Party has clearly manifested its political nature as a Marxist political party, which is the scientific foundation and basic reasoning for our full confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We are committed to our own path. We do not want to “import” models from other countries, nor do we want to “export” the Chinese model, still less will we ask other countries to copy the Chinese practice. Our practice of not drawing lines along ideologies in our international exchanges has won wide recognition and praises from political parties worldwide.
Political party leaders from many countries concur that a better future for mankind needs to be underpinned by the harmonious coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilisations, cultures and social systems; and that to attribute disputes between countries to differences between civilisations and systems and use it as an excuse to align with the “like-minded” and alienate those with different views, and to allow the strong to bully the weak will only gravely undermine the current international order, or even risk plunging different civilisations into estrangement and conflict.
The CPC always embraces and approaches the achievements of other cultures with an open mind and a broad perspective. It is important that we overcome cultural misunderstanding, clash and supremacy through exchanges, mutual learning and coexistence.
In recent years, the CPC has actively explored the building of a new type of party-to-party relations that seeks to expand common ground while reserving differences and enhances mutual respect and mutual learning. We have maintained regular contacts with nearly 600 political parties and organisations in 168 countries and regions, and built a multi-form, multi-level international network for party-to-party exchanges and cooperation.
The success of the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting, widely acclaimed by the international community, has demonstrated the great political inclusiveness and moral appeal of our Party, representing a major contribution to the advancement of world political civilisation.
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General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that “the CPC is the largest political party in the world. It must behave in a way commensurate with this status”. As a major party that is going to celebrate the centenary of its founding, the CPC is committed to taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide to actions. Bearing in mind the overarching strategic task of rejuvenating the Chinese nation as well as the profound once-in-a-century changes the world is undergoing, the CPC will, as always, contribute its significant share to world peace and tranquility, common development for humanity, and exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations.
Working together with political parties around the world, the CPC will strive for gathering mighty synergy toward building a community with a shared future for mankind, and for creating a better tomorrow for the entire world.
The author is Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee
People’s Daily online