China’s Exemplary Development and Contribution in the New Era

The Communist Party of China (CPC) is proud of its century-long history. It has achieved its centenary goal with accelerated progress in all areas including military, space, tech, economics, and even climate change. The CPC has become a role model for the world.

As exploration and research of the CPC’s leadership experiences continue after the Party’s centenary on July 1, 2021, an international seminar themed “Experience and Enlightenment of the CPC’s Governance” was held at Fudan University in Shanghai. Nearly 100 experts and scholars from China and beyond gathered at the university to discuss how to tell the stories of the CPC’s governance to the world.

The 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC is an event of great historical significance and global influence which has attracted great attention from the international community, said Jin Xin, director of the Research Office of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, at the opening ceremony of the seminar. He added that many foreign political parties and international friends agree that the success of the CPC was a historical inevitability and that its successful experience is worthy of in-depth analysis and summary. The CPC has numerous distinctive characteristics: strong abilities in theoretical innovation, staying abreast with the times, putting people first, working for the wellbeing of the people, constantly improving self-construction, always maintaining vitality, fostering strong leadership and tenacious combat effectiveness, and inspiring international feelings and global vision.

Xu Zheng, deputy secretary of the CPC Committee of Fudan University, pointed out that the first century has resulted in flourishing prosperity, but looking to the great journey of the second century remains a struggle. Jin called the Party a fearless organization capable of overcoming daunting obstacles. “We will fulfill our original mission and mobilize our enthusiasm and wisdom in the process of serving the country’s prosperity, national rejuvenation, and people’s happiness in the new era,” he said. “We will strive to create something worthy of history, worthy of the times, and worthy of new and greater achievements of the people.”

The profound changes that the CPC brought to China and the country’s deep influence on the world have not only been deeply appreciated at home, but have also motivated many around the globe to attempt to decode the formula to success. Leandro Compagnucci, deputy director-general of the Argentine Embassy in China, is one that sees much to be learned from China. “Today, one hundred years after its founding, the CPC has turned this formerly marginalized country into a major economic powerhouse, one of the most technologically advanced countries on the planet, and a country that uses all its economic strength to serve the prosperity of its people,” he said. “Argentina can introduce more technologies and ideas from China into its social life and economic system so that its own people can have a better life.”

Across a century of endeavors, the CPC led the Chinese people to overthrow imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism, found New China, pioneer a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and build a poor state into the world’s second-largest economy. The world could learn from the CPC about how to better serve the interests of people. The continuous efforts of the CPC and the Chinese people have enabled China to realize the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. And many of the CPC’s goals not only benefit the Chinese people, but also the whole world.

The four most important lessons are as follows:

First, make new contributions to improving the wellbeing of humankind. The eradication of poverty has been a common aspiration of people of all countries and an important objective that all political parties strive to achieve. Over decades, China has implemented a large-scale program for poverty alleviation. The government formulated mid- and long-term poverty reduction plans, continuously advanced poverty alleviation, and improved poverty-stricken areas and the living standards of poor people. Although approximately 700 million people around the world still live in extreme poverty and the gap between the rich and the poor is increasing in many countries, China has won its battle against extreme poverty and achieved the poverty reduction goals set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. China’s wisdom and solutions for targeted poverty alleviation and experiments with usage of development represent major contributions to reducing global poverty. Its world-renowned achievements in poverty alleviation are based on the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the significant strengths of the Party’s leadership and the country’s socialist system. This has led to several discoveries. China has taught the world that people don’t have to be fatalistic about poverty and has provided a benchmark insofar as it is willing to share its experience in poverty eradication to build a community with a shared future for humanity. The CPC is willing to contribute more Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the worldwide poverty reduction process.

Second, support international cooperation against COVID-19. China has been determined to support international cooperation against COVID-19 and contribute even more to tackling the global climate challenge. In the process of fighting COVID-19 domestically, China has attached great importance to international cooperation such as sharing information on the pandemic with the international community and providing bilateral and multilateral assistance to other affected countries. However, due to the severity of this pandemic, global solidarity is necessary to conquer it and improve global public health governance.

Third, deepen reform and opening up. The CPC has united and led the Chinese people to take comprehensive steps to deepen China’s reform and opening up to make new contributions to the shared development and prosperity of countries around the world. Since its establishment in 1921, the CPC has made countless extraordinary achievements, the most outstanding of which has been the reform and opening up that has continued contributing to China’s momentum of building stability and prosperity in the world economy. China’s reform and opening up is of global significance because it has not only profoundly changed China but also greatly influenced the whole world. The CPC implemented the reform and opening-up policy to kindle China’s pursuance of common development together with the world.

Fourth, build a bright future of world peace and common development. According to the World Bank, the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative is expected to help lift 7.6 million and 32 million people in relevant countries out of extreme poverty and moderate poverty, respectively. Others benefiting from China’s growth creates a brighter future for world peace and common development.

China today boasts modern infrastructure, a sound healthcare system, a leading position in digitalization and artificial intelligence, and intensified space exploration. Indeed, it has set many development precedents for the rest of the world to follow.

To facilitate state-to-state relations by enhancing intra-party friendships, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has engaged in various forms of interaction with leaders of foreign political parties in recent years. “The CPC stands ready to continue to work with political parties and political organizations of all countries to stand on the right side of history and the progressive side of humankind,” he said. “Let us make even greater contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity and a better world!”

The firm leadership of the CPC, its people-centered philosophy of development, and its commitment to upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics are among the most important factors and hallmarks that distinguish it from other political parties. “I like the Chinese system better, because in China the people running the show are the people you can see,” said David Ferguson, a senior editor at China International Publishing Group at the seminar in Shanghai. I strongly agree with Ferguson’s view that the goal of the CPC is prosperity for all. In my opinion, China’s strong governance system ensures stability and order. It focuses on ensuring the most fundamental human rights: the right to secure livelihood through hard work, to have food on the table, clothes on one’s back, a roof over one’s head, a school for children, and prospects of a better future. China’s governance system is designed to foster cooperation rather than confrontation. It lifts the right kind of people into positions of leadership. The best part about China’s governance system is that it creates the conditions for people to work for prosperity rather than finding themselves trapped in poverty. It plans for the best interests of everyone. It has a proven track record of success that has never been matched by that of any other developing country using any other model.