CPC fortifies Party building as 'great project'

By CAO DESHENG | China Daily
Updated: Nov 8, 2021
A grand gathering celebrating the centenary of the CPC is held in Beijing, July 1, 2021. [Photo by Kuang Linhua/China Daily]

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19th CPC Central Committee holds sixth plenary session

BEIJING -- The 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China started its sixth plenary session in Beijing on Monday.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a work report on behalf of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and made explanations on a draft resolution on the major achievements and historical experience of the CPC's 100 years of endeavors.

Sixth plenary session will review resolution on key achievements, historical experiences

Around the world, political parties with more than 100 years of history are not uncommon, but almost none can claim the miraculous achievements the Communist Party of China has made in leading the Chinese people to strive for national independence, development and rejuvenation.

Foreigners who are interested in China might ask the questions: how did the CPC make it possible for a divided, poverty-stricken country to emerge as the world's second largest economy and an influential player in the international arena in a matter of decades? And what is the key for the CPC to prevent collapse and failure, like other Communist parties in some former socialist countries?

Analysts said one important feature of the CPC's century-long journey is that it has kept strengthening various aspects of the Party to make it a well-organized, efficient, vital and vigorous organization as well as a champion of world peace and development.

The 19th CPC Central Committee will hold its sixth plenary session in Beijing from Nov 8 to 11, at which a key resolution on the major achievements and historical experiences of the Party's 100 years of endeavors will be reviewed. It will help Westerners who fail to understand the CPC and China's development learn a better way to deal with the country and the Party.

While addressing a grand gathering marking the Party's centenary on July 1, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said one hallmark that distinguishes the CPC from other political parties is its courage in undertaking self-reform.

"An important reason why the Party remains so vital and vibrant, despite having undergone so many trials and tribulations, is that it practices effective self-supervision and full and rigorous self-governance," Xi said.

The CPC has attached great importance to Party leadership and Party building since its founding on July 1, 1921, and has called its unremitting efforts to strengthen the Party "a great project". In October 2017, the 19th CPC National Congress set out requirements for building the Party for the new era, following on the achievements of strengthening the Party over previous decades.

A grand gathering is held to honor the centenary of the CPC at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, July 1, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

While underlining the need to uphold and strengthen the Party's overall leadership, the congress stressed reinforcing the Party's political foundations, buttressing ideological commitment, consolidating Party organizations, improving Party conduct and enforcing discipline.

Because of the great project of Party building, Xi said at the July 1 gathering that the CPC has been able to respond appropriately to the risks and challenges of different historical periods to ensure that it always remains at the forefront of the times, even as profound changes sweep the global landscape, and to stand firm as the backbone of the nation throughout the process of meeting various risks and challenges at home and abroad.

During its glorious 100-year history, the CPC has accumulated valuable experiences in advancing socioeconomic reform and development, said Dai Yanjun, a researcher of the Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. It has also created a wealth of knowledge on how to build a Marxist political party.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Party has targeted problems in Party building and analyzed the causes, Dai said in an article published in Guangming Daily. The Party has also urged full and rigorous self-governance based on previous experiences and in line with fresh tasks it will face in the new era.

Disciplinary inspections have long been a crucial part of the Party's campaign to curb corruption and misconduct. They have covered every Party committee in all departments at the central and provincial levels in recent years.

The CPC has pledged to make tireless efforts to strengthen deterrence so that officials "don't dare to, are unable to, and have no desire" to commit acts of corruption.

More than 4 million Party and government officials across China have been investigated and punished for graft and misconduct since December 2012, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the top anti-graft body of the CPC.

Cai Zhiqiang, deputy Party secretary of the Chinese Academy of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, said ironclad disciplines provide fundamental support for the Party to ensure it has strong vitality and enough effectiveness to realize the aspirations and missions in its founding.

They also represent the core institutional strengths of the socialist system, he added.

A ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is held at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, July 1, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

Extensive support

Due to the effective approaches to Party building, the CPC has grown over 100 years from a party with just over 50 members into the largest ruling party in the world with more than 95 million members.

With an abiding goal of seeking happiness for the people and rejuvenation of the nation, it has won extensive support from the Chinese people, including younger generations.

Lin Tao, a music lecturer at Nanchang Hangkong University in Jiangxi province, said the greatest strength of the CPC is that it is able to unify all Chinese people and enable them to move forward together toward a new and beautiful future. "This is an ability that no other ruling political party possesses," Lin said.

Four years ago, Lin and five other students at the university created a rap song I Wanna Join The CPC, which he said represents the voices of younger generations. After the song was put online it became popular across the country.

Chen Boyuan, one of the composers of the song, said he and many of his schoolmates grew up hearing stories about the Party, which created a strong desire for them to join the CPC. "As young people, I think through joining the Party we can have more opportunities to contribute to our country and society."

Xu Yichen, another student at the university, said the new generation of young students feels the country is growing stronger. "They are proud of the Party and their country, and they want to contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Xu said.

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