—- on the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China
By H.E. Chinese Ambassador Chao Xiaoliang
July 1st, 2021, the Communist Party of China (CPC) will mark 100 years since it was found in 1921. The party now has more than 90 million members, making it one of the biggest in the world. For past 100 years, the CPC has been committed to a people centered philosophy of development, which is a key for CPC to unite and lead Chinese people for the great undertakings of Chinese people’s happiness, China’s rejuvenation, and the universal harmony in the world. A wealthier and stronger China is not only an indicator of success of its socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also a contribution to a community with a shared future for mankind.
The Chinese history and Chinese people chose CPC as their leader where the Chinese in old times were vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty. Representing whole Chinese people, CPC mobilized and organized Chinese people to defeat the foreign aggression and beat the nationalist Party, leading to the founding of People’s Republic of China in the year of 1949 and full national independence of Chinese people. Since then, the new China saw the Chinese people, under the strong leadership of CPC, advocate the spirit of self-reliance and hard working, be realistic and pragmatic and work diligently, initiating the unique socialism system based on the integration of Marxism and China’s reality, bringing about the most extensive and profound revolution and becoming a new important force in international arena.
The reform and opening-up over the past four decades has changed China and the fate of hundreds and millions of Chinese people, propelling China to grow into the world’s second largest economy. In its rise to global economic powerhouse, China, on the one hand, has made progress in high-tech fields, such as lunar exploration, deep-sea probe, Beidou navigation satellite system, large aircraft manufacturing industry, and from the longest high-speed rail mileages to the largest system of 5G networks, and on the other hand, has been a major “factory of the world”, producing affordable goods in large quantities to consumers around the world, turning into the world’s marketplace. Having shaped economic globalization, China’s development has been benefiting the world. It is sensible to say that the success of China’s reform and opening-up has played an exemplary role and created an alternative path for developing countries’ poverty reduction and industrialization.
With the social and economic comprehensive development, China has achieved its goal of eradicating absolute poverty and lifted all of 98.99 million rural residents out of poverty. At a grand gathering marking China’s achievement in poverty alleviation held on February 25, 2021, President Xi Jinping solemnly declared: victory in the battle against poverty is complete, and China completed the arduous task of eliminating extreme poverty. In addition, China has made huge progress in ensuring people’s accessibility to its social security system ranging from childcare, education, employment, housing to elderly care and social assistance. CPC has also been committed to promoting rule of law and governance systems to safeguard people’s democracy in all regions, such as “One Country, Two Systems” in Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and the regional autonomy for ethnic minorities regions like Xinjiang and Tibet.
Leading the Chinese people, CPC has been engaging itself with international security and development and following the independent foreign policy of peaceful development. By firmly upholding the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, China is the only one country who incorporates peaceful development into its Constitution. CPC further writes boosting a community with shared future for mankind and building a harmonious world of long-lasting peace and co-prosperity into its Party Constitution. As the member state of almost all intergovernmental organizations and more than 500 international conventions, China consistently and explicitly safeguards the multilateralism and globalization. China shares the opportunity of its development with other countries through Belt and Road Initiative and welcomes other countries on board the upgraded “China Express” to achieve win-win cooperation and high-quality development. In the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, China pulled through unprecedented difficulties and took the strictest measures to contain its transmission and never hesitated to provide assistance in the international anti-pandemic cooperation. To take up the challenge of the pandemic, China works with international community proactively, aiding more than 80 developing countries with vaccines and export vaccines to 50 odd countries, totally supplying more than 300 million doses, which showcase China’s contribution to protecting global public health safety and security. China also shares with other countries its experience in containment and treatment in an open and transparent manner, enhancing cooperation to avoid another tragedy. China has received WHO experts twice and co-released with WHO the joint mission report on origin-tracing, making positive contributions to the global response and gaining worldwide recognition.
Being the world’s largest Marxist governing party, CPC now boasts with over 98 million members. There are good reasons to celebrate its 100th anniversary to manifest its steady growth.
Firstly, CPC upholds Marxism and integrates it with China specific circumstances, exploring the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Only when the political system suits the country’s reality can it be called the perfect match. China never replicates any model of other countries’ system, nor does it export its own to others. It adheres to its unique path of development, setting a good example and providing a successful alternative for countries in pursuit of a better future.
Secondly, CPC unswervingly aims at serving the people and relying on the people, taking the people’s yearning for a better life as the party’s goal. With the strong support from Chinese people, China responds and controls the spread of the pandemic, succeeds in its poverty alleviation and performs well in preparing and hosting international events, such as the Beijing Winter Olympics and the International Import and Export Expo.
Thirdly, CPC not only possesses the capability of self-examination and self-reform to stay vibrant and resilient, but also boasts the ability to innovate its governance to align with the development of socialism. Not bound with the old rules and thought, CPC is open to new things and services Chinese people to its best.
This year witnesses the coming of a moderately prosperous society in China, which is the 1st goal of China’s “Two Centenary Goals”. Meanwhile, with the delivery of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development, China embarks on the journey toward its 2nd centenary goal, that is to build up a modern socialist country by the centenary of new China in the middle of this century.
As the world’s largest political party, the CPC must behave in a way commensurate with this status. China is willing to take its responsibilities as world’s largest developing country and works with other developing countries like Samoa to respond to the coronavirus, in the spirit of co-building a community of common health for mankind. China will insist on international coordination in addressing climate change and other global environmental problems. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China will uphold the true multilateralism, advocate the democratization of international relations, insist that all countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal. Together with the Belt and Road Initiative, China will accelerate the establishment of a “dual circulation” development pattern in which domestic economic cycle plays a leading role while international economic cycle remains its extension and supplement, which will benefit the world at the same time. China will continue to play its part in building world peace and stability, promoting global development and defending international order by safeguarding multilateralism and pursuing equality and justice.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Samoa and China, Samoa-China relationship has been developing into Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Samoa-China Friendship Park, Agricultural Demonstration Farm, Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital and Samoa Cultural and Art Center are good demonstrations of our great friendship of our two countries. China will continue to work with Samoa in the aspects of development policy synergy, infrastructure development, unimpeded trade, financial cooperation and people-to-people mobility, which will create new opportunities and progress for both of us. I am sure that the Chinese communities living in Samoa will continue to better integrate in Samoan culture and serve the Samoan society, which will play an important role in better promoting our bilateral exchanges in various fields.
I’m fully confident that under the wise leadership of CPC, China’s development will greatly push ahead the Samoa-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new high. As an old Samoan proverb goes, ‘E so’o le fau I le fau’. Unity is our solid strength to move towards a better future. Let’s join hands to foster our valuable friendship with sincerity, advance our win-win cooperation with diligence, and bring about a much better future for China-Samoa relations!