The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee takes a vote during the Third Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which was held in Beijing from Feb 26 to Feb 28, 2018. (JU PENG / XINHUA)
BEIJING - As the Communist Party of China
(CPC) embraces its 97th anniversary Sunday, many of its achievements are worth
looking at: founding a new China, developing the country to the world's second
largest economy, lifting 700 million people out of poverty in 40 years, and
nearing the first centenary goal of completing building a moderately prosperous
society in all respects.
The Communist Party of China, which celebrates its 97th anniversary on July 1, 2018, has laid out a two-step approach for the development of the country
"The Chinese nation ... has stood up, grown
rich, and is becoming strong," said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC
Central Committee in his report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC in
2017.
The CPC has shown not a single sign of stopping. Xi has
repeatedly urged the 89 million-member Party to "carry out self-reform."
"To have the courage to carry out self-reform and conduct strict
self-governance: this is the most distinctive part of our Party's character," Xi
has said.
The CPC has laid out a two-step approach for the development
of the country: from 2020 to 2035, working to basically realize socialist
modernization; from 2035 to the middle of the 21st century, developing China
into a great modern socialist country.
"The way to the goals can never
be smooth," said Li Junru, former vice president of the Party School of the CPC
Central Committee. "Faced with challenges and tests, the CPC must continue its
tradition of reforming itself to spearhead social revolutions and achieve the
goals."
PARTY RESHAPED
Before Xi took the helm as Party leader
in 2012, there was doubt whether the CPC was able to create a healthy political
environment and generate positive energy throughout the Party.
Accordingly, it was made a priority to crack down on malpractice by Party
officials, particularly those losing faith in the Party, taking bribes, leading
extravagant lives, and being autocratic.
The number of officials disciplined each year increased from 160,000 in 2012 to more than 500,000 in 2017
Xi believed that if corruption
got any worse, it could cause the collapse of the Party and even the fall of the
state.
The CPC's anti-corruption campaign swept across the country and
brought down senior officials, including Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, Guo Boxiong,
Xu Caihou, Sun Zhengcai and Ling Jihua.
The number of officials
disciplined each year increased from 160,000 in 2012 to more than 500,000 in
2017.
Thousands of officials confessed crimes and misdemeanors to
disciplinary authorities. Last year, about 1,300 fugitives who had fled
overseas, including 347 who had been Party members or state functionaries, were
captured or returned to China.
However, corruption is down but not out.
The leadership is clear that any laxness could lead to failure.
After
the 19th National Congress of the CPC, the campaign accelerated, focusing on a
"sweeping victory" over corruption.
China has recently set up
supervisory commissions at all levels across the country, to ensure "all public
servants exercising public power" are subject to supervision.
Xi does
not only rely on taking out "tigers" and "flies" - senior and low-level corrupt
officials - to govern the Party.
The CPC's campaign against
extravagance and undesirable work style - including formalities for
formalities' sake, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance - has seen about
262,600 officials punished from 2012 to 2017.
He Yiting, executive vice
president of the Party School, said CPC reform was a political advantage of the
country's much-heralded "socialism with Chinese characteristics."
ALSO READ: China calls for boosting CPPCC Party building
"We
have seen lots of political parties with glorious pasts that have failed to
break the historical cycle of gaining political power only to lose it. The
reason lies in the ignorance of their own faults," He said. "It is easier to
launch revolution against others than against oneself."
Xi launched a
mass-line campaign to bring Party officials closer to the people. He urged
officials to meet "strict" and "earnest" requirements. Party members must have a
solid understanding of the Party Constitution, Party regulations, and major
policy addresses, and meet Party standards of behavior.
Xi launched a mass-line campaign to bring Party officials closer to the people
The CPC will
also run a campaign on "staying true to our founding mission." Xi has led
leading officials to the Party's birthplaces in Shanghai and Zhejiang, a
"roots-tracing" reminder of the Party's original ideals: to seek happiness for
the Chinese people and rejuvenate the nation.
Song Luzheng, researcher
at the China Institute of Fudan University in Shanghai, said: "After reshaping
itself, the CPC has gained the capability and confidence to break new ground in
development."
STRONGER LEADERSHIP
Starting this year, China
has launched a massive institutional reform touching upon a wide range of
entities of the Party and state.
In this Oct 25, 2017 photo, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the other newly-elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang (third right), Li Zhanshu (third left), Wang Yang (second right), Wang Huning (second left), Zhao Leji (first right) and Han Zheng meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
New offices have opened, staff have
been reshuffled and better public services have been launched. The number of
ministerial-level entities of the State Council is reduced by eight and
vice-ministerial-level entities by seven.
Such changes at central and
provincial levels must be completed by the end of 2018, and for local level by
March 2019.
Observers believe the reform is "revolutionary" in breaking
vested interests and in ensuring development.
The reform is part of the
CPC drive to enhance its leadership and long-term governance.
The CPC
is continuing to lead the reform and opening up, often called "China's second
revolution," which has lasted for 40 years. To continue this revolution, the
Party decided to remove the obstinate barriers, such as outdated mentalities,
deep institutional flaws and strong vested interests.
"I am confident
that the reform will succeed," said the Shanghai-based researcher Song Luzheng.
The reform is part of the CPC drive to enhance its leadership and long-term governance
"Chinese communists do not have any interests different from those of the
overwhelming majority of the people. That is why the CPC can deal with obstacles
and reshape the structure to make it suitable for the long-term development."
A string of reform projects have been undertaken in recent years,
touching on the most difficult areas, from state-owned enterprises and household
registration to rural land and public hospitals. A new modern economic system is
taking shape. Air quality in many Chinese cities has improved significantly. The
Belt and Road Initiative is winning more support around the globe. The Chinese
economy continues to expand, and in 2017 China's GDP grew by 6.9 percent.
Xi has stressed that the more achievements China makes, the more
judicious officials should become, avoiding strategic and subversive mistakes.
"Self-reform has become a gene of the CPC so that it will never be
satisfactory with its current success," Song said.
FOREVER YOUNG
The CPC requires its members always "have a youthful spirit, and are
forever the servants of the people, the vanguard of the times and the backbone
of the nation."
For the Party, the people not only create history but
are the source of its strength.
The Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) starts its 18th national congress in Beijing, China, June 26, 2018. Leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state, including Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng attended the opening session. (LI XUEREN / XINHUA)
"It is to them [the people] that we owe
all our achievements," Xi said. "As long as we firmly align ourselves with the
people and rely on them, we can and will have boundless energy to forge ahead,
come rain or shine."
The leadership has maintained that whatever issues
the people are dissatisfied with, the CPC must solve. Xi has sent a clear
message: "On the nation's way to building a moderately prosperous society in all
respects by 2020, not a single family or individual should be left behind."
China needs to bring more than 10 million people out of poverty every
year, meaning 20 people per minute, to reach its goal. The CPC has dispatched
nearly 800,000 people to poor regions to help. More than 120 CPC members
sacrificed their lives in this fight between 2013 and 2016.
The Party
also pledges to meet the people's growing demands on education, employment,
income, social security, healthcare, old-age security, housing and the
environment, to give people, as Xi put it, "a strong sense of fulfillment."
The Party's policies and achievements have led to strong public support
for the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core.
Xi was re-elected
general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in October last year and
re-elected Chinese president and chairman of Central Military Commission in
March this year.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese
Characteristics for a New Era has been written into the CPC Constitution and the
country's Constitution.
"Xi's thought is an important guarantee of the
CPC's vitality. It will ensure the CPC advances with the times to become the
strongest political party in the world," said Professor Chen Shuguang with the
Party School.
While addressing the conference held in May to celebrate
the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth to "pay tribute to the greatest
thinker in human history," Xi called for the creation of a vibrant Marxist
governing party that was "at the forefront of the times, enjoys the wholehearted
support of the people, has the courage to reform itself and is able to withstand
all tests."
READ MORE: League earns praise for its online reach