The 100th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China truly reflects how one party can change the destiny of a country. On July 23, 1921, the founding of the party turned out to be a revolutionary step for the Chinese people and the nation.
Inspired by the Russian “Red Revolution” it advocated Marxism as an alternative to imperialistic capitalism that had crushed the Chinese people in some way or the other for centuries. Over the next 28 years, the party fought and united the nation under one umbrella, one ideology, and one system.
It fought against Japanese imperialism, overcame the reactionary Kuomintang regime, and established the People’s Republic of China. Under Chairman Mao, its evolution from a revolutionary party that physically fought for its people’s independence to a Party that worked and ultimately achieved pre-eminence as the World’s second-largest economy is laudatory and is something that is not seen in modern history.
Read more: 100 years of China’s robust foreign policy under CPC
Professor Zamir Awan, Sinologist and a fellow of the Center for China and Globalization, NUST, writes on the essential characteristics of the Communist Party of China that enabled it to play this distinctive role.
If Chairman Mao can be credited with opening up the People’s Republic of China politically to the World, through his meeting in 1972 with US President Nixon, then Great Leader Deng Xiaoping, as he is called, can probably be called the architect behind modern China’s economic opening to the World.
Deng Xiaoping made it ok for Chinese socialism to encourage the people to work for themselves and, in doing so, make the state richer. Under his initial reforms, the introduction of the household system in agriculture led to bountiful crop yields and helped transform rural China and take millions out of poverty.
Read more: CPC and the Roadmap for Future
Similar reforms in the industrial sector, including setting up special economic zones, have led to China becoming the World’s manufacturing hub. Professor Josef Mahoney at East China Normal University in Shanghai explains how CPC’s five-year plans that have led to China’s economic and social development are critical to the way CPC governs the country.
He also discusses CPC Central Committee’s new plan to adjust China’s economic approach away from export-led growth to the dual circulation strategy. In 1949, China was amongst the poorest countries in Asia, having GDP per head less than Pakistan.
Under General Secretary Xi Jinping, the CPC has led a drive to eliminate absolute poverty and obtained by 2020 the distinction of reaching zero absolute poverty, a decade earlier than the 2030 target under the SDG goals.
He personally visited many poverty-stricken areas, and thousands of Party officials were given concrete measures they had to achieve to ensure this success. We briefly look at some of the cities involved and what changes they saw.
Read more: CPC Modernizes its Training Institution & Capacity
A fascinating article by Liu Geneva, Chinese Deputy Director-General of International Department, at China Executive Leadership Academy, explains how the CPC has institutionalized the party’s leadership training process.
Particularly interesting for Pakistanis given the nature of our political parties where leaders may have never worked in any capacity before. CPC’s achievements for China are something for us to ponder over. Do enjoy the section and give us your feedback.