100th Anniversary of CPC 1921-2021, a milestone in China's development Featured
100th ANNIVERSARY OF CPC 1921-2021, A MILESTONE IN CHINA’S DEVELOPMENT Spondored Article
By Col. (Ret’d.) Siamelie Latu
Secretary General Tonga China Friendship Association
Introduction
In the next few weeks, the Communist Party of China (CPC) will not let anyone forget whose special birthday it is. On July 1st this year, the CPC will officially mark its centenary since its founding in what was then Shanghai’s French Concession but it is now a trendy shopping district. The centenary is a milestone in China’s development, a country which has largely succeeds in containing the coronavirus and experiences a robust economic recovery. However, born in internal and external troubles and developed in hardships, the CPC has led the Chinese people on a great pathway in the history of development and human civilization,
Over the past 100 years, the CPC has evolved from a small party with only more than 50 members to the largest Marxist ruling party with more than 91 million members in the world.
This article is dedicated to the Chinese community in Tonga as well as the great Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, to commemorate the upcoming celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC in 1921. Yuan Longping, globally renowned for developing the first hybrid rice which helped save China from hunger, died on Saturday 22 May, 2021 at the age of 91. His contribution to the world is of paramount importance as the technology developed by him has helped feed the world, hereby reducing the chance of conflict over food. Yuan had devoted his life to the research and development of hybrid rice, which helped not only China but also many other countries and regions in the world.
First, I would like to offer my congratulation to the CPC Central Committee on its forthcoming 100th anniversary on 1 July, 2021 lauding its glorious history and the great achievements China has scored. CPC Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping has united and led the Chinese people to constantly improve the socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and promote the reform and opening-up, the state development and construction to gain new achievements, with the party's and the country's influence growing regionally and globally.
The Birth of the Communist Party of China
In making a comprehensive survey of the international background of the foundation of the CPC, this article proposes that the establishment of the CPC was a part of the Bolsheviks' global strategy of world revolution, of the Communist International’s (Comintern's) efforts to expand Communist forces into the East and also served Soviet Russia's interests in the Far East. During the period 1918-1921, Soviet Russia and the Comintern dispatched numerous emissaries to China and recruited many agents there. These people made wide-ranging contacts with China in different organizations and factions regardless of their political beliefs, party affiliation or social strata. They conducted intensive agitation and propaganda by various media and means, including supplying news and publicity to the press free of charge and publishing Communist booklets and journals in Chinese. They had a hand in directing important student and worker organizations which emerged during the May 4th Movement, and later urged people who had a little knowledge of Marxism and who belonged to anarchist organizations and the Guomindang to organize socialist and communist organizations and parties. The so-called “May 4th Movement” or “New Culture” movement began in China around 1915 following the failure of the 1911 Revolution to establish a republican government and continued through the 1920’s.
After the May 4th Movement, a group of revolutionary intellectuals emerged and began to explore a positive pathway to save the nation and the people. Many of them, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, were still in their youth. After lengthy study and comparison, they not only turned to Marxism and Leninism, but also resolved to use its principles as the instrument to change the fate of the nation. Soon after the May 4th Movement ended, these intellectuals, who had been equipped with preliminary communist philosophy, formed the predecessors of the CPC in Shanghai, Peking, Wuhan, Changsha, Jinan and Guangzhou. Immediately after these organizations were established, the young communists plunged themselves into active and practical struggle.
On 23rd of July, 1921, thirteen representatives of the early organizations of the Communist Party from various cities in China, representing over 50 Party members nationwide, held the First National Congress of the CPC in a house in the French settlement in Shanghai. On the last day of the conference, they were discovered by a secret agent. The conference had to be transferred to a sightseeing boat on the South Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province. The First National Congress represented the official foundation of the CPC. In the official accounts, therefore, July 23rd is now identified as the day on which the First National Congress was held, as mentioned above, though its foundation day is still observed on July 1.
Saving the Country from itself
Starting from the outbreak of the Opium War in 1840, China was gradually reduced to a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society, bullied and enslaved by the Western powers and suffering the notorious behaviors of national betrayal and humiliation by feudal rulers. At a time of unprecedented social crisis, when the Chinese nation was beset by domestic turmoil and foreign aggression, the Chinese people rose up to resist feudal rule and foreign aggression. It was on July 1, 1921, as Marxism-Leninism was integrated with the Chinese workers' movement, that the CPC was born. The CPC had been celebrating July 1st for two decades, and it was thought best not to alter the party’s official anniversary at that point.
Since then, the CPC rallied the Chinese people and led them in a bloody, 28-year struggle, during which they defeated the Japanese imperialist aggressors, overthrew the reactionary rule of the Guomindang, completed the new democratic revolution, and eventually founded the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. It marks a milestone that China has achieved national independence and liberation and the Chinese people have since stood up as the master of themselves. Since the CPC took power as the governing party of China, the Chinese nation has ushered in a new epoch of development.
Invigorating the Country
In the initial stage after the founding of the People's Republic of China, China was faced with extremely difficult and complicated situations both at home and abroad. Domestically, it was imperative for China to renew its sluggish national economy. Internationally, China had to struggle with the political isolation, economic blockade and military threats from western countries, led by the U.S. Despite these hardships, the CPC made active efforts to find a pathway of socialism suitable to its own local conditions. It established the basic socialist systems and scored remarkable achievements in the socialist drive. Starting from scratch, it managed to create an independent and rather complete industrial system and economic system. China has since been able to design independently and carry out mass production of vehicles, airplanes, tanks and cannons. It also succeeded in exploding the atomic and then hydrogen bombs, launching middle and long-range missiles and man-made satellites, building the first nuclear submarine, working out the third-generation electronic computer, and completing the world's first synthesis of bovine insulin. In the meantime, China managed to meet the basic living needs of hundreds of millions of Chinese people, nearly one fourth of the global population, providing them with adequate food and clothing.
Hundreds of millions of Chinese people have escaped from abject poverty in the past thirty years. Experts estimated that 400 million Chinese belong to the middle class at present; in the next five to ten years, this number will rise to 600 million. We can see one common feature from the smallest village to the biggest city: China is leaping forward at a quickening pace, while keeping a strong balance and level of stability.
All these achievements of development lay a solid foundation for achieving China's contemporary development and progress and pushing for the great national rejuvenation.
Enriching the Country
The Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee was held in December 1978, made a historic decision to shift the focus of the work of the Party and the country to seeking economic development, through the reform and opening-up initiative. In its endeavour to find a pathway of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the CPC has been leading the Chinese people to build the once underdeveloped socialist country into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic and culturally advanced. For many years starting 1978, China has achieved high-speed economic growth. It became the world's second largest economy and largest exporter in 2010, joining the ranks of middle-income countries. The Chinese nation, under the leadership of the CPC, achieved a great transformation from standing up to becoming well-off.
Moreover, President Xi Jinping announced the Belt and Road Initiative (also known as One Belt, One Road or OBOR) in 2013. The aim of the Belt and Road Initiative is to promote peaceful cooperation and common development around the world and to strengthen China’s connectivity with the world. It combines new and old projects, covers an expansive geographic scope, and includes efforts to strengthen hard infrastructure, soft infrastructure and cultural ties. Cooperation under the Belt and Road (B&R) framework is something in which all countries, big and small, rich and poor, can participate on an equal footing.
Most Pacific Island countries including Tonga, PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Niue, Micronesia, Cook Islands and Vanuatu have signed with China MOU on the arrangement of cooperation within the framework of BRI during China-Pacific Island Country Leaders Group Meeting held in PNG in 2018.
Over the past seven years, the Initiative has received positive response from the international community. So far, 138 countries and 31 international organizations have signed more than 200 cooperation documents with China while more countries have shown support. A large number of cooperation projects are being and have been implemented globally. Trade in goods volume between China and the countries involved has exceeded nine trillion US dollars, and total investment has exceeded 100 billion US dollars. China has opened direct flights with 45 countries along the routes. Eighty-two economic and trade cooperation zones have been set up out of China, creating more than 330,000 jobs for local people.
Stronger Capacity Building
Since the 18th CPC National Congress held in November 2012, the CPC Central Committee, with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core, has led the Party and people of all ethnic groups in advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics at all fronts. With historic achievements and transformation, socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era. As the second largest world economy, the largest industrial country, the largest trader in goods, and the largest holder of foreign exchange reserves in the world, China contributes approximately 30% to the growth of the world economy. As for science and technology, China has scored landmark scientific and technological achievements in a wide range of areas, including manned spaceflight, lunar exploration, quantum communication, supercomputing, deep-sea engineering, manufacturing of big planes, and aircraft carriers. As regards living standards, the Chinese people now live a significantly improved life. The basic medical insurance covered over 1.3 billion people and the basic old-age insurance covered nearly one billion people. As the impoverished people were all lifted out of absolute poverty, the 1.4 billion population realized the dream of living a well-off life. As the 100th birthday of the CPC is approaching, China will celebrate the centenary with a higher level of economic power, scientific and technological strength, comprehensive national strength, capacity for national system improvement and governance, and international influence. The CPC's accomplishment of the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects, represents a big step forward toward the great national revival.
At present, the CPC is leading people of all ethnic groups across the nation to march toward the second centenary goal. Specifically, at the centenary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in the mid-21st century, China will build itself into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful, and realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the nation. Undoubtedly, the Chinese nation will stand up tall in the global community with greater confidence and resolve, and witness another great transformation from becoming rich to growing stronger.
Chinese President Xi Jinping once remarked, "the CPC is always committed to the eternal great cause of the Chinese nation. It is showing even stronger vigor and vitality at its 100th anniversary." With glorious achievements scored over the past hundred years, the CPC has earned deep trust of the Chinese people and received wide acclaim from the international community. A latest international survey made by Harvard University, suggests that more than 90% of the Chinese people are satisfied with the central government led by the CPC. China is pushing forward the process of democratization. More and more rural grass-roots cadres and National People’s Congress deputies are elected by the general public. No doubt that at the 100th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, the CPC is bound to gain new, notable successes on the journey of fully building a modern socialist country and pursuing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
CPC/PRC International Commitments
China is a member of many international organizations, holding key positions such as permanent membership on the UN Security Council. China joined other UN intergovernmental bodies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the purpose of building prosperity in China. As Sam Kim stated: “Beijing became more interested in what the UN system could do for the modernization of China and less interested in what China could do to reform the UN.” (Nicholas R. Lardy, Integrating China into the Global Economy, Washington D.C. 2002 p.155.)
China has contributed troops to UN peacekeeping missions around the world, an indication that over and above its economic success, China is on the way to increasing its international political weight.
China is heavily involved more and more in disaster relief operations all over the world. The wisdom of the Chinese people has begun to show in the process of conflict resolution. China has come to be a vital player within the UN and other international organizations.
China had begun three crucial processes before joining WTO negotiation: first, moving from a centrally planned to a market economy; second, moving from the rule of men to the rule of law, and thirdly, moving from a closed to an open society. China has already benefited economically from the WTO and GATT framework. It is allowing China to have access to a greater choice of services, more job opportunities and greater desire to learn English.
Military Diplomacy. As supplement to traditional diplomacy, military exchanges between countries are barometers of China’s diplomatic relations, China’s military diplomacy has ushered in a new era of all-round, multi-channel development since the country launched its drive of reform and opening to the outside world more than two decades ago and especially after the convocation of the Fourth Plenum of the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1989.
According to the Foreign Affairs Office of the Defence Ministry, more than 1,600 Chinese military delegations have visited more than 90 countries during the past two decades. In that period, China received 2,500 foreign military groups, half of which were high- ranking delegations headed by defence ministers, commanders-in-chief, chiefs of general staff or army commanders.
Statistics show that China has formed military diplomatic ties with 146 foreign countries and sent military attaches to 103 countries while 74 foreign countries have stationed military attaches in China. Joint military exercises, defense and security consultations and dialogues between China and other countries have boosted China’s clout abroad.
In future, China's military diplomacy will continue to support an independent foreign policy of peace, serve the State's overall diplomacy and the national defence and army modernization drive, further increase mutual understanding, friendship and co-operation with the armed forces of other countries to contribute still more to world peace and stability and common development.
Conclusion
I conclude that the establishment of the CPC was not, as official ideologists claim, the outcome of the combination of the dissemination of Marxism-Leninism and the labor movement in China, but actually the result of political direction and financial support by the Bolsheviks. In consequence, the CPC was built along Leninist lines from the very beginning.
Moreover, the founding of the CPC in 1921, a significant and influential event, was a big turning point for China and world politics.
From 1921 to 1949, the CPC contributed to the achievement of national independence and liberation. Since the founding of the New China in 1949, the CPC established the national economic and industrial system, it carried out the new revolution of reforms and opening up, and thus it created and supported socialism with Chinese characteristics and brought the transformation of China from a closed or semi-closed state to a major factor in the process of economic globalization and regional cooperation.
One interesting aspect of China’s development is the great progress of the country in building up soft power, and I must say that I really appreciated the soft-power diplomatic approach adopted by China.
