The Communist Party of China (CPC), the world's largest governing party with over 96 million members, has discovered another key to breaking the historical cycle of "rise and fall" and ensuring its long-term governance.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has identified that key as self-reform, a judgment he made in November last year in light of the endeavors of the Party over the past century, and its practice since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 in particular.
Rewind the clock to the eve of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1945. In a cave home on the Loess Plateau, a historic conversation took place between late Chairman Mao Zedong and Huang Yanpei, a democratic personage, on how to maintain the long-lasting success of political power. Mao gave an answer: supervision by the people and the due diligence of people working in public positions.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core has led the Party in constant revolutionary tempering, lifting the Party to a new level of self-reform.
COURAGE IN UNDERTAKING SELF-REFORM
In September 2021, the year the CPC marked its centenary, Xi visited the Loess Plateau in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, part of which was the former revolutionary base of the Party.
During the tour, Xi mentioned the historical cycle, and "going in for a big exam in the capital city," an expression proposed by Chairman Mao.
The mindset of always taking "a big exam" and the courage to carry out self-reform are the most prominent qualities of the CPC.
Xi once pointed out that the fundamental reason for the fall of ancient and modern countries lies in their failure to solve their own problems.
To ensure its long-term governance, the CPC has taken Party building as a great project and has constantly carried out self-reform.
In the face of changes in the world unseen in a century and various severe tests, Chinese communists in the new era have rooted out serious potential dangers in the Party, the country and the military by taking resolute actions, thus securing close ties with the people, the wholehearted support of the people, and the Party's solidarity.
When meeting with Xi in Beijing in February this year, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez spoke of the achievements the CPC had made.
"We have no special interests of our own in serving the people," Xi told Fernandez.
Over the past century, the CPC has realized its enduring prosperity and continuous growth by developing people's democracy, accepting people's oversight, and advancing the full and rigorous governance over the Party.
COORDINATED EFFORTS AGAINST CORRUPTION
In improving Party conduct, Xi has urged a top-down approach to address pronounced problems. The country has targeted "trivial" matters such as gifts of mooncakes and the like, violations in the use of public cars and unhealthy tendencies at luxurious venues, among others.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the anti-corruption campaign has been taken to an unprecedented level. With firm action to "take out tigers" and "swat flies", an overwhelming victory has been achieved in the fight against corruption.
The fight against corruption is a major political struggle that the Party cannot and must not lose.
Xi has reiterated imposing stringent and harsh standards, rather than loose, lax and soft ones, when it comes to governing the Party.
Xi has served as the head of a series of top-level institutions of the central authorities and has comprehensively strengthened the Party's leadership on major tasks such as deepening overall reform, law-based governance, and economic work.
A power supervision network has been gradually formed, reform of the Party's discipline inspection and the national supervision system has been extended, and the system of Party regulations has been improved.
The CPC has also carried out multiple themed education programs for Party members, strengthening the ideological support for the Party to conduct self-reform.
WINNING PEOPLE'S SUPPORT
A report done by Harvard University, based on its 13-year survey in China, showed that the Chinese people's overall satisfaction with the central government exceeded 93 percent. Many similar surveys have also found high approval ratings of the Chinese government.
Cui Ronghai, an octogenarian from Jiangsu province, asked a local deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) to relay his gratitude to Xi when the deputy was attending the annual NPC session in Beijing in March 2022.
Cui had met Xi in person before. In late 2014, when Xi inspected the city of Zhenjiang, Cui came up to him and grabbed his hand, commending the general secretary's anti-graft achievements.
"Corrupt officials are all afraid of you," Cui said. "You bring good fortune to the people."
The old man has spoken the mind of many people in China. The nature of the CPC's long-lasting commitment to self-reform is persisting in doing what is right and correcting what is wrong in the interests of the people. Such is the secret behind the CPC's ability to achieve one triumph after another.
Just as Xi stated, the Party will remain invincible as long as it stands at the forefront of the times, leads the charge in overcoming difficulties and challenges, and takes root among the people.
Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core, the Party continues to advance self-reform for the people's sake. With self-reform, the Party is certain to secure even greater victories on the journey toward national rejuvenation.
