1. Why the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century was adopted?
The Communist Party of China has always attached great importance to reviewing its historical experience and is good at applying the laws of history. It will summarize and extract the Party's history at important historical junctures so as to unify all Party members in thinking and action and better achieve the development goals of the Party and the country. In 1945, the CPC Central Committee adopted the first historical resolution. It drew conclusions on major historical issues of the Party, leading to broad consensus among all Party members on fundamental questions pertaining to the Chinese revolution. In 1981, the second historical resolution was adopted. The resolution reviewed the Party's history in the period before the founding of the People's Republic and summarized the experience it had gained in the course of socialist revolution and construction. Different as the historical conditions, background of times and problems to be solved of the two historical resolutions are , both resolutions were made at significant historical junctures and have played an important role in promoting the development of the cause of the Party and the people.
Seventy-six years have passed since the adoption of the Party's first resolution on historical issues, and 40 years since the second. The past four decades have witnessed tremendous progress in the cause of the Party and the country and tremendous advances for the Party in theoretical and practical terms. We have now arrived at a new historic milestone. As we look back and set our sights on the future, we have both an objective need and the subjective conditions for a full review of our Party's major achievements and historical experience over the past century, especially those in the 40 odd years of reform and opening up.
This years also marks the centenary of the founding of CPC. The CPC has successfully led Chinese people to fulfill the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and move on toward the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. At such a significant historical juncture, a comprehensive review of major achievements and historical experience of the Party over the past century will help further unify the whole party in thinking, will and action and rally and lead Chinese people of all ethnic groups in achieving new and great success in building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. The Resolution also demonstrates the confidence and responsibility of the CPC to bear in mind its original mission and carry forward the past and forge ahead into the future.
2.Why does the Resolution devote a large part to describing the historic achievements and shifts of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era?
Different from the first two historical resolutions, which mainly summarize the Party's historical lessons and distinguish between right and wrong in history, the third historical resolution mainly summarizes the Party's major achievements and historical experience in its centennial struggle. From the founding of the Party to the beginning of reform and opening up, the controversies on major issues in the Party's history have been basically solved in the first two historical resolutions, and their basic points and conclusions still remain valid. The third resolution's appraisal of major events, significant meetings and important figures is consistent with the existing conclusions of the Central Committee of the Party.
This Resolution places emphasis on the new era, mainly reviewing the historic achievements and the historic shifts in the cause of the Party and the country, and the latest experience that the Party has gained during this period. This is because the previous two resolutions on historical issues were devoted to the Party's history during the new-democratic revolution period, the period of socialist revolution and construction, and the period between the third plenary session of the 11th Central Committee in 1978 and its sixth plenary session in 1981. As for the achievements and experience from the period marked by reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the Central Committee has already conducted systematic reviews at anniversary celebrations or important meetings.
Therefore, the third resolution focuses on the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics along with a brief summary of Party history prior to the 18th National Congress based on existing reviews and conclusions. This will help further fortify confidence and sense of mission among all party members, focus on our current endeavors, and enable us to forge ahead on the new journey to achieve the second Centennial goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects.
3.How to understand the Party has established Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and defined the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era?
The Party has established Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and defined the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This is a historic choice, which reflects the common will of the Party, the armed forces, and Chinese people of all ethnic groups, and is of decisive significance for advancing the cause of the Party and the country in the new era and for driving forward the historic process of national rejuvenation.
The essential cause for the historic achievements and shifts of the cause of the Party and the country since the 18th National Congress of CPC fundamentally lies in the leadership of the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. A strong leadership core and scientific theoretical guidance are fundamental issues related to the future and destiny of the Party and the country. The core of leadership is critical for a country and a political party. The CPC has more than 95 million members and leads a large country with 56 ethnic groups and a population of 1.4 billion. If the Party Central Committee has no core or the whole party has no core, it is easy to fracture and split and nothing can be achieved. Only when the Party Central Committee has a core and the whole party has a core, can the party have strength, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation be smoothly promoted, the Chinese people live a happier life, and China make greater contribution to the world.
The CPC is a Marxist party that attach great importance to the guidance of scientific theory. The fundamental reason why the CPC have led the Chinese people to achieve great achievements over the past century is that the Party keeps adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China's specific realities and China's fine traditional culture, promoting theoretical innovation, and using new theory to guide new practice. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the Marxism of contemporary China and of the 21st century. It embodies the best of the Chinese culture and ethos in our times and represents a new breakthrough in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. It provides a scientific action guide for promoting the great cause of national rejuvenation. Defining the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is conducive for the Party to adhere to the correct direction, grasp the law of development, use scientific methods to plan the development cause, tackle the risks and challenges, and lead the people of all ethnic groups to constantly open up bright prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
4. What is the relationship between the people-centered philosophy and common prosperity?
In the hundred years of struggle, the Communist Party of China has always adhered to the people-centered philosophy. The Party has led the people to achieve national independence, promote economic development, win the battle against poverty and integrate into the world development, which has continuously improved the Chinese people's sense of happiness,security and fulfillment. Realizing common prosperity is mainly to solve the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development in order to better meet the people's ever-growing needs for a better life, and is practicing the people-centered philosophy in essence.
Common prosperity is an important pursuit of Marxism and an important symbol that distinguishes socialism from capitalism. After the reform and opening up, the CPC profoundly summarized the positive and negative historical experience, and realized that poverty is not socialism. Therefore, the CPC broke the shackles of the traditional system, allowed some people and some regions to get rich first, and promoted the liberation and development of social productive forces. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has grasped the new changes in the development phase and placed the gradual realization of common prosperity for all the people in a more important position. We have promoted coordinated regional development, taken effective measures to improve people's livelihood, won the battle of poverty alleviation, and built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus creating good conditions for promoting common prosperity.
Just as President Xi Jinping has put it, common prosperity should be promoted via high-quality development, which clearly points out the path to the realization of common prosperity and the direction of China's endeavors. First, we need to solve the problem of development. China is still the largest developing country in the world, and the problems in progress must be solved by means of continuous development. We will fully, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy and achieve high-quality development. With healthy fundamentals, huge domestic demand potential and development space, China's economy can fully realize long-term sustainable and healthy development and provide a stronger material foundation for promoting common prosperity. Second, we need to solve the problem of distribution. We will enhance the balance, coordination and inclusiveness of development, continue to narrow the development gap between urban and rural areas, and lay a solid foundation for common prosperity. We will increase the proportion of middle-income people and optimize the distribution structure. We will adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, empower all people with fair opportunities, rules and rights in participating in development, jointly create social wealth and share the fruits of development.
5. What new opportunities will be created for the whole world in the course of China's New Development?
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party's Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at it core has united and led the whole party, the entire nation, and the people of all ethnic groups in practicing a new development philosophy featuring high-quality development. The Party and the country have since made great achievements in various causes, and contributed a lot to the world peace and stability, and development and prosperity.
The sustained and stable economic growth of China provides new opportunities to the world economic recovery. With the COVID-19 pandemic lingering on, the world economy still facing headwind, international trade and investment dropping drastically, the global supply chains running into crisis,China remains one of the few major economies to lead the world economic recovery. China is fostering a new pattern of development with the internal circulation as the mainstay and the internal and external circulations reinforcing each other, and promoting high-quality development. This will inject more impetus to world economic recovery.
The tremendous potential of consumption that China enjoys will provide new opportunities to the international market. With a population of 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of over 400 million people, China is a big market with the greatest potential in the world. It is estimated that in the coming 15 years, China will import goods and services worth over US$30 trillion and US$10 trillion respectively. The super-sized and multi-layered consumption market of China still has enormous space to grow, and will bring about business opportunities to the world.
China is steadily expanding opening-up and will create new cooperation opportunities for the international society. Always adhered to the mutually beneficial and win-win opening-up strategy, China is building a new system of high-level open economy, and gradually accelerating the institutional opening-up.China has constantly improved the foreign investment system featuring pre-establishment national treatment and negative list, with the latter being shortened continuously. Therefore, China has become one of the most popular foreign investment destinations. China's door for opening up will only open wider for enterprises of various countries to extend their horizons of development in China.
China is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind and will provide new development opportunities for the whole world. In the course of realizing the Second Centenary Goal, China sincerely hopes that the various countries of the world will benefit from China's new development. China cordially welcome people of various countries to take the fast or free ride of China's development. China will be ready to share the achievements of development and realize win-win cooperation with the world so as to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial for all.
6.What role will China take in promoting global governance?
China has actively participated in the development and improvement of the global governance system. It has worked to safeguard the international system centered on the UN, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China promotes actively the building a community with a shared future for mankind, emphasizing that all countries shall jointly safeguard the universal security, share the development achievements, and grasp the destiny of the world. China maintains the position that, in global governance, all countries should follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits and conform to the historical trends of peace, development, and win-win cooperation.
With the health of humankind and world development in mind, China advocates to build a community of common health for mankind, actively participates in international cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and pioneers in the reform of global health governance system. China has been active in sharing COVID response experience with the world, and has sent large quantities of supplies, vaccines and medicines to other countries, and deeply engaged in science-based cooperation on COVID-19 origins tracing. China emphasizes that we need to make vaccines a global public good and ensure vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries and the fair and equitable distribution of vaccines globally.
Actively engaged in realizing global common development, China has launched the Global Development Initiative(GDI). Taking development as a priority, the GDI features a people-centered approach, benefits for all, innovation-driven development, harmony between man and nature, and results-oriented actions, for the purpose of fostering global development partnerships that are more equal and balanced and forging greater synergy among multilateral development cooperation processes. We need to advance on a priority basis cooperation on poverty alleviation, food security, COVID-19 response and vaccines, development financing, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy and connectivity, among other areas, so as to build a global community of development with a shared future.
Guided by the vision of a community of life for man and Nature, China responds to climate change with real actions. As the biggest developing country in the world, China will deliver the largest reduction of carbon emission, realizing carbon neutrality soonest after carbon dioxide peaking. China will firmly stay committed to a green and low-carbon path to development and will not build new coal-fired power projects overseas. China will work to achieve the full, balanced, effective and sustained implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement to fulfill its Nationally Determined Contribution goals. Reiterating the principle of “common but differentiated obligations”, China will help the developing countries with adaptation and mitigation, and support them in green and low-carbon development. China is committed to work with various parties to build a global climate governance system that is fair, rational, cooperative and beneficial to all.
7.What is the historical significance of the Party's endeavors over the past century?
The Resolution highlights the significance of the Party's endeavors over the past century in five folds. That is, the endeavors have fundamentally transformed the future of the Chinese people, opened up the right path for achieving rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, demonstrated the strong vitality of Marxism, produced a profound influence on the course of world history, and made the CPC a forerunner of the times.
These five aspects of significance can be generalized with five keywords: people, road, Marxism, world and political party. Based on the land of China, and looking into the future of the humankind, the generalization linked up the Party's endeavors over the past century with the Chinese people, the Chinese nationality, Marxism, world socialism, and the development of human society, highlighting the historical,theoretical, and practical logic of the Party in its endeavors over the past centenary. It is a comprehensive, in-depth and systematic embodiment of the Party's contribution to China and the humankind.
Not long ago, at the launch of “China: O socialismo do século XXI”, co-authored by Elias Jabbour and Alberto Gabriele, Dilma Rousseff,former President of Brazil, indicated that it is crucial to understand socialism with Chinese characteristics. The road that the Communist Party of China has explored and followed is to closely combine the building of the brand new social pattern with the building of a new type of country, rather than extend and develop capitalism.This book has aroused hot debate in Brazil. A lot of scholars maintain that China's path to modernization has broken up the idolatry toward the mainstream western economic theories. It also surpassed the traditional theoretical framework of Marxism. It is a harbinger of a higher form of social organization and state governance system. It is also maintained that one can appreciate the times value of China's modernization objectively only if discarding the old thinking. The reviews of the scholars present a new perspective to observe and analyze the endeavors of the Communist Party of China over the past century.
8.What historical experience has been drawn from the Party's endeavors over the past century?
The Resolution summarizes the experience from the Party's endeavors over the past century into ten points:
(1) Upholding the Party's leadership. The strong leadership of the Party is the fundamental reason why the Chinese people and Chinese nation have been able to transform their fate in modern times and achieved the great success we see today. As the choice of history and the people, the Party's overall leadership is indispensable in China's future development and advancement.
(2) Putting the people first. The Party represents the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. It has no special interests of its own, nor has it ever represented the interests of any individual interest group, any power group, or any privileged stratum.
(3)Advancing theoretical innovation. The Party is good at adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China's specific realities and China's fine traditional culture. The Party has the courage to keep making theoretical innovations in light of new practical developments and use new theory to guide new practice.
(4) Staying independent. The Party has always followed an independent path as it has pressed forward, stressing reliance on our own efforts to drive the nation's development, and maintaining that China's affairs must be decided and run by the Chinese people themselves.
(5) Following the Chinese path. Throughout its endeavors over the past century, the Party has always stayed grounded in China's conditions and figured out a right path consistent with China's realities—the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We follow this path unswervingly. We are committed to develop whole-process people's democracy.
(6) Maintaining a global vision. While pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the Party has also contributed to human progress and world harmony. It champions opening up over isolation, pursues mutual benefit instead of zero-sum games, and stands up for fairness and justice. This has enabled the Party to stand on the right side of history and human progress. We will keep to the path of peaceful development. We will never rely on others, take advantage of others, or seek hegemony.
(7) Breaking new ground. The Party has led the people in advancing innovations in theory, practice, institutions, culture, and other areas, constantly searching for new ways to solve China's problems, and creating a new model for human advancement.
(8) Standing up for ourselves. The Party was born amid domestic turmoil and foreign aggression, was tempered through numerous tribulations, and has grown strong by surmounting difficulties. It has remained unyielding despite all setbacks. We are sure to overcome any risks or challenges, whether foreseeable or otherwise.
(9) Promoting the united front. The Party has remained committed to great unity and solidarity, united all forces that can be united, and mobilized all positive factors available in order to promote harmony between different political parties, ethnic groups, religions, social strata, and compatriots at home and abroad. This has allowed us to pool strength to the greatest extent possible for our common goals.
(10) Remaining committed to self-reform. The Party is committed to upholding truth and righting errors. The Party has the courage to confront problems and reform itself. The Party consistently eliminates any negative factors that would erode its health and always preserves advanced nature and integrity.
These ten points represent valuable practical experience gained over a long period and intellectual treasures created through the joint efforts of the Party and the people. They constitute a systematic and coherent whole, deepening our understanding of the laws underlying governance by a communist party, the building of socialism, and the development of human society. Thus, the summation of the ten points is of historic significance, as it discloses the reason why the Party has been successful in the past. The summation of the 10 points is also of practical guidance values, as it show us how we can continue to succeed in the future. It is helpful in that the Party can further unite and lead the entire nation in realizing the aspiration to build a great modern socialist country, deliver a better life to all the Chinese and make greater contribution to the human development and advancement.