CRI:

We note that many foreign political parties and leaders have sent congratulatory messages and letters to the CPC on the centenary of its founding. Could you share us the main contents of these letters? What are their opinions of the CPC? Thank you.

Guo Yezhou:

I'd like to take this question. The CPC's 100th founding anniversary has far-reaching significance. It is a big event for the CPC and the Chinese people, and has garnered continuous global attention. As the celebrations for the centenary are approaching, congratulatory messages and letters are flooding in. Many state leaders and leaders of political parties extended congratulations in their letters to General Secretary Xi Jinping. Some congratulations were in the form of a political resolution. Some were jointly sent by ruling and opposition parties who shelved their differences and sat down in red uniforms for a meeting to send a congratulatory letter to show their consensus in developing friendly ties with China. Some were part of party theoretical research achievements, which was touching and profound. Some were both in video and written forms.

By June 27, we had received more than 1,300 congratulatory messages and letters, many of which came from over 150 heads of state and government, and more than 200 principal leaders of political parties. Related work is still underway.

Foreign political parties have paid close attention to the CPC, demonstrated by their congratulatory messages and letters as well as in their exchanges with the Party. In the eyes of foreign political parties and political leaders, the CPC has five distinctive features. First, the CPC is a party pursuing theoretical explorations and keeping pace with the times. They said the CPC has stayed committed to looking at Marxism through combining theory and practice and has developed a theoretical system that has kept up with the times.

Second, the CPC has put the people at the center of its priorities and promoted the people's well-being. Many foreign political parties and political leaders said the CPC has traveled an extraordinary journey along which it weathers the storm together with the Chinese people. China's development is attributed to the CPC's dedication to promoting the people's well-being .

Third, the CPC constantly strengthens party building and has emerged stronger with full vitality. They said the CPC's exercise of strict Party discipline has showed its courage to conduct self-reform, and consolidated the CPC's ruling foundation with wide support from the people.

Fourth, the CPC has strong leadership and great energy to fight. They believe that the strong leadership and implementation capacity of the CPC have enabled China to make remarkable achievements in various fields. A sense of responsibility of all members of the Party enables the CPC to win its victories.

Fifth, the CPC has a global vision. They spoke highly of the CPC for exploring new practices with the Belt and Road Initiative, the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, global cooperation to fight against the COVID-19 and other major measures to promote human development and progress. They said the CPC has brought confidence and hope to the turbulent and changing world with continuous public ideological achievements.

These messages and letters also conveyed the international community's new expectations for the CPC at a new historical starting point. They expected and believed the CPC would be able to lead the Chinese people to address the risks and challenges ahead and realize the Second Centenary Goal as scheduled. They wished China would continue to benefit the people of the world with greater prosperity and progress. They hoped the CPC to fully respond to the concerns of developing countries and political parties, and share its experience of running the Party and the country in multiple ways. They would like the CPC to continue to promote exchanges and cooperation between political parties, and help other countries to achieve rapid development toward modernization. They also anticipated the CPC could provide the world with continuous public ideological achievements, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, lead the international community to deal with global challenges including global security, climate change and imbalanced development, and make more contributions to building a peaceful, stable and prosperous world.

The leader of the CPC and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era are also among the concern of foreign political parties and political leaders for the CPC. In their eyes, General Secretary Xi Jinping is a leader who emerged from the Chinese people and is a statesman with great practices. They see him as a world-class leader because of China's huge achievements, poverty relief miracles, the CPC's endeavors to discipline the Party, and the country's contribution to the cause of human progress.

They are familiar with Xi's quotes like "For the good of my people, I will put aside my own well-being" and "The state is the people, and the people are the state." They admire Xi's leadership and his care for the people. They hail his political courage for reform and facing up to tough issues, and appreciate his political wisdom for making achievements with innovation and initiative as well as his broad and strategic vision with a long-term perspective.

They said Xi, who has always placed the people's aspiration to live a better life as the focus of all the country's work, is the master planner for the blueprint of China's great rejuvenation. He is a world-class leader with a global vision offering new solutions to global challenges, leading the reforms of the time and giving hope to the world at a time of global crisis. 

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and related practices are also a focus of great attention by foreign political parties and political leaders in their congratulatory messages, and in our routine interactions. They agreed that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is also significant to the world in addition to guiding China toward historical achievements and changes in every sector of the country.

Its global significance lies in the following aspects. First, it breaks new ground for the development of socialism. This important thought "belongs to every progressive political party and country that is committed to taking the lead to achieve national development and working for people's happiness." It also "further advances humanity's exploration of a better social system." Second, the thought re-energizes the development of party politics. They believe that this important thought taps into the internal logic between party building and national governance. "It has achieved success in the governance of both the Party and the country, deepening people's understanding of the evolution of human society." Third, the thought explores a new path in humanity's pursuit of modernization. They believe that "developing countries are highly encouraged by the ‘Chinese miracle'" and that "the Chinese path is a brand-new choice for developing countries to achieve modernization." Fourth, the thought has charted a new course for the development of international relations. They believe that this important thought consists of multiple concepts such as the Belt and Road Initiative, a human community with a shared future, and new types of international relations, to name a few. "It has profoundly changed people's conventional understanding of international relations" and "ignited a new dream for all humanity to pursue a better life together."

My colleagues and I are working to compile and publish these congratulatory messages. After they are published, you'll find that much of what I just said are quotes from them. These points of view clearly show that various political parties from a range of countries have fully realized that General Secretary Xi Jinping is the core of the CPC, the leader of the Chinese people, and the backbone of the Chinese nation which is marching toward great rejuvenation. They have realized that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the political principle and fundamental guideline of China's development. They have realized that the CPC is the core leadership of all China's undertakings, and that the CPC is inseparable from the Chinese people and the destiny of the Chinese nation. They have also realized that correctly understanding the CPC is the key to comprehensively understanding present-day China and precisely tapping into the country's future development.

As we celebrate the centenary of the CPC and embark on a new historic journey, the Party's external work should live up to the expectations of the international community, proactively respond to their demands and concerns, and continuously better communicate to the world the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, publicize Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, tell stories about the Chinese people's fight for their dream under the leadership of the CPC, and help the rest of the world better understand the CPC, so as to win more support, understanding and accompaniment for the socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics. Thank you.