The Chinese people will celebrate the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on July 1, 2021. The date is a historically important commemoration for China and the world because the century of CPC operations have been the pride of Chinese people and oppressed people all over the world. China’s growth story in recent decades produced jaw-dropping milestones alongside the CPC’s efforts to transform China from a poor and backward country to a prosperous and strong one.

The world has long pondered how the CPC was able to lead the world’s most populous country from a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society to a vibrant socialist country. What was the secret of the great success of the CPC in lifting an impoverished and weak China to stand firmly and independently among all nations in the world today? The power has been the CPC’s far-reaching goals and firm determination to pave a road to the great cause of “building a modern socialist country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by keeping the fundamental interests of the Chinese people at the very center of its heart. It devised a recipe for its own success dubbed “socialism with Chinese characteristics.”

A century ago, against the backdrop of deep social crisis and internal and external menaces, the CPC was born in 1921 and sought to integrate Marxism-Leninism with the Chinese workers’ movement to shift the Chinese revolution towards a healthier track. This earthshaking event profoundly changed the future of the Chinese nation and the destiny of the Chinese people. On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong solemnly proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from the Tiananmen Rostrum. From that point on, the Chinese nation under the leadership of the CPC has been striving for a brighter future.

Since the day the PRC was founded, the CPC has led the Chinese people down “the Chinese road” by adhering to socialism with Chinese characteristics, with an aim to foster the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and realize modernization. The CPC has also provided a Chinese model for mankind’s further exploration of a better social system. The CPC is the embodiment of China’s socialist ideals, sovereignty, reform, and quest for progress in all human endeavors.

Under the guidance of the CPC, China has been marching forward in every facet of life, achieving balanced economic development, improving quality of life, eradicating poverty, creating modern jobs, conserving nature, and protecting the environment. In all of these areas, China has realized impressive achievements that testify to the success of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The CPC’s unwavering commitment to “serving the people wholeheartedly” while fostering a spectacular and colorful panorama for the people has been inspiring. No matter how hard it may become, “serving the people” has always remained the soul of the CPC. “Meeting the people’s desire for a better life is our mission,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping in a speech, and indeed the goal of the CPC has led all Chinese people to happier living.

Under the leadership of the CPC, China’s central and provincial governments have aimed to foster the common prosperity of all people and promote well-rounded development of the 1.4 billion people. Such a political strategy and political courage to realize the Chinese Dream has been hard for Western institutions to fathom or deploy. The Western national governance system has not been able to formulate long-term strategic plans to promote national development.

The Chinese road to socialism was created through a combination of Marxism and analysis of the objective realities and national conditions of China. The Chinese people and the CPC sacrificed a lot and endured unimaginable hardship to achieve such fundamental interests. The road contrasts the Western road to modernization which involves “bipolar opposition,” conflict, and even waging war. The Chinese road to modernization involves people-oriented spirit and work to enhance the people’s livelihood, affluence, harmony, and democracy.

By sticking to the agenda designed by the CPC, China finished building “a moderately prosperous society in all respects” and realized its goal of eradicating absolute poverty in 2020. China scored a complete victory in its fight against poverty by lifting over 770 million rural residents out of it over the past four decades, contributing to more than 70 percent of global poverty reduction. Today, residents of every remote village in China enjoy concrete roads, electricity, and clean water. The economic conditions of rural people have improved dramatically. The CPC has been improving human rights by ensuring hundreds of millions the right to basic living necessities.

In regard to its impact on the global order, China has emerged as a new pole of gravity. China’s US$14 trillion-plus GDP has made it the second-largest economy in the world. Furthermore, China has provided a successful model of modernization for developing countries, which still account for more than 80 percent of the world’s population. It has made huge contributions to the development of the world through promoting the Belt and Road Initiative and actively assisting other countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, China stands tall as a strong and peaceful nation willing to share its experience and achievements with the world. China’s governance road and its remarkable achievements have literally broken the Western monopoly on methods to achieve modernization. The world is already sharing in the fruits of China’s development. On the glorious occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, it is believed that the collective leadership of the CPC will enable China to meet its goal of building a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious by 2049 and continue to stun the world for a long time to come.