CPC Toward New Joint Achievements Beyond Centenary
2021/07/02

Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends,

Good Afternoon!

This morning, a grand gathering celebrating the centenary of the Communist Party of China was just held in Beijing and General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the gathering. The Chinese Embassy in South Africa is holding today's reception right after that gathering back home to celebrate this historic moment together with friends from all communities in South Africa. I sincerely thank all our distinguished guests today for your active participation.

We have just together reviewed important points made by General Secretary Xi Jinping from the video clips. I would like to take this opportunity to further share perspectives on his important remarks, so that all of us get to have a deeper understanding about China and the CPC.

General Secretary Xi Jinping reviewed in his remarks a remarkable journey that the CPC has marched on in the past 100 years leading the Chinese people toward stellar achievements through hard work. He reviewed how the Party led efforts toward great success in the new-democratic revolution, socialist revolution and construction, reform, opening up, and socialist modernization as well as for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. On the occasion of this special and historic moment, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly declared that through the continuous efforts of the whole Party and the entire nation, China has realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. He declared that China has brought about a historical resolution to the problem of absolute poverty and the nation is now marching with confidence towards the second centenary goal of building a strong modern socialist country in all respects.

Looking back on the CPC's 100-year history, we can see why we were successful in the past and how we can continue to succeed in the future. Moving forward, General Secretary Xi Jinping shared the CPC's experience and proposals on 9 fronts about how the Party can usher in a brighter future building on past glories. I would like to share a summary of the experience and proposals with the five "musts":

First, we must uphold the firm leadership of the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed on many occasions that China's success hinges on the CPC. Whether it is the over 180 plus years of China's modern history, the 100 years of the CPC's history or the 70 plus years of the PRC's history, they are all proof that without the CPC, there will be no New China and no national rejuvenation. The CPC was chosen by history and the Chinese people.

Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for our Party and the country. It is the very soul and banner of our Party. The CPC's leadership is both the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of the system. It is the foundation and lifeblood of the Party and the country and crucial for the interests and well-being of all Chinese people.

On the journey ahead, we must uphold the Party's overall leadership, continue to enhance its leadership and closely rally around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. We must practice scientific, democratic, and law-based governance and give full play to the Party's role as the core of leadership in providing overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all involved.

Second, we must work hard to deliver a better life for the people. A country is its people; and the people are the country. As the CPC has worked to establish and consolidate leadership over the country, we have in fact been fighting to earn and keep the people's support. This is General Secretary Xi Jinping's philosophy on what the CPC's relationship with the Chinese people is all about. To serve the people wholeheartedly is the fundamental reason and goal of anything the CPC does and this is what makes the CPC different from other political parties.

The CPC has its roots, lifeblood, and source of strength in the people. It has always represented the fundamental interests of all Chinese people; it stands with them through thick and thin and shares a common fate with them. The Party has no special interests of its own-it has never represented any individual interest group, power group, or privileged groups. Any attempt to divide the Party from the Chinese people or to set the people against the Party is bound to fail. The more than 95 million Party members and the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people will never allow this to happen.

On the journey ahead, we will continue to practice a people-centered philosophy of development. We will develop whole-process people's democracy, preserve social fairness and justice and resolve the imbalances and inadequacies in development and the most pressing difficulties of concern to the people.

Third, we must firmly uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics. General Secretary Xi Jinping has concluded China's contemporary history by saying that socialism with Chinese characteristics is a fundamental achievement made by the CPC and the people, having endured great struggles and at great costs. It is the right way to go for rejuvenating the Chinese nation.

As China has upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics and driven coordinated progress in material, political, cultural-ethical, social, and ecological fields, we have pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization, and created a new model for human advancement.

On the new journey ahead, the CPC and the Chinese people will continue to actively act on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for an New Era.

We are eager to learn what lessons we can from the achievements of other cultures. We welcome helpful suggestions and constructive criticism. However, we will never accept lecturing from those self-appointed preachers. The Party and the Chinese people will keep moving confidently forward along the path that we have chosen for ourselves. We will make sure that the future of China's development and progress remains firmly in our own hands.

Fourth, we must continue working to promote the building of a human community with a shared future.

Peace, concord, and harmony are ideas the Chinese nation has pursued for more than 5,000 years. The Chinese nation does not carry aggressive or hegemonic traits in its genes. China has always worked to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and preserve international order.

On the journey ahead, we will be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, remain committed to promoting peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, to an independent foreign policy of peace, and to the path of peaceful development. We will work to build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind, promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative through joint efforts. We will use China's new achievements in development to provide the world with new opportunities.

The CPC will continue to work with all peace-loving countries and peoples to promote the shared human values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom. We will continue to champion cooperation over confrontation, to open up rather than closing our doors, to focus on mutual benefits instead of zero-sum games, and to oppose hegemony and power politics.

We Chinese are a people who uphold justice and are not intimidated by threats of force. As a nation, we have a strong sense of pride and confidence. We have never bullied, oppressed, or subjugated the people of any other country, and we never will. In the same vein, we will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us. Anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people.

Fifth, we must continue to advance the great new project of Party building.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that an important reason why the Party remains so vibrant despite having undergone so many difficulties is that it practices effective self-supervision as well as full and strict self-governance. It has thus been able to ensure that it always remains at the forefront of the times despite profound changes in the world, and to stand firm as the backbone of the nation when meeting various risks and challenges at home and abroad.

On the journey ahead, we must continue to adapt the basic tenets of Marxism to China's specific realities and its fine traditional culture. We will continue to develop the Marxism of contemporary China and in the 21st century and constantly move forward the new great practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for an New era. We must continue to demonstrate stronger vigilance and always be prepared for potential danger, be both brave and adept in carrying out our struggle and courageous enough to emerge from all risks and challenges victorious. We must keep firmly in mind the old saying that it takes a good blacksmith to make good steel and maintain strict self-governance. We must strengthen the Party's organizational system, and work hard to train high-caliber officials who have both moral integrity and professional competence. We must ensure that the Party preserves its essence, color, and character, and see that it always serves as the strong leadership core in the course of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Comrades and Friends,

Looking into the future, China enjoys the CPC's strong leadership, the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics as well as the hard work of all Chinese people in solidarity. It is therefore inevitable the Chinese nation will step forward toward its great rejuvenation. The CPC will stay true to the letter and spirit of the principle of One Country, Two Systems, under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong, and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of autonomy. While protecting China's sovereignty, security, and development interests, we will ensure social stability in Hong Kong and Macao, and maintain lasting prosperity and stability in the two special administrative regions. Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the CPC. It is also a shared aspiration of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. The CPC has always placed the united front in a position of importance and worked to ensure great unity and solidarity. We will uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, work for the resolution of the Taiwan Question and advance full and peaceful national reunification. All of the Chinese people in the world, compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, must come together and move forward in unison. We must take resolute action to utterly defeat any attempt toward "Taiwan independence," and work together to create a bright future for national rejuvenation. No one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Comrades and Friends.

The CPC is a political party that works for the happiness of the Chinese people and struggles for the cause of human progress. In the past 100 years, the CPC has contributed its share to world peace, injected momentum into global development, offered alternatives in development paths, built platforms for mutual learning among civilizations, and overall made great contributions that have stood out in history.

China is the largest developing country in the world, and Africa is the continent with the biggest number of developing countries. Similarities in history and common missions have bound China and African countries together. The CPC, the ANC, the SACP and other political parties, as well as the people of South Africa and other countries have always been of one heart and one mind, and have forged a deep friendship with each other. The CPC firmly supports the anti-imperialist, anti-colonial and anti-hegemonic struggle in Africa and the struggle of the South African people against Apartheid. The CPC has always promoted win-win cooperation and common development, and has provided all-round support for Africa's economic and social development.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to relations with Africa. He proposed that relations with Africa must be developed under the principle of honoring sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and that of pursuing the greater good and shared interests among countries. President Xi Jinping devoted himself to developing relations with Africa. In 2013, He chose Africa as part of his first trip abroad after taking office. So far, he has visited Africa four times covering the eastern, western, northern and southern and central parts of the African continent, including three state visits to South Africa. In 2015 and 2018, our two Presidents co-chaired two historic FOCAC Summits held in Johannesburg and Beijing respectively. The ten cooperation plans and eight major initiatives for China-Africa relations have helped Africa achieve long-term stability and sustainable development.

Since COVID-19 started, General Secretary Xi Jinping has all along cared about Africa and South Africa. President Xi Jinping and President Ramaphosa jointly initiated the China-Africa Extraordinary Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19. He also spoke many times with various African leaders. China has actively provided emergency COVID-19 response supplies and sent medical teams to Africa. We also rank the first among G20 members in terms of deferral amount on debt suspension and relief arrangements. As South Africa is now entering a third wave of COVID-19 infection, the government has taken strong measures to curb the virus. On China's part, we are willing to continue to donate COVID-19 response supplies to the South African side. We are ready to share response experience and carry out vaccine cooperation, so that our two sides can defeat the virus together at an early date.

Comrades and Friends,

What's past is prologue. As a Party that is focused on the eternal great cause for the Chinese nation, the CPC is in its prime reaching its first centenary. China has now entered a new stage of development. We are working to deliver a new vision of development, build a new development paradigm, and march towards the second centenary goal to build a strong, democratic, harmonious and beautiful modern socialist country by 2049, 100 years after the founding of New China. China's development in the coming new era will create still broader new space for all countries in the world to share our opportunities. We welcome all countries including in Africa to get on board the bullet train of China's development.

The Chinese dream and the African dream are now closely intertwined. China and Africa are building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. The CPC is ready to work with the ANC, the SACP and other African political parties to renew the glory of our century-old Parties. We are ready to deepen the exchange of experience in governance, so that all countries could explore development paths in line with one's own national conditions. These efforts will inject new momentum into the development of our party-to-party and country-to-country relations and open a new chapter in China-Africa relations.

Long live the great, glorious, and correct CPC!

Long live the great, glorious, and heroic Chinese people!

Long live the great China-South Africa and China-Africa friendship!

I Thank you all.