101 years of CPC: A spectacular success
THE other day, China celebrated 101 founding days of Communist Party of China (CPC). 100 years of founding for the party to sustain itself alive and also continue transforming with the changing times to meet the challenges facing it is indeed a daunting task.
The Communist Party of China proved itself a success against the opinion of western analysts and critics, who after the break-up of the Soviet Union had predicted the death of CPC or at least its fast decline.
They have been proved wrong. The party founded on July 1st 1921 in Hong Kong in a small house in the French Concession.
They were originally five main people out of the 57 who took mission to steer and organize this party from beginning.
Chairman MOE was member but he became chairman in 1949. This indicates how difficult to rise to top in the party. It took him more than 20 years.
The transformation of the CPC in the last 100 years is amazing. The first quarter after its founding, the party remained embroiled in struggle against imperialism, the second quarter was engaged in the civil war, and the third in the rectification of the party to take it back to the original founding principles.
The last 25 years, we see the transformation from conventional to modernism encompassing technology to accelerate the China’s progress.
There’s no doubt over the years these were very testing times for the party. During this period the world saw a series of wars engulfing the whole globe.
The founding members set four principles; first hard work to seek the truth, second the hard work, the sacrifice, and the third, and the four was the principle of simple living.
These four fundamental guiding principles empowered the CPC to penetrate into the hearts and minds of people and this made it possible for the transformation of the party in every decade to ensure that it engulfs them changing times.
The party leadership soon realized the power of the peasantry. It was the primary approach of the party to penetrate first into the peasantry, strengthen its hold in the country’s rural areas, consolidate the base of the party and then expand outward toward the urban centres.
This policy allowed the party to strengthen itself and succeed in a series of wars. This was followed by the rectification, under which the party ensured that it does not deviate from the founding principles.
At the same time it prepared itself for social and technical development required in the last 50 years.
Under Chu en li the party adopted the approach to modernize itself and for that emphasis was in three major areas: Hundreds and thousands of students were sent to America and Europe for higher studies who on their return changed the complete spectrum of Chinese education to embrace the technological revolution of the modern advancements.
Second, the emphasis was laid in the integration of technology with the conventional methods.
The thrust has been on research. The doors of Chinese mainland were opened for foreign investment under a sustained government policy.
It allowed the quick turnover of the Chinese economy and soon it narrowed the gap with USA during the period of President Xi.
Chinese leadership realized that economic power is the foundation of the military power thus both these aspects were taken care of simultaneously.
The transformation of the military took place spectacularly in the last 25 years. The transformation is accomplished along with the convention of conventional asset improvement, cyber warfare end researching the space.
They achieved this goal based on hard work, sacrifice, simplicity in living and ensuring excellent art of governance.
Merit is the criteria in China, people are appointed on positions on merit, it automatically ensures success.
It be noted the governance of 1.3 billion people, 57 ethnicities spread in thousands of miles is not an easy task.
The party thus ensured to strengthen at the grass root level to train people for the top positions.
Merit is the only criteria to reach the top.The principle of the best for the job was adopted. There is no space for the incompetent to go to the high places.
The founding principles of Communist Party are the hard work, sacrifice, simple living and zero tolerance for corruption.
The uplift of 700 million people above the poverty line as I mentioned above was not an easy task.
How it was achieved, and what methodology was adopted is amazing. A dual approach was adopted by creating connectivity through super-fast railway systems and road networks in the entire spectrum of China.
Far off regions were thus connected and industrial development ensued. The mesh of education and autonomy to regions enabled them to attract investment.
Supportive transformation of the party enabled multi-dimensional development in every sector from commerce, industry and military.
The development brought prosperity and social development of the people. Great leaps in the field of technology were based on sharing the prosperity within and with other nations.
Peace not the war has been the party’s principle. Over one and half million people went abroad as tourists and came back, this portrays the strength of the Chinese system.
China thus is now an economic superpower, with reserves more than three trillion US$. Economic prosperity enabled China to develop its military prowess.
Chinese strategy has been to mesh military technology in conventional warfare with evolving modern technology.
As Modern Warfare is the combination of conventional forces the physical aspect is integrated with modern technology.
China has been stressing on the celestial and space technology acquisition, and it admitted that China achieved the goal within a short period of last decade.
Let there be no doubt that the sacrifices made by the Chinese people enable them to overcome the difficulties, shed the shackles of imperialism and move forward under the banner of CPC in the last 100 years.
The achievement of economic supremacy by China enabled it to exercise bold but soft diplomacy which is backed by modern army and robust steadfast leadership.
In diplomacy China’s strategy has been to use soft power rather than going for force unlike US strategy.
In this BRI is the fulcrum of the economic development at the global level. There is no parallel to this strategy in the last 100 years.
Chinese influence increased tremendously not only in the developing world but also in the African Continent where the countries has been suffering from the colonial yoke for the last over hundred years.
BRI integrated these countries on the course of development unparalleled so far.
Naturally, it hit US objectives; thus, it opposed the BRI and has been pressuring the countries who has been joining the BRI, more than 120 in number by now.
CPEC is the flagship project of BRI which traverse through the Pakistani territory linking Gwadar Port with China and thus creating a gateway to gulf.
CPEC is also a flagship project of Pakistan and there is no doubt that this project when completed will usher Pakistan in new era of industrialization and prosperity.
No wonder it is to be opposed by the status quo powers and supported by many an element within Pakistan.
The transformation of CPC in last 100 years offer a lesson for Pakistan. It should look inward and usher structural reforms with zero tolerance for corruption.
—The author is a senior decorated veteran of 1965 and 1971 wars and backed by 26 years of Corporate Experience. A senior TV Analyst opinion writer. He is member of Karachi Editors Club.
