[translation] The Secret to the CPC’s Success? Learning from History and the People
Article by Gennady Zyuganov, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Translator’s Introduction
This article was originally published in Pravda on March 4th, 2021 and then appeared in Chinese about a week or so later. I created this English translation from the Chinese. That source text can be read here. If the US mainstream media were to cover this piece, they would predictably say that there is nothing original here worth commenting on, because Zyuganov simply repeats “regime talking points,” in an attempt to show his fealty to “Emperor Xi.” Ironically such reductionist and cliched cold-warrior perspectives are themselves symptoms of a decaying “regime” whose scribes simply regurgitate old formulas about countries and leaders who don’t submit to their will.
It is true that Zyuganov praises highly China’s “moderately prosperous society,” its handling of the “reform and opening up,” its “poverty alleviation campaign,” its implementation of “socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era,” its goal for a “community of shared future", etc. But Anglophone readers should hesitate before zoning out in the face of what seems like shallow sloganeering.
Firstly, Zyuganov doesn’t simply repeat buzzphrases; he explains how they’ve been applied to improve the lives of hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens. And this in turn helps explain why China has the power and prestige it does today, while many Americans feel discouraged and pessimistic about our own land.
Secondly, this article is significant because Zyuganov’s endorsement of the CPC’S approach signals unity that can’t simply be taken for granted today. There are still many communist and socialist parties throughout the world, but many of them are estranged from one another and fractured internally, arguing over petty disputes irrelevant to working people. Zyuganov’s dialogue with the CPC shows us the opposite approach.
Finally, besides applauding the CPC on a job well done, Zyuganov does offer his own color commentary on world events. He makes the claim that mass protests around COVID-19 in the US were at root not about the restriction of liberties but rather about economic disparities. He also makes an interesting argument new to me that the CPC helped the USSR defeat the Nazis by blocking the Japanese from opening a far-eastern front against the Soviet military.
I hope you enjoy this translation and I welcome comments and feedback in the comments below.
The Secret to the CPC’s Success? Learning from History and the People
The beauty and majesty of the world lies in the diversity of its peoples, cultures and traditions. The same is true for China, a vast and powerful country with many hard-working people, a special geographical location, and thousands of years of unique history. Therefore, when building socialism in China, it is important to maintain these national characteristics. Marxism, which originated in Europe and was proved through the socialist construction of the Soviet Union, must be integrated with China's reality.
Leading China and Achieving a Great Leap Forward
The construction of a new social system is full of unknowns. The first generation of leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) could only learn from Soviet experience piecemeal. In that era, the Soviet Union was the only example to go on for how to implement socialism.
While building socialism, the CPC has had to feel its way forward without ready-made answers. The lack of theoretical foundations is largely made up for by the enthusiastic energy of the Chinese people over the centuries. This precious experience has more than once served as the main driving force for China's historical development.
Of course, such a road is destined to be rough, with many difficulties and failures. However, the CPC has always been able to transform danger into safety and achieve its set goals. This has been the case since its founding.
The Chinese Communists made their own choice. They know and understand their country best and are deeply aware of the creativity of its people. Their approach has been proven correct. The CPC is now the largest political organization in the world, with more than 90 million members, and has a decisive influence on global processes.
In the difficult and demanding years spent fighting against reactionaries at home and imperialists from abroad, this tiny party had many foreign observers believing that their lofty aspirations had no chance of survival or victory. Once again those observers were mistaken. The Chinese Communists were proven correct. They liberated and rejuvenated their country.
Indeed, the road to recovery was not easy, even after receiving substantial economic assistance from the Soviet Union in the early postwar years. The CPC had the courage to admit mistakes and find the right path. Mobilizing the whole party and leading party members to reach new historical heights required CPC leaders to show great bravery and perseverance. Relying on the people and promoting political reform and opening up to the outside world, the CPC has been able to bring about earth-shaking changes in their country, transforming it from a devastated nation into the world's second largest economy today.
On this road, significant and dangerous temptations have appeared from time to time. Enamored with market economics, some countries have abandoned socialism and embarked on the old capitalist path. But the CPC did no such thing. The wisdom of the Chinese Communists under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping cannot but be admired. They were not carried away by capitalist trends, and they never abandoned socialist construction. If rash reforms and "shock therapy" were implemented in China, the consequences would be more unpredictable than those faced in the Soviet Union. Deng Xiaoping had a timely insight into the dangers of Soviet reforms and the destructive changes in Eastern Europe.
I recall a Chinese proverb, "crossing the river by feeling for the stones." It is very important that the leaders of the CPC, who are deeply trusted by the people, have always taken the above principles as the starting point to lead the world's most populous country forward. The Party Central Committee led by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the country, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, must conduct careful analysis and in-depth research on all possible impacts before making any decisions.
At present, there are still many people who underestimate China. They do not believe in the tremendous creativity of the Chinese people and do not recognize the CPC’s ability to consolidate its leadership and guide society toward achieving new great leaps. They put forward various arguments, citing the unsurpassable military strength of the United States and NATO, the financial power of the US dollar dwarfing all armies and economies, and the fact that this dollar is based in the US.
But the CPC is well versed in history. They know the fate of those who pursue international hegemony. Advocates of socialist ideals have every opportunity to witness the collapse of today’s imperialists and their globalist goals.
The CPC leadership shows an unwavering commitment to building socialism alongside the wise and hardworking Chinese people. This is a journey marked by the lofty ideals of billions around the world, the noble image of a better future for humanity, and the goal of a just and benevolent society based on the scientific theory of Marxism.
The Principle of "People First" Is Consistently Implemented
The experience of the CPC proves that the collapse of socialism at the end of the 20th century was not the "failure of utopian socialist planning" as various anti-communists like to say. The CPC is the largest political organization in the world. It ensures China's rapid development, making China the flagship representative of socialist construction. This is because, first of all, the CPC’s theories are advanced; and secondly, it is able to learn from history and the people.
The current leadership of the CPC sets an example of unswervingly following Marxist theory and adhering to revolutionary ideals and beliefs. Under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people have shown the ability to cope with all challenges and move forward along the correct path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. The future of a great nation lies in the hands of reliable leaders. Today, people in many countries have more and more trust in China.
The key to why the CPC maintains its lofty status in the country lies in its closeness to the masses. Related to this are the principles of "people first" and "people-centered.” Xi Jinping emphasizes that the people’s rights and desires must be respected. Their innovative abilities should be encouraged so as to fully unleash their creative power.
The policies stated by Chinese leaders have been implemented through practical application. The CPC has always been committed to meeting the people's growing material and cultural needs. It governs based on the people and seeks their welfare. Because of this, China has avoided many problems encountered by many big countries, the first of which is the ever-widening gap between rich and poor. It is this issue, not the new coronavirus epidemic, that caused large-scale and violent protests in the United States and other Western countries not long ago.
At the same time, China is completely eradicating extreme poverty and is committed to comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society. Winning the battle against poverty and completing all poverty alleviation goals as scheduled is one of the main tasks of the 13th Five-Year Plan. Leaders of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government signed a letter of responsibility for poverty alleviation. Relevant officials at other levels have made similar pledges.
In this way, China’s poverty reduction actions have become more effective. This comprehensive approach to problem solving is a major factor in their success. Poverty reduction measures cover a wide range of areas, including increasing incomes, building rural infrastructure, and expanding social security and public services in the health, education and culture sectors.
The central and local governments regard poverty reduction as one of the main aims of economic development and have formulated and implemented a series of special plans toward this end. The results prove that these measures are effective. Over the past 40 years, China has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty, making a major contribution to global poverty reduction. The country has achieved the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations ahead of schedule.
The CPC’s Four Major Contributions
China’s economic and social development achievements are obvious to all and cannot be doubted. The CPC’s role in reaching these heights is also obvious. On the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the CPC, we cannot but emphasize the special position it occupies in the development of the international communist movement and in the struggle for socialism, humanitarianism and world peace.
In 1921, the Communist Party of China was born. At that time, the global population was close to 2 billion, about a quarter of whom lived in China. Winning the hearts and minds of hundreds of millions of Chinese people was one of the Party's main tasks at that stage of the new, democratic revolution. The CPC accomplished this task brilliantly. It defeated the Japanese invaders in the War of Resistance, overthrew the reactionary Kuomintang regime, and united the Chinese people. In 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded. A quarter of the world's population became citizens of a socialist China. This was the first major contribution made by the CPC toward advancing the cause of international socialism.
During the stage of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the CPC put forward its own development model that fused together China’s own characteristics. China made great achievements during the reform period. In the past 40 years, it has developed rapidly and become one of the world's largest economies, thus laying a solid material foundation for the future. This is the second major contribution made by the CPC toward advancing the cause of international socialism.
In an era when the international communist movement was struggling, that is, when the Soviet Union collapsed and capitalism was restored within its borders, many ideological opponents of socialism cheered. But to their great disappointment, during that extraordinary period, China picked up the flag that had fallen from the hands of its brother, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and became the leader on the road to a communist society. This is the third major contribution made by the CPC to the cause of international socialism.
At present, China’s social progress is scaling new heights, and the CPC’s role in this process has been further enhanced. It is no exaggeration to say that today, the achievements of socialism around the world largely depend on whatever the CPC accomplishes next. Today’s China contributes many large-scale peace-loving and creative initiatives to the international stage. This is the fourth major contribution made by the CPC to the cause of socialism being built before our eyes.
China Points the Way for World Development
These are all huge contributions to the development of all mankind and to the cause of peace and progress. From the beginning, the CPC was weaving the dream of a better life for a quarter of the world’s population, and then it successfully put those hundreds of millions of Chinese on the path to realizing it.
The CPC contributed greatly to the victory over German fascism. It fought back against Japanese imperialist forces on disaster-ridden Chinese land, preventing them from opening a Far Eastern front against the Soviet Union. In the brutal war for China's freedom and independence, the CPC smashed Japan's aggressive plan to create the infamous "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," aimed at enslaving various ethnic groups in Asia. They did so at the cost of countless lives lost on the battlefield and at the home front.
During the period of reform and opening up, the CPC relied on the smart and capable Chinese people to build an efficient and vigorous socialist economy. Currently, China maintains a leading position in the construction of subways and skyscrapers, but the CPC main attention is focused on developing high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries. In 2019, China's Chang'e-4 probe landed on the far side of the moon. The Beidou satellite navigation system is also progressing smoothly. Five years ago, the first Beidou-3 satellite was launched, and today there are 55 Beidou satellites in orbit. In 2018, China ranked first in the world for number of space launches. By 2022, the country will have its own space station1.
All these achievements are guaranteed by China’s high level of scientific and technological development. According to a report from the World Intellectual Property Organization, in 2019, China topped the list for the first time for the number of international patent applications. Chinese companies and universities surpass the United States in this indicator as well. Ever since the Patent Cooperation Treaty came into effect in 1970, the United States had been the leader in this field.
Under an acute international capitalist crisis, China's economic achievements have made special contributions to the development of all mankind. During the economic chaos inaugurating the 21st century, it was the Chinese economy that became the locomotive of the global economy. China's foreign economic relations established under the leadership of the CPC have played an important role in preventing this crisis from spreading to many other countries. Today, as the systemic capitalist crisis continues, it is only thanks to the Chinese economy that the economies of other countries in the world have not collapsed.
Today, China has not only successfully helped the world overcome the economic crisis, but also pointed out important strategic directions for the future. I firmly believe that the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind formulated by the CPC is anchored in the concepts and values that embody the lofty historical mission of the Chinese Communists.
A community with a shared future for mankind is not simply a national plan. It belongs to all progressive mankind, promoting a path of sustainable development and peaceful coexistence. The Belt and Road Initiative is a concrete step towards building a prosperous and just world.
The Russian Communist Party attaches great importance to consolidating friendship and cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party. Our increasing inter-party cooperation enables members of the Russian Communist Party to better understand the reality of socialist construction in contemporary China. This has greatly improved the theoretical and practical abilities of comrades within our Party. I believe that the rapidly changing international situation calls for deepening this engagement, making it closer and broader.
Gennady Zyuganov, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and Doctor of Philosophy.
China’s Tianhe core module was launched on April 29th, 2021, less than two months after this article was published. Its first lab module launched July 24th, 2022. Its second lab module launched October 31st, 2022. This short English-language video from China Global Television Network provides a more detailed overview: