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In 1921, 13 people met in Shanghai. Representing a little over 50 people across China who believed that communism would save the country, they formed one of the many political parties or forces hoping to stitch a divided China back together.

One hundred years later, as Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) gathered at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Thursday, the CPC is the world's largest political party with more than 95 million members. It has transformed China from a nation on the brink of collapse to the second largest economy in the world. Under its leadership, China moved from the periphery of international affairs to the center of it, inspiring admiration in some and apprehension in others.

The past century of evolution has been by no means smooth. From being a party seeking a place within China's political discourse, arming itself against foreign invasion, fighting and winning a civil war and ultimately to governance, it has been a trial-and-error process in which the Party shifted its policies and incorporated modern mechanism into governance. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the latest test. The entire nation was mobilized to suppress the virus's spread. More than 39 million CPC members stood at the front line against the virus. Thirteen million volunteered. Nearly 400 members lost their lives.

People are the heart of the Party's political power. It is a piece of wisdom and a commitment made on that fateful day in 1921. 

The prosperity and welfare of the general public is what drives the Party and its policies. The country's social security system has now covered more than 1.3 billion people. In 2021, the country has rid itself of extreme poverty. The number of Chinese people lifted out of poverty in the past decades account for more than 70 percent of the global total. As President Xi noted in his speech on Thursday, it is a "historical resolution" to a long-standing problem in China.

The people-centered political philosophy and an efficient and adapting government that can mobilize quickly in the face of unanticipated events are what sustain the CPC's popularity with the public. A Harvard study spanning a couple of decades finds satisfaction with the central government among the Chinese people is much higher than U.S. citizens' support for their government. While many confuse the centralized authority with authoritarian rule, or distort the CPC as unresponsive to the public's demand, the Party and the government have found their footing in leading China in a way that is different to any model of governance in the world.

"Only socialism with Chinese characteristics can develop China," President Xi said. History and China's current status in the world have proven it.

China is heading into a future where the international system itself remains fluid. The challenges, difficulties and animosity ahead will test the country and the Party's resolve to the people and the ability to rise up to the occasion – just as happened throughout the past century. 

The CPC has stayed true to its original aspiration over the years, to seek happiness for the people and rejuvenation of the country. That's why the Party stayed and prospered. And that's what's needed in the next 100 years.

Scriptwriter: Huang Jiyuan

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