Since its founding 100 years ago, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has led China to enormous achievements at home and significant contributions to global peace and development.

Why was the Party successful in the past? How can it continue to succeed in the future? The CPC held a high-profile meeting from November 8 to 11 and answered those questions through a landmark resolution.

The resolution on the major achievements and historical experience of the CPC's 100 years of endeavors was adopted at the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee on Thursday, according to the session's communique. On behalf of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president, explained the draft of the resolution during the session.

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Full text: Communique of 6th plenary session of 19th CPC Central Committee

Graphics: Keywords from the communique of the 19th CPC Central Committee's 6th plenum

Why now is time for CPC to review its history 

When visiting an exhibition on CPC history in June, Xi stressed that "the Party's history is the most vivid and convincing textbook."

He said it is necessary to study and review the Party's history, carry forward its valuable experience, bear in mind the course of its struggles, shoulder the historic mission, and draw strength from its history to forge ahead.

Thursday's resolution is the third on historical issues of the Party, after the Resolution on Certain Issues in the History of the CPC released in 1945 and the Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of the CPC since the Founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) adopted in 1981.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning on introducing the guiding principles of the plenum, Wang Xiaohui, executive deputy director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said the Party and the country have greatly developed especially over the past 40 years and the Party's theory and practice have also greatly developed, requiring the review.

He also pointed that as the major issues of right and wrong in the Party's history were basically solved by the first two historical resolutions, the new resolution with its focus on summarizing the major achievements and historical experience of the CPC's 100 years of endeavors is in line with reality, is conducive to promoting the growth of wisdom, unity, confidence and motivation of the Party and is necessary before embarking on a new journey to fully build a great modern socialist country.

What is highlighted?

Seeing from the communique of the session, apart from words and phrases like "China" and "Communist Party of China," "socialism with Chinese characteristics" stood out with 28 mentions.

The Chinese president has called "socialism with Chinese characteristics" the only correct path to realize national rejuvenation.

"As we have upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics and driven coordinated progress in material, political, cultural-ethical, social, and ecological terms, we have pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization, and created a new model for human civilization," Xi said at a ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC on July 1.

"Development" appeared 55 times, remaining a core of the communique. China's economic development has become much more balanced, coordinated, and sustainable, and the Party has consistently promoted broader and deeper reform across the board, as the communique summarized.

Xi has reiterated that China will not change its resolve to open wider at a high standard, will not change the determination to share development opportunities with the rest of the world and will not change its commitment to economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all.

According to the communique, the resolution also noted the Party has also actively developed whole-process people's democracy and made comprehensive efforts to improve the institutions, standards, and procedures of China's socialist democracy.

The concept of developing "whole-process people's democracy" was first used by President Xi when he visited a civic center in Shanghai in 2019. The idea called for enabling the Chinese people to broadly and continuously participate in the day-to-day political activities at all levels, including democratic elections, political consultation, decision-making and oversight. 

What's next for CPC?

The session also reviewed and passed a resolution on convening the 20th National Congress of the CPC in the second half of 2022 in Beijing.

Wang explained on Friday that this congress, which is to be held at an important time when the Party has embarked on a new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects and to realize the Second Centenary Goal, will be a highly important meeting and an event of great political significance for both the Party and the country.