Why the world is asking: What makes the CPC work?

When the international community looks at the Communist Party of China (CPC), what do they see? The latest CGTN global polls on evaluations of the CPC's role offer a compelling answer. Respondents ranked "strong leadership" as their strongest impression of the Party, followed by "a positive force for maintaining global stability" and "a representative of developing countries' interests."

The findings suggest that global attention to the CPC has extended far beyond China's economic miracles to its governance model and its philosophy in addressing shared global challenges. These themes also took center stage during a speech by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, marking the Party's 105th anniversary on July 1. The speech by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, resonated deeply with international observers.

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"Chinese modernization has shattered the myth that modernization equals Westernization." That is how Geeganage Weerasinghe, general secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, interpreted Xi's latest speech.

His observation echoes a central message delivered by Xi: that the CPC has led the Chinese people in creating "a new form of human civilization" and expanding the path to modernization for developing countries. For decades, modernization was widely viewed through a Western lens. China's experience, however, offers a different perspective.

Zheng Changzhong, a professor at Fudan University, noted that China's development demonstrates that modernization is not a one-size-fits-all process. Guided by people-centered governance, long-term planning and policy continuity, the CPC has steered the world's second-largest economy while maintaining long-term social stability.

The CPC's governance philosophy has drawn attention from overseas observers. Following a recent visit to China, Massimiliano Ay, general secretary of the Communist Party of Switzerland, was most impressed by a Party "deeply rooted among the people." Richard Abitbol, a French administrative expert, highlighted that China's predictable policy continuity gives businesses the confidence to make long-term investments in innovation.

The growing recognition is also reflected in survey data. According to a CGTN poll, 63.9 percent of respondents attributed China's modernization achievements to the CPC's scientific decision-making, while 63.7 percent of respondents from the Global South believed the Party provides a viable alternative to the Western development path.

Following Xi's speech, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, said his two keywords from the address were "stability" and "confidence." At a time when the world is fraught with volatility and shocks, he noted that China's external policy direction has remained notably consistent.

This consistency is grounded in the CPC's global vision, which has, as always, made it its mission to pursue progress for humanity and great harmony for the world. Guided by this vision, the CPC has rejected zero-sum thinking and consistently provided Chinese solutions for global peace, development and governance.

In his address, Xi reiterated China's commitment to injecting positive energy into world peace and development. He called on the Party to uphold the common values of humanity, advance the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative, and continuously promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Quoting Xi's statement that China is "a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order," Kawa Mahmoud, president of the Iraq-headquartered Global Civilization Initiative Research Center, said China's commitment to multilateralism is particularly valuable at a time when unilateralism is on the rise. Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Research Center of the Belt and Road Initiative, stressed Xi's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and that the four global initiatives reflect the CPC's global responsibility and contribute Chinese wisdom to human progress.

Beyond rhetoric, the CPC's global vision is backed by action. The Party has established regular ties with over 700 political organizations in more than 170 countries. Furthermore, China has introduced zero-tariff treatment for all least developed countries and African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, launched over 1,800 cooperation projects under the GDI framework and remains the second-largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations.

For many outside China, the question is no longer simply how the CPC transformed China but increasingly what its experience may offer to a world searching for new paths to development and cooperation.