Xi’s people-centered philosophy reinvigorates CPC, but problems persist

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It is no secret that at one point the Communist Party of China (CPC) was gradually losing connection with the people as corruption ran rampant. As General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping took firm action to reinvent the Party, clean it from cadres with questionable ethics and help it reconnect with the people.

People-centered philosophy is an indispensable part of Xi’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which was enshrined in the Party Constitution during the 19th CPC National Congress. Matter of fact, the word "renmin" or “people” in English was mentioned over 170 times in Xi's remarks at the opening session of the CPC Congress last Wednesday.

The danger "in any party system, especially a one-party system, is that the party ossifies and becomes self-serving, self-referential," Martin Jacques, author of “When China Rules the World”, said on CGTN’s The Point, adding that the "extraordinary thing about the CPC is its ability to reinvent itself".

"This re-invigoration of the Party seems to me to be a very strong feature of it. It keeps renewing itself; it keeps moving; it keeps adopting new perspectives,” he continued, stating that any comparison of the Party with multi-party systems would be “slightly invidious for the West” as “they are in a certain degree of decay”.

“Xi really made a big attempt to (reconnect the Party with the people) in all sorts of ways: the anti-corruption campaign and giving China a new sense of identity, a new sense of direction. It’s all about re-grounding the Party among the people,” the author added.

Xi’s efforts to put the Chinese people at the heart of the Party’s policies have roots in his background and early experience, noted Wang Huiyao, counselor of the State Council.

“He has a lot of down-to-earth experiences at grassroots level with the masses, with poor people. He actually knows how to change China from the bottom up. He has also served through all the ranks. I think his experience in Shaanxi Province, eight years in the countryside, certainly made him closer to the people and the general masses of China,” Wang noted.

But Xi’s vow to keep serving the people will not be without challenges. At the CPC Congress, the leader said that the principal contradiction was now between inadequate development and Chinese people's ever-growing needs for a better life.

Measures to alleviate poverty, control housing prices and safeguard the environment, among others aiming at ameliorating people’s life, are in full swing as the government fully commits itself to achieving its development goals.

Yet, regional disparity remains an issue.

“I was very interested that the General Secretary used the word ‘imbalanced’. I think and I hope that this question of disparity of income and wealth is going to be addressed really seriously over the next period,” Jacques stated.

The Point with Liu Xin is a 30-minute current affairs program on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 9.30 p.m. BJT (1330 GMT), with rebroadcasts at 5.30 a.m. (2130 GMT) and 10.30 a.m. (0230 GMT)