On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese Consul General in Melbourne, Mr. Long Zhou, published an article entitled "Right in its prime at its centenary, ushering in a new chapter to strive". The full text is as follows:

This year marks the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

It is the 100 years that have seen the CPC unswervingly fulfilling its original aspiration and founding mission. Over the past 100 years, the CPC has never wavered in its original aspiration and mission to seek happiness for the people and rejuvenation for the nation. It has kept on striving for national independence, liberation and rejuvenation. In modern times, China was gradually reduced to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, having suffered repeated aggression by foreign powers. The nation’s survival was hanging in the balance. Numerous patriots made various explorations, including establishing constitutional monarchy, parliamentarism and presidential system, but all ended up in failure. Born at the time when the nation could barely survive, the CPC shouldered the historic mission of national salvation and rejuvenation. Over the past 100 years, the CPC led the Chinese people in an arduous journey to found the People’s Republic of China, established socialist system and carried out reform and opening-up. The CPC has found a right path to prosperity and strength— Socialism with Chinese characteristics.

It is the 100 years that have seen the CPC working hard to lay a foundation for its great cause. Over the past 100 years, from a small party with just over 50 members at the beginning, the CPC has grown into the world’s largest Marxist governing party with over 95 million members. It has created fast economic development and long-term social stability, which are two miracles rarely seen in the world. Over the past 100 years, the CPC has adapted the basic principles of Marxism to the Chinese context, explored a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics suited to its own national circumstances, and made the system demonstrate strong vitality and superiority. From encircling the cities from the countryside and establishing revolutionary bases to the socialist transformation in the early days of the People’s Republic, from advancing reform and opening-up and developing the socialist market economy in the late 1970’s to embarking on a new journey towards building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, the CPC has led the Chinese people to explore a path of revolution, construction and development suited to its own national circumstances. It has made a great leap from standing up to growing rich and getting stronger.

It is the 100 years that have seen the CPC making glorious achievements and charting a course for the future. Under the leadership of the CPC, China has realized industrialization in just a few decades on which the Western countries took for several centuries. The CPC has successfully built China from a poor agricultural country into the world’s second largest economy, the largest industrial manufacturer, and the largest trader in goods. Under the leadership of the CPC, China has supported nearly 20 percent of the world’s population with only 9 percent of the world’s total arable land. China now has a middle income group counting over 400 million people, and the world’s largest social security and compulsory education systems. China has successfully lifted some 800 million people out of poverty, completely solving the poverty problem besetting the Chinese nation for thousands of years. Under the leadership of the CPC, China has always pursued an independent foreign policy of peace. From restoring its lawful seat in the UN to taking an active part in global affairs such as UN peacekeeping, climate change and international cooperation in fighting the COVID-19, from acceding to the WTO to putting forward the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has taken concrete actions to safeguard world peace, contribute to global cooperation, and uphold international order.

The hundred-year history of the CPC is a history of fulfilling its original aspiration and mission, and a history of the Party staying truly connected with the Chinese people, breathing the same breath as the people, and sharing weal and woe with the people. Why could the CPC develop and grow stronger and always enjoy the wholehearted support of the people? One of the important reasons is that the CPC has stayed true to its original aspiration and mission, and kept a close bond with the people.

The CPC comes from and is rooted in the people. Apart from the interests of the country, the nation and the people, the CPC has no special interests of its own. Since its founding, the two words “the people” have been already embedded in the philosophy of the CPC. Li Dazhao, one of the founders of the CPC, once described its nature in this way, “it is not a political party founded by politicians, nor a middle-class democratic party, but a party of civilian laborers.” Chairman Mao Zedong compared the relationship between the CPC and the people as seeds and soil, and fish and water. It’s also enshrined in the Constitution of the CPC that dedication to wholeheartedly serving the people is one of the fundamental requirements in party building. During revolutionary wars, the CPC-led Red Army soldiers cut their only quilt in half and left one half to an old woman. This made the people aware that members of the CPC were good men that even if they had only one quilt but would offer half to the people. During the socialist construction, Jiao Yulu, a county Party chief, worked wholeheartedly for the interests of the people, putting the people in his heart but disregarding himself. Huang Wenxiu devoted herself to the poverty alleviation and lost her life at the forefront, composing the song of youth in the new era. Today, there are more than 91 million members of the CPC across the whole country. They themselves are ordinary people. They come from the people, live and work among the people, and share weal and woe with the people. What the people think and hope is what they think and hope. When needed by the people, the CPC members will stand out and head to the smokeless battlefields. From the Wenchuan earthquake relief work to poverty alleviation and the fight against the COVID-19, the CPC has always fulfilled the eternal promise of "serving the people."

The CPC responds to the wishes and expectations of the people. Reflecting on its past experiences, the Party applied the basic principles of Marxism to China’s realities, and explored a path suited to its own national circumstances at different historical periods. Whether in times of revolution, construction or reform and opening up, all the efforts made by the CPC are to meet the needs of the people and create a better life for the people. From Shikumen to Tiananmen, from Xingye Road to Fuxing Road, all the efforts, struggles, and sacrifices made by the CPC over the past 100 years are for the happiness of the people and the national rejuvenation. To meet the people’s aspiration for standing up, the CPC led the people in building the People’s Republic of China. To meet the people’s aspiration for becoming rich, the CPC led the people in advancing socialist revolution, construction, reform and opening up. At present, to meet the people’s new aspiration for a better life, the CPC is following the new development philosophy, fostering a new development paradigm and pursuing high-quality development. With the great courage of self-reform, the Party has exercised full and rigorous self-governance, and has stepped up efforts to improve Party conduct, uphold integrity and combat corruption. It gained great popular support of the Chinese people. Over the past 100 years, the CPC has made new miracles that have impressed the world, from the founding of the CPC to the founding of the P. R.China, to carrying out the reform and opening up, to historic achievements since the 18th CPC National Congress. Why could the Party achieve these outstanding accomplishments? Because it has always shared weal and woe with the people, and kept close ties with the people; it has always put the people in the center, seeing that everything is for the people and relies on the people, and fought for the interests of the people.

China will go well only when the world goes well, and vice versa. The CPC strives not only for the well-being of the Chinese people, but also for the progress of humankind. Under the leadership of the CPC, China is committed to an independent foreign policy of peace and is the only country that has codified peaceful development in its constitution. China has always been an important participant, promoter and contributor to the global peace and development. The socialism with Chinese characteristics is a path of development featuring constant self-renewal, and a path of peace featuring an unswerving commitment. The near completion of modernization of its 1.4 billion people is a milestone in human development, and more importantly, a historic contribution to the progress of the world.

President Xi Jinping pointed out that China’s pursuit of peaceful development is not an expedient measure, nor is it a diplomatic parlance, but a conclusion drawn from the objective judgment of the history, the reality and the future. Under the leadership of the CPC, China will remain committed to the path of peaceful development in future, never seeking hegemony, expansion, or sphere of influence. China never takes coercion on other country and rejects coercion by any country. China practices true multilateralism, firmly committing to safeguarding the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international laws. China will continue to promote a new type of international relations and the global partnership network, and participate in global governance system reform. China upholds the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom shared by all mankind. China stays committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, and works with other countries to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

The CPC is right in its prime at its centenary. At this new historical starting point, the CPC will continue to unite and lead the Chinese people to strive for a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful, and to fulfill the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We are confident that China will achieve even better development, and the world will become a better community with China’s development.