Chinese Communist Party celebrates 99th anniversary by praising coronavirus success
- Official mouthpiece People’s Daily says fight against Covid-19 proves superiority of the country’s political system
- Xi Jinping tells members to stay true to principles
The Chinese Communist Party celebrated its 99th anniversary on Wednesday by saying its success in containing Covid-19 proved its superiority and that of the country’s socialist system.
People’s Daily, the party’s official mouthpiece, said in an editorial: “This great struggle has fully demonstrated the clear political excellence of the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and our socialist system.
“Under the resolute leadership of the party central with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, China has fought a sound people’s war ... the Chinese people united together to fight the pandemic, made heavy sacrifices, and achieved great strategic results.”
The disease, which first emerged in Wuhan in December, has now infected over 10 million people and killed more than 500,000 worldwide.
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Separately, Xi, the general secretary of the Communist Party, wrote to volunteers at Shanghai Fudan University urging them to help fulfil the party’s mission.
He was referring to the “two centenary goals” – turning China into a “comprehensively well-off society” by the end of this year and a “powerful socialist country” by 2050.
Xi also presided over a study session with Politburo members on Tuesday emphasising the importance of the party’s organisational work and learning from history.
Founded on July 1, 1921, the Chinese Communist Party now has 91.9 million members – making it one of the biggest political parties in the world.
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“The CCP is probably the only political party in the world now that still combines Marxist doctrine and Leninist-style organisation,” said Zheng Yongnian, professor of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore. “That‘s the key to explaining its power to get things done.”
Zheng also said that Xi’s emphasis on delivering the centenary goals was because “the legitimacy of the CCP rule lies in these missions”.
He continued “It is what the party has promised the Chinese people, and it is the party’s responsibility to deliver. That is very different from the West where parties can take turns to rule.”
Xi’s call on party members to stay true to the party’s principles came at a time when China and the US have clashed over a wide range of issues from security to trade and Hong Kong.
Tian Feilong, an associate professor at Beihang University’s Law School in Beijing, said Communist Party leaders were convinced that the continued spread of Covid-19 in the US and Washington’s strained relationship with its allies meant that now was “perhaps the weakest moment of US global influence”.
“This gives Beijing the confidence to live with the pain [caused by threatened US sanctions on officials], focus on its own priorities and it will prevail in the end,” Tian said.
A Beijing-based political analyst who requested anonymity agreed that pressure from the US would only stiffen Chinese leaders’ resolve.
“Some people who have liberal views may complain about the loss of [personal] freedom, but the success in containing Covid-19 has boosted the Communist Party’s confidence and garnered greater people’s support for the party,” he said.
“Beijing has made great efforts to study the collapse of the Soviet Union and the key lesson is that besides foreign interference, the union fell apart because the Soviet Communist Party had abandoned its own beliefs.
“So Xi’s call on Chinese Communist Party members to stand firm on their beliefs, strengthen the party’s organisation and learn from history should be understood in that light.”
