Very few political parties exist meaningfully until they reach their centenary celebration. Closer to home, the ANC is such one party. But, internationally, the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a shining example of a people-centred political party whose relevance is continually enhanced by the mass endorsement of the people, particularly ordinary citizens.
The CPC was founded one hundred years ago and was behind the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. The day was a historic marker of the end of the Chinese Civil War which toppled the Kuomintang Nationalist Government and chased the abominable regime out of mainland China to Taiwan.
Speaking at the virtual centenary celebrations of the CPC this week, former SA President Kgalema Motlanthe was full of praise for China’s development under the tutelage of the CPC.
Motlanthe said: “One hundred years ago the Chinese Communist Party started off with 50 members only. Today its membership is more than 90 million in strength. Its success is attributed in large measure to its ideological and organisational unity.”
He continued: “In this era of transition from capitalism to socialism, the People’s Republic of China stands as a beacon of hope and a shining example of what is the alternative path towards the creation of a classless society without exploitation of man by man.”
Although Western democracies have notable reservations with China’s form of governance despite the evidence of the wholesale success of Beijing’s modernised Marxist policies, Motlanthe was adamant that the CPC had done a splendid job developing China and the over 1,4 billion population.
“Its (China) example is a compelling argument against all the variants of choiceless democracies in which progressive social policies are punished by investors and rating agencies.”
He concluded: “Today, China is the most industrialised nation in the world. It is one of the largest economies in the world, if not the largest. It has lifted more than 800 million of its people out of abject poverty since 1978, according to the World Bank – and China is on a mission to eliminate poverty completely,” he said, before adding: “It is no ordinary achievement and one has to ask what lessons we as South Africa can learn from China’s achievements.”
Held under the theme: “The Centenary of CPC: A Golden Time of Cooperation for a Brighter Future,” speaker after speaker drew a glowing picture of the successes of China’s magnificent evolution and the CPC’s stewardship since it was founded one hundred years ago.
Apart from Motlanthe, other speakers included China’s ambassador to SA Chen Xiaodong, ANC’s Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile, OR Tambo School of Leadership principal David Masondo, who is also the Deputy Minister of Finance and Dr David Monyae, Director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg, among others.
Dr Monyae outlined the historical background that laid the ground for China’s development. He said: “Chairman Mao stressed the centrality of the ordinary people in the struggle for power. The concept of the guerrillas being the fish and the people being the water showed that the people had an indispensable role to play in the revolution. This is a philosophy they would later export to African liberation movements in the 1960s and 70s during the anti-colonial struggles.”
Ambassador Xiaodong painted a glowing overview of China’s development in recent memory. He said: “Poverty eradication is the most vivid demonstration of the philosophy of putting people front and center. Since reform and opening up, China has lifted 770 million rural residents out of poverty, which accounts for more than 70% of the global total over the same period. This means we have achieved the poverty reduction targets set out in the UN 2030 Agenda a decade ahead of schedule.”
On China’s fight against COVID-19, Ambassador Xiaodong said: “We support World Health Organisation’s leading role in the global fight against the virus, shared with other countries our experience in COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment and provided material assistance to more than 150 countries and 13 international organizations.”
He added: “Despite our own difficulties, China supplied more than 350 million doses of vaccines to the world. We made huge efforts to promote the building of a global community of health for all.”
SA Communist Party’s First General-Secretary Solly Mapaila was visibly elated by the similarities between his party and the CPC. He explained: “July 2021 marks the year of the founding centenary of the Communist Party of China and the South African Communist Party. We are therefore having a shared centenary. You may call it a twin centenary, considering that the two parties were founded seven days apart. The CPC was founded on 23 July and the SACP 30 July 1921. Additionally, the international context that led to the formation of our two parties was the same.”
Speaking on behalf of the ANC, the party’s Treasurer-General Mashatile said: “We in South Africa owe the people of China – led by the Communist Party of China – a great debt of gratitude for the important role they played in helping us secure the freedom and democracy we enjoy today.”
He continued: “Indeed, the liberation movement in South Africa drew tremendous courage and inspiration from the manner in which the people of China conducted their own revolution. It made us believe that we too can achieve our national independence.”
Mashatile added: “We also recall that China played a direct role in the early, formative years of the People’s Army; Umkhonto weSizwe. It was China that gave military training to the first select group of MK combatants: Andrew Mlangeni, Raymond Mhlaba, Wilton Mkwayi, Patrick Mthembu, Stephen Naidoo and Joe Gqabi. Throughout the struggle for liberation, the people of China chose the side of the oppressed people of South Africa. For that we are eternally grateful!,” he concluded.
Turning to the bilateral relations between Beijing and Pretoria Ambassador Xiaodong concluded his remarks as follows: “In its history of 23 years, China-South Africa diplomatic relations has made a significant leap from a partnership and a strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The cooperation between our two countries has yielded fruitful results, which greatly benefited our two peoples.”
CPC’s General Secretary Xi Jinping who is also the President of China will deliver an important speech on July 1, the actual birthday of the party. His speech is much anticipated. This is so because China’s development and prosperity are unique in that they are based on no foreign model but rather on a truly Chinese experience and thought. It is expected that President Jinping will unveil plans for China’s projected development in the coming years, which is premised on moderated wealth accumulation. The country’s foreign policy stance on multilateralism will also be eagerly awaited by the international community.
