The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out that our Party has a pivotal role in building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and in advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. This important statement reveals the Party’s position as the leadership core in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

The CPC’s pivotal role is an important guarantee of our success in the past, and it is also a fundamental guidance for us to continue to succeed in the future. I would like to stress four points regarding this topic.

First, establishing the Party’s pivotal role is a lesson drawn from history. To understand China, we must understand the Communist Party of China. Since the very day of its founding, the Party has made seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation its aspiration and mission. Over the past century, by focusing on the historic goal of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Chinese Communists have concerned themselves with the future of the country and the nation and sacrificed themselves for greater good. Through unregretful devotion and sacrifices, they have made selfless and courageous efforts to perform great feats. Their pursuit of truth and sense of responsibility are like shining stars on China’s path to national rejuvenation, illuminating the skies of the Chinese nation which used to be desperately dark. As Mao Zedong confidently stated, “The Chinese people will see that, once China’s destiny is in the hands of the people, China, like the sun rising in the east, will illuminate every corner of the land with a brilliant flame, swiftly clean up the mire left by the reactionary government, heal the wounds of war and build a new, powerful and prosperous people’s republic worthy of the name.”

Over the past century, the Party’s tenacious endeavors have fundamentally changed the future of the Chinese people. Freed from bullying, oppression, and subjugation, the Chinese people have become the masters of the country, of society, and of their own fate, and people’s democracy has developed steadily. The more than 1.4 billion Chinese people have achieved moderate prosperity in all respects, and are now seeing their aspirations for a better life become a reality. The Party’s tenacious endeavors have opened up the right path for achieving national rejuvenation. China has moved from a state of disunity and division to a high level of unity and solidarity, from weakness and poverty to strength and moderate prosperity in all respects, and from being beaten and bullied to becoming independent, self-reliant, and confident. China has completed a process of industrialization that took developed countries several centuries in the space of mere decades, bringing about the two miracles of rapid economic growth and enduring social stability. The Party’s tenacious endeavors have demonstrated the strong vitality of Marxism. The Party has rallied under the banner of Marxism, continued to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times while using such theories to guide China’s ongoing social transformation, and embraced all the outstanding achievements of human society with an open mind. The Party’s tenacious endeavors have had a profound influence on the course of world history. The Party has led the people in pioneering a Chinese path to modernization, creating a new model for human advancement and becoming an important driving force for human development and progress. The Party’s tenacious endeavors have made it a forerunner of the times. The Party has remained true to its nature and purpose, upheld its ideals and convictions, and stayed committed to its founding mission. It has developed a long line of inspiring principles originating from its great founding spirit. Through painstaking efforts, it has found an answer to the question of how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall. The answer is self-reform. Such efforts have ensured that the Party will never change its nature, its conviction, or its character.

Second, establishing the Party’s pivotal role is a solemn choice made by the people. The Communist Party of China is a party for the people. Between 1921 and 1949, in the CPC-led revolutionary ranks, more than 3.7 million martyrs laid down their lives for the interests of the people—this only included those who could be identified by name. In the period of peaceful development, Party members have risen to the occasion wherever difficulties and dangers exist in response to earthquakes, floods, and other emergencies. In the battle against poverty, more than 1,800 Party members and officials have made the ultimate sacrifice. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, nearly 400 Party members and officials have given their lives in responding to the pandemic. The Party represents the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. It has no special interests of its own, nor has it ever represented the interests of any particular interest group, any power group, or any privileged stratum. It has always served the people wholeheartedly and put the people first, making continued efforts to benefit the people.

Under the leadership of the Party, the Chinese people today are more self-confident, self-reliant, and capable of self-improvement. They have greater ambition, fortitude, and determination, and they are exhibiting historic initiative and creativity as never seen before. Today, China’s per capita GDP has topped 10,000 US dollars, and China boasts the world’s largest middle-income group and the world’s largest social security system. It has thriving cosmopolitan cities, beautiful and harmonious countryside, a dynamic market, and a stable and orderly society. Through its tenacious endeavors, the Party aims to give the people a greater sense of fulfillment and happiness and to achieve common prosperity through development and progress.

Third, establishing the Party’s pivotal role demonstrates its strong sense of mission. Among all political parties in modern China, the Communist Party of China was the first to put forward the goal of realizing national rejuvenation, and the first to elaborate on the historical mission and tasks for national rejuvenation; and it has made persistent efforts to achieve this goal.

The new era has marked three major events of great immediate importance and profound historical significance for the cause of the Party and the people: We embraced the centenary of the Communist Party of China; we ushered in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and we eradicated absolute poverty and finished building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus completing the First Centenary Goal. These were historic feats—feats accomplished by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people striving in unity, feats that will be forever recorded in the Chinese nation’s history, and feats that will profoundly influence the world. Over the past decade of the new era, we have fully implemented the Party’s basic theory, line, and policy, adopted a number of strategic measures, developed a range of transformative practices, and made a series of breakthroughs and landmark advances. We have withstood risks, challenges, and trials in the political, economic, ideological, and natural domains, secured historic achievements and seen historic changes in the cause of the Party and the country, and taken China on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects. The Chinese nation has achieved the great transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is now on an irreversible historical course. Today, we are closer, more confident, and more capable than ever of reaching the goal of rejuvenating the Chinese nation.

Fourth, establishing the Party’s pivotal role reflects its sober-mindedness and determination. The CPC was born amid domestic turmoil and foreign aggression, was tempered through numerous tribulations, and has grown strong by overcoming risks and challenges. In this course, it has always been mindful of risks and potential dangers. Under the new circumstances and facing new tasks, General Secretary Xi Jinping has told all Party members to stay true to the Party’s founding mission, to remain modest, prudent, and hard-working, to have the courage and ability to carry on our fight, and to remain confident in our history and exhibit greater historical initiative. This reminds us of Mao Zedong’s remarks on the eve of the countrywide victory in the Chinese revolution: “To win countrywide victory is only the first step in a long march of ten thousand li. Even if this step is worthy of pride, it is comparatively tiny…the road after the revolution will be longer, the work greater and more arduous. This must be made clear now in the Party.”

Today, we may also say that what’s past is prologue as we pursue lasting greatness for the Chinese nation. We will encounter even more risks and challenges and fierce storms ahead. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “As the largest Marxist governing party in the world, we must always stay alert and determined to tackle the special challenges that a large party like ours faces, so as to maintain the people’s support and consolidate our position as the long-term governing party. All of us in the Party must bear in mind that full and rigorous self-governance is an unceasing endeavor and that self-reform is a journey to which there is no end. We must never slacken our efforts and never allow ourselves to become weary or beaten. We must persevere with full and rigorous self-governance, continue to advance the great new project of Party building in the new era, and use our own transformation to steer social transformation. Only by pressing ahead with unwavering commitment and perseverance will we be able to answer the call of our times and meet the expectations of our people.”

The Chinese people are fully aware of the fact that the great transformation in the past ten years of the new era are fundamentally attributable to General Secretary Xi Jinping steering our course as the core of the Party Central Committee and of the Party as a whole as well as the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. The Chinese people is convinced that, on the new journey ahead, we will definitely be able to open new ground for advancing the cause of the Party and the country if we do the following: thoroughly understanding the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; remaining focused on the country’s most fundamental interests; boosting our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership; staying confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; firmly upholding Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upholding the Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership; and seeing that Party leadership is exercised in all aspects and every stage of the endeavors of the Party and the country. The vibrant CPC has made spectacular achievements through its great endeavors over the past century, and our new endeavors will surely lead to more spectacular achievements.

Excerpt from Huang Yibing's Speech at "Hong Ting Forum: Understanding the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China".