People’s Democracy Thriving in China as CPC Turns 100 Years

百年中国共产党：人民民主蓬勃发展

 

Ambassador Zhou Pingjian

驻肯尼亚大使周平剑

 

9 July 2021

2021年7月9日

 

The first of July, 2021, is a great and solemn day in the history of both the Communist Party of China and the Chinese nation. Addressing a grand gathering at the iconic Tian’anmen Square on that day, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of China, hailed the Party’s success over the past century and called on the whole party to continue its hard work to achieve national rejuvenation.

2021年7月1日在中国共产党和中华民族历史上都是一个十分重大而庄严的日子。当天，中共中央总书记、国家主席习近平在天安门广场举行的盛大集会上发表重要讲话，回顾中国共产党百年奋斗的光辉历程，号召全党为实现中华民族伟大复兴继续不懈奋斗。

 

China’s success hinges on the CPC. Without the CPC, there would be no new China and no rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The CPC’s role in leading the country is the choice of history and of the people.

办好中国的事情，关键在党。没有中国共产党，就没有新中国，就没有中华民族伟大复兴。中国共产党的领导是历史和人民的选择。

 

When the CPC was founded in July 1921, China was like a loose heap of sand, facing grave dangers at home and abroad, trapped in a morass of social crises. Over the course of a century, the CPC has, leading the Chinese people, made unprecedented achievements. By completing the New Democratic Revolution and founding the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, the CPC put an end to the semi-colonial, semi-feudal society of old China and realized national independence and the people’s liberation. By completing the socialist revolution and establishing socialism in China, the CPC brought the most extensive and profound social change to the Chinese nation. By introducing the policy of reform and opening up, the CPC has pioneered socialism with Chinese characteristics so that the people can enjoy a better life. By implementing the Five-sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy, the CPC has ushered in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. China has stood up, become better off, and grown in strength. Today, China is closer to, and more confident and capable than ever before of making the goal of national rejuvenation a reality.

1921年7月中国共产党成立时，中国一盘散沙，中华民族内忧外患、社会危机空前深重。一百年来，中国共产党团结带领中国人民取得前所未有的伟大成就：完成新民主主义革命，1949年建立中华人民共和国，彻底结束了旧中国半殖民地半封建社会的历史，实现了民族独立和人民解放；完成社会主义革命，确立社会主义基本制度，实现了中华民族有史以来最为广泛而深刻的社会变革；进行改革开放新的伟大革命，开辟了中国特色社会主义道路，使人民生活显著改善，综合国力显著增强，国际地位显著提高；推动中国特色社会主义进入新时代，统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局，协调推进“四个全面”战略布局，党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，中华民族迎来了从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃。今天，我们比历史上任何时期都更接近、更有信心和能力实现中华民族伟大复兴。

 

When the 13 delegates convened for its First National Congress 100 years ago, the CPC had just over 50 members. Today, with more than 95 million members in a country of more than 1.4 billion people, it is the largest governing party in the world and enjoys tremendous international influence. CPC has thrived because it is always committed to its original aspiration and founding mission whether in good or bad times and perseveres in marching towards its goal, winning the wholehearted support of the Chinese people. Over the years, many independent opinion polls conducted by Western research institutes have invariably placed the approval and satisfaction ratings of the CPC and the Chinese government among the Chinese people at the top of world rankings.

中国共产党一百年前召开第一次全国代表大会时，代表13名，党员只有50多名，如今已成为拥有9500多万名党员、领导着14亿多人口大国、具有重大全球影响力的世界第一大执政党。中国共产党发展壮大的根本原因在于始终坚守为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴这个初心和使命，义无反顾向着这个目标前进，从而赢得了人民衷心拥护和坚定支持。多年来，很多西方研究机构的独立民调结果都一致显示，中国共产党和中国政府在本国民众中的支持率和满意度在世界各国中始终高居榜首。

 

In July 1945, Huang Yanpei, a prominent educationist and leader of the China Democratic Political League, visited Yan’an and posed a question to Mao Zedong: How can the CPC break out of the cycle of rise and fall throughout China’s history?

1945年7月，中国著名教育家、中国民主政团同盟领导人黄炎培访问延安，向毛泽东主席提出一个问题：中国共产党如何跳出中国历史上的兴亡周期律？

 

Chairman Mao explicitly pointed out: We have already discovered a new path. We can break out of this cycle. This new path belongs to the people. This new path lies in democracy. The government will not become complacent only if it is under the supervision of the people. If everyone takes responsibility, a good system of governance will prevail.

毛主席明确回答：我们已经找到新路，我们能跳出这周期率。这条新路，就是民主。只有让人民来监督政府，政府才不敢松懈。只有人人起来负责，才不会人亡政息。

 

Indeed, people’s democracy is a glorious banner that the CPC has always held high. The CPC takes it as a mission and guiding principle of governance to support, develop and guarantee people’s democracy. Without democracy, there would be no socialism, let alone socialist modernization and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

的确，人民民主是中国共产党始终高举的光辉旗帜。中国共产党把支持、发展和保障人民民主作为执政的使命和方针。没有民主，就没有社会主义，更没有社会主义现代化和中华民族伟大复兴。

 

Under the leadership of the CPC, China’s socialist democracy is the broadest, most genuine, and most effective democracy to safeguard the fundamental interests of the people.

在中国共产党领导下，中国社会主义民主是维护人民根本利益的最广泛、最真实、最管用的民主。

 

The people as masters of the country is the essence and core of socialist democracy. Unity of democracy and centralization, unity of electoral democracy and consultative democracy, and fully protecting the people to enjoy human rights according to law, are hallmarks of socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics. Whole-process people’s democracy is guaranteed with scientific and comprehensive institutional arrangements. In China, commitment to the unity of the CPC’s leadership, the people’s position as masters of the country, and law-based governance is a natural element of socialist political advancement. These three elements are integral components of socialist democracy.

人民当家作主是社会主义民主政治的本质和核心。民主和集中的统一，选举民主和协商民主的统一，依法全面保障人权，是中国特色社会主义民主的特征，全过程的人民民主得到科学全面的制度保障。在中国，坚持中国共产党领导、人民当家作主、依法治国有机统一是社会主义政治发展的必然要求，三者统一于社会主义民主政治实践。

 

The pursuit of democracy is a universal value of people around the world, but the democratic system and path of each country should be decided by its own people, rather than imposed by external forces. The world today is diverse and vibrant. Democracy should not, and cannot, exist only in one mode. Recognizing and accepting the coexistence of various modes is in itself a manifestation of democracy in international relations.

民主是全世界人民的普遍价值追求，但每个国家的民主制度和道路应当由本国人民来决定，而不应由外部势力强加。当今世界活力多元，民主不应也不能只有一种模式。认可和接受多样的民主模式共存，这本身就是国际关系民主的体现。