Chinese Communist Party (CPC) was founded on 1st July 1921. It celebrated its 105th anniversary on Wednesday (July 8). Over more than a century, the CPC’s historical trajectory has moved through three broad phases: revolutionary transformation (1921–1949), state-building and socialist development (1977), and reform, modernization, and global engagement. Throughout its history of over 100 years, the CPC had been facing all kind of challenges and meeting these with resilience, collective wisdom and unity.
Since Xi Jinping took over as General Secretary of the CPC in November 2012, the Party has emphasized a new stage of development centered on national rejuvenation, stronger governance capacity, technological modernization, and a more active global role.
Major policy directions after Xi Jinping became General Secretary include:
1. Strengthening Party leadership and governance capacity: Xi placed the CPC’s leadership at the center of China’s development model, emphasizing that the Party must provide overall direction and coordinate major national strategies. The campaign against corruption became a major priority, targeting both high-level officials (“tigers”) and lower-level officials (“flies”) to improve Party discipline and public confidence. The concept of “self-revolution” of the Party was highlighted as a way to maintain organizational strength and adaptability.
2. Poverty alleviation and people-centered development: One of the defining achievements during Xi’s leadership was the targeted poverty alleviation campaign, which resulted in the elimination of absolute poverty by 2020. Policies shifted toward rural revitalization, improving rural infrastructure, healthcare, education, and agricultural modernization. The broader concept of “common prosperity” was promoted to address regional disparities and improve the quality of development.
3. Transition toward high-quality development: Xi’s leadership moved the development focus from high-speed growth to high-quality growth. Policies emphasized – innovation-driven development, advanced manufacturing, digital economy, artificial intelligence, green transformation, strategic emerging industries – The concept of “new quality productive forces” has become a key theme, focusing on technology-led productivity and industrial upgrading.
4. Technological self-reliance and innovation: China increased investment in areas such as semiconductors, aerospace, renewable energy, biotechnology, and digital technologies. The goal has been to reduce vulnerability in critical technologies and enhance competitiveness in global value chains.
5. Green development and ecological civilization: Xi elevated environmental protection to a national strategic priority through the concept of ecological civilization. “China announced the goals of reaching carbon peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. Major expansion occurred in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and green industries.
6. Deeper reform and opening up: While strengthening state coordination, Xi’s period has also continued reform in areas such as improving the business environment, developing a unified national market, expanding high-level opening up, and promoting free trade zones. Initiatives such as the Belt and Road expanded China’s economic and diplomatic engagement and global outreach.
7. National security and strategic resilience: A broader concept of national security was introduced, covering economic, technological, energy, food, cyber, and financial security. Policies increasingly focused on resilience amid global uncertainty and geopolitical competition.
8. Global governance and civilizational initiatives: China under Xi has promoted concepts including the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative. These initiatives emphasize development cooperation, dialogue among civilizations, and reform of global governance institutions.
The period since 2012 represents a significant transformation in CPC policy priorities: from primarily pursuing rapid economic expansion toward a model focused on national rejuvenation, technological strength, social stability, sustainable development, and a larger international role.
For the CPC’s 105th anniversary, the central narrative is to highlight continuity between its historical mission and current goals: modernization, improving living standards, strengthening governance, and achieving what Xi calls the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”.
Despite multidimensional, historical achievements during the past century, particularly after 2012, Chinese leadership and nation are still following the lyrics of their national anthem “March of the volunteers”.
Arise! Arise! Arise!
Millions with but one heart, Braving on enemy’s fire
March on, March on, March on
More than 100 million party members are a guarantee of success of this march of peace, progress, development and prosperity not only for the Chinese people but also for the fulfilment of President Xi’s vision for a “community with a shared future for humanity” which is core framework for China’s Global Governance initiative.
The writer is a China expert. He served as the First Counsel General of Pakistan at Shanghai. He established the Office. Speaks fluent Chinese