Students at Zhejiang Guangsha Vocational and Technical University of Construction celebrate the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Friday, in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province. Photo: VCG

 
The curtain is about to be raised on the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) amid enthusiastic expectations from the public. This will be the first national congress held after the CPC's 100th anniversary, and its significance to the Party and the country is self-evident. From the grand perspective of history and the world, the 20th CPC National Congress also provides the outside world with a window to gain an in-depth understanding of China in the new era. As Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, pointed out, to understand China today, one must learn to understand the CPC.

Looking back at the great changes of the new era in the past 10 years, it can be said that they have been extremely unusual and extraordinary. For the first time in history, China has eliminated extreme poverty. The fight against corruption has seen an overwhelming victory and been consolidated in an all-round way. The ordinary people truly feel a sense of fairness and justice. At the same time, China's GDP has surpassed 100 trillion yuan. Our economic development has become much more balanced, coordinated, and sustainable. The upcoming National Congress will be an important milestone for the Party and the country to embark on a new journey. It is certain that Chinese society will always move forward steadily in the right direction.

This decade has been one in which the world has undergone drastic and profound changes. Risks and uncertainties have increased in an unprecedented manner. During these years, many countries have failed in their pursuit of development. Their economies have stagnated or even regressed, their societies have seen turmoil or even war, and political instability has become a vicious circle that some countries have found difficult to escape. Impacted by various crises, developed countries in Europe and the US have also made missteps, facing unprecedented predicaments. In this complex and turbulent international situation, countries that can maintain rapid economic development and long-term social stability are rare, if not unique. 

As we all know, the US has intensified its suppression and containment of China in recent years, and has resorted to extreme measures to this end. This, however, shows that we have done the right thing. Why is China regarded as a top strategic competitor by the US? It is because Washington does not want to see China's development and growth. Facing the severe and complex international and domestic situations as well as the ensuing huge risks and challenges, the reason why we can firmly grasp the initiative of our country's development and security is the incomparably strong leadership of the CPC, which has become the most reliable backbone when difficulties and storms emerge. Otherwise, how can China stand the test of the risks and challenges from politics, economy, ideology and nature?

"Stability" is the most prominent feature and advantage of China's politics and development, and it is also the fundamental manifestation of political maturity. Stability leads to long-term development, and this is especially the case for major countries. The key to China's long-term stable development is the strong leadership of the CPC. This is not a secret, and should be one of the most important research topics in contemporary political science. The CPC cannot be simply explained and understood through the concept of "party" in Western political science. There are more than 96 million CPC members. This figure is more than the population of most countries in the world. More than 4.9 million grassroots Party organizations can be found in all fields of society. The CPC is deeply rooted in China and the Chinese people, and thus has uplifting power in the pursuit of excellence. 

The CPC comes from the people, is for the people and relies on the people. All of the steps it strives to take are dedicated to working for the wellbeing of the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This original mission is manifested through specific policies and measures, as well as the practice of every Party member, and has been proven by the great practice of the CPC. Ties between the CPC and the Chinese people are like ties between flesh and blood - they are inseparable. This is fundamentally different in nature from the relatively loose political parties in Western countries, which are more like interest groups formed around elections. It is also very important for the world to understand this, as it explains that while China is much stronger than what it used to be, it has always maintained the style of a moderate and kind country.

In today's fast-changing international situation, the significance of the CPC as the backbone of the Chinese people is even more prominent. Since the establishment of the CPC, the Chinese nation has not needed to wander through the dangerous jungle of modern civilization. In the 10 years of the new era, the CPC has reached a new realm as it gains a deeper understanding, a more mature strategy, and a richer practice of building a modern socialist country. The new ideas, new strategies and new measures to be proposed at the 20th National Congress of the CPC will profoundly influence the future of China and the world. The convening of the congress will make Chinese people feel more enriched and make China's steps more stable. 

When the world is prosperous, China will be prosperous. When China is prosperous, the world will be more prosperous. The political maturity of China and the CPC enables the steady functioning of China, and is a stabilizing force in a chaotic world. China's steady and rapid development in recent years has greatly improved the wellbeing of its people, and at the same time injected new energy into the world. After the 20th National Congress of the CPC, China will be more stable, certain and expectable, and will benefit the Chinese people and the rest of the world through steady development. This is of great significance to China and the world.