The view of Beijing's Central Business District Photo: VCG

How has this massive party of unprecedented scale demonstrated formidable organizational mobilization and implementation capacity when confronted with major risks and challenges? When the international community turns its attention to the fifth plenary session, it is not just observing China's politics; more importantly, it seeks insights from "China's governance" for political party building, national governance across the world, and even the reform of the global governance system.

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is holding its fifth plenary session in Beijing from October 26 to 29 to deliberate on major issues concerning the continued advancement of full and rigorous Party self-governance. Marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the launch year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, this plenary session draws global attention to the underlying foundations of China's development. Particularly against the backdrop of partisan politics in many countries being mired in polarized, fragmented and chaotic contests, with many ruling parties feeling helpless in the face of social division and stalled development at home, why does China present a completely different picture? The fifth plenary session serves as an important window for the world to gain insights.

For anyone following China, today's China is defined not merely by economic growth, technological breakthroughs and landmark projects. The robust organizational capacity and political strength underpinning these remarkable achievements further illuminate the source of China's steady progress amid profound changes of the times. As the largest governing party in the world, the CPC maintains solidarity and unity at all times. How has this massive party of unprecedented scale demonstrated formidable organizational mobilization and implementation capacity when confronted with major risks and challenges? When the international community turns its attention to the fifth plenary session, it is not just observing China's politics; more importantly, it seeks insights from "China's governance" for political party building, national governance across the world, and even the reform of the global governance system.

An increasing number of insightful observers around the world have identified a clear thread running through China's development: The leadership of the CPC has consistently served as the central pillar underpinning the steady advancement of the country's various undertakings and is the master key to unlocking the secret behind the success of "the governance of China." Persistently advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance constitutes the fundamental mechanism at the heart of this master key.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the great new project of Party building in the new era has been advanced in depth.  China has continuously intensified its fight against corruption, improved its intra-Party oversight system, and made sustained efforts to enhance Party conduct through regular and long-term mechanisms. These efforts have included combating formalism and bureaucratism, holding officials accountable for dereliction of duty and failure to fulfill their responsibilities, and encouraging officials to take initiative and fulfill their duties. Such measures have helped ensure that decisions and plans made by the central leadership are effectively implemented at all levels and that resources and efforts from across society remain consistently directed toward shared goals. This political courage to turn the blade inward and confront problems within the Party itself is rarely seen in the history of political parties worldwide.

For a long time, many voices in international public discourse have taken it for granted that there are only a handful of established models for building a governing party, as though effective governance could be achieved only by replicating certain institutional frameworks. China has challenged these conventional assumptions with verifiable development data. One of the most tangible outcomes of these measures is that public trust in the ruling party in China has remained consistently high for many years. Meanwhile, the efficiency with which major national strategies are implemented and the continuity of public policy execution have gained widespread international recognition. The principle that the governance over the Party must precede the governance of the country is grounded in concrete and profound practical realities.

In today's international community, a stark contrast has emerged between "China's governance" and "the West's chaos." Some Western countries that firmly believe in multiparty systems and the separation of powers are mired in intensified partisan conflicts and frequent changes of government. Internal political polarization is escalating, societal divisions are deepening, and public policies fluctuate under the tug-of-war of interest groups, making it difficult to reach consensus even on basic livelihood issues. 

Some Western scholars, after comparing the party politics of major powers, have had to admit that "the CPC possesses strong governing capacity." In recent years, party representatives from various regions, including Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, have come to China to study and learn from the governance experiences of the CPC through inter-party exchanges. China's long-term approach to development, strategic vision, and practical achievements have opened up broader intellectual space for countries to independently explore political development paths that align with their own national conditions.

The world today needs truly effective governance solutions more than ever. An increasing number of countries and political parties are drawing inspiration from "China's governance" to explore governance paths that suit their own national situations. This not only provides more diverse practical solutions for the global governance system but also strengthens the consensus among countries to collectively address global challenges. It is also the precious public value contributed by China through its unwavering efforts to promote full and rigorous Party self-governance amid a world marked by intertwined changes and turmoil.