20th Congress of CPC, a show of democracy

By Own Corrospondent

THE 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a sign of unique and vibrant democracy at play.

Often, Western narratives seek to portray China as undemocratic, but nothing could be farther than the truth.

In fact, CPC’s internal democracy is tried and tested, and has become a model for similar parties including Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF.

The Congress is convened every five years and this year’s event is the first national congress of the CPC after its centenary in 2021 where President Xi Jinping promised to finish the task of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

President Xi is expected to continue leading the party, alongside a new leadership.

As a clear indication that democracy is at play, over 2 300 senior party members elect the next leaders of the party.
Delegates are representing tens of millions of party members across China.

The central committee will elect 25 people to the party’s Politburo and the politburo will appoint the members of the Politburo standing committee.
The seriousness of the Congress and decisions made at the high-level congress have been behind China’s economic boom and being a powerhouse in the world.

Democracy in the country, espoused by the CPC, has been critical in fostering a collective national leadership.

The whole process of people’s democracy created by the CPC has secured extraordinary historical achievements on behalf of its people.

This has brought stability and political and economic strength.
The contrast with some Western countries that have posed as democracies is remarkable.

Take, for example, Britain.
Over the past years, Britain has experienced turmoil and extraordinary turnover of administrations that have come and gone.

This has created political uncertainty and growing economic woes, including spiraling inflation and the threat of a recession that are are weighing heavily on the British pound, against both the U.S. dollar and the also struggling euro.

The British currency is a barometer of the U.K.’s attractiveness to international investors and has dropped to levels last seen in early 2020 and the shock of the COVID-19 outbreak, yet China continues to grow to unimaginable levels.

On the other side of the Atlantic, in the US, the messy transition from the Trump administration to pave way for Joe Biden, showed the world that American democracy is shaky.

By contrast, China has become a paragon of smooth political process, that now stands out.
Only this has not received praise because of hegemonic representations skewed against non-Western world.
Most interestingly, Western media just recently tried to peddle lies and fake news about China ahead of the Congress.

Multi-party system

This Congress shines the light on China being a multi-party system, something that is barely highlighted in the media or scholarship.

Based on the long-time practice of the Chinese revolution, construction, and reform, the CPC has explored the socialist political party system with Chinese characteristics, featuring “multi-party cooperation under the leadership of the CPC, with the CPC holding power and the other eight parties participating fully in state affairs”.

According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the principle of “long-term coexistence, mutual supervision, treating each other with sincerity and sharing each other’s weal and woe”, the CPC and the other eight parties work hand in hand in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

This practice has already proved that the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC suits China’s actual conditions and shows the great vitality and advantages, which Zimbabwe should emulate.

Peaceful development

For decades, China led by the CPC has always been committed to a path of peaceful development, and to peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation with countries around the world, instead of seeking hegemony.
The wisdom from China’s thousands of years of history reveals that hegemony will lead to a country’s failure, not that a strong country should seek hegemony.

China is blazing a path of peaceful rise distinct from the trajectory of traditional powers.

Further, with the aspiration of benefiting the world, the CPC actively promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and firmly seeks peace and development for humanity.

Another key lesson that the world, Zimbabwe included, should learn from the CPC is the promotion of openness and inclusiveness when dealing with national issues.

Literature shows China has always wanted to create a better world in which “a just cause is pursued for a common good”.

This is expected to continue beyond the ongoing Congress.

The past 100 years of the CPC are evidence of a serious Government that has people at heart by fulfilling its original aspiration and mission, a period of enduring great hardship and laying the foundation, and a period of creating brilliant achievements and opening up the future.

Now that congress will bring new leadership, should continue with the journey of the CPC and continue with good work, and especially advance cooperation with Africa and Zimbabwe