Paul Tembe
President Xi Jinping has, in his dual capacities as president and general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, undertaken three overseas visits, and received visiting leaders and representatives of foreign political parties on around 40 occasions in the past eight years.
Xi Jinping has been steering the Communist Party of China (CPC) to enhance friendship, promote exchanges with foreign political parties, and work with political parties worldwide for the global good. The CPC is the largest political party in the world and has celebrated its centenary on July 1 st 2021. The CPC has been an earnest champion of a new mode of party-to-party relationships that advance the sound and stable development of international relations.
So far, the CPC has maintained regular contact with more than 600 political parties and political organizations from over 160 countries and regions around the world. President Xi has pointed out that political parties play an important role “in the progress of human civilization” in his opening speech of the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting held in Beijing in December 2017. The CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting was the first-ever gathering of political parties worldwide. Xi stressed that the CPC is ready to "make more friends across the world."
In efforts to facilitate state-to-state relations by way of enhancing intra-party friendships, Xi has in recent years engaged in various forms of interaction with leaders of foreign political parties.
Party-to-Party relations seem to be one of the strongest pillars for China to enhance its bilateral relations and friendship with other parts of the world. The list of political leaders and heads of political parties in China is a reflection on efforts to establish friendships and solidarity among political parties around the world. During these visits, leaders compare and contrast policies, similarities and differences with the aim of strengthening friendships and drawing lessons from both sides.
The leaders exchange ideas to enhance the traditional friendship between the concerned parties. There are also acts of symbolism and honoring leaders of different parties as a show of long-lasting friendship between parties. During the 70 th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xi conferred the Friendship Medal on Raul Castro, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee. Raul Castro was lauded for his contribution to China's development.
The mechanisms for dialogue between the CPC and other political parties have gone from strength to strength to include an array of political thoughts and cultures from around the world.
Occasions such as the China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue Extraordinary Meeting and the UK-China Leadership Forum have added mutual trust, resilience and vitality to the CPC's relationships with foreign political parties.
"The landscape of the CPC's international work is developing toward one that is more comprehensive and wide-ranging, running via multiple channels at a deeper level, with an expanding circle of friends," Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said in an interview.
In the year 2020, China’s growth was forecasted to grow by 1.9% higher than most of the largest and developed economies. Records from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) show that “efforts to contain COVID-19 and support recovery have paid off”, helping China avert economic slump.
Economic and social stability witnessed in China even during the harshest of times caused by the pandemic has led to more political parties keen to learn and emulate China’s success to contribute to the progress of their own respective nations.
South Africa is not excluded from the list of political parties willing to learn from successes witnessed in China. Under the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa has diligently made efforts to learn from different phases of China’s development through carefully studying recent history and advances by the CPC.
The ANC and CPC’s party-to-party relations go back a long time in history. The nascence of relations and friendships between the two parties goes back to the historic era of the Bandung Conference in 1955. The relationship between the two parties eventually developed to full unconditional support as evidenced by the CPC aiding the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. Support for the anti-colonial struggle was not limited to the ANC alone, but encompassed most sub-Saharan liberation movements against colonialism and oppression in their respective nations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa made a speech to congratulate the CPC on its centenary celebrations. Ramaphosa started by saying that, “It is a great honor and privilege, on behalf of the African National Congress, to convey to the Communist Party of China revolutionary salutations on the great and solemn occasion of its centenary.” He continued to mention that “this was a particularly auspicious moment for all South Africans, because this month South Africa celebrates the 100th anniversary of the formation of the South African Communist Party (SACP), a revolutionary organization that played a central role in our struggle for freedom and democracy.
These similarities between South Africa and China reflect the level of deep friendship and long-lasting cooperation that the two parties have come to enjoy and cherish over time.
President Ramaphosa praised and sent messages of gratitude as he pointed out that the ANC and the people of South Africa would like to use this opportunity to thank the Government and people of China for the generous provision of vaccines, personal protective equipment and other vital supplies for our continental response to COVID-19.
President Ramaphosa continued to state that the ANC has listened with intent as President Xi explained the journey of building a moderately prosperous China and the realization of the first centenary goal. The ANC is inspired by the progress that China has made to eradicate absolute poverty in the largest developing economy on the planet.
“The historic achievements of the CPC have been made possible because it has placed the needs and interests of the people at the centre of its work.”
President Ramaphosa went on to say that the ANC wholeheartedly endorses the statement by President Xi Jinping that: “The people are the true heroes, for it is they who create history.” In his closing remarks, President Ramaphosa pointed out that “the African National Congress is honored to have a strategic relationship with the Communist Party of China as a true and valued friend.”
Centenary celebrations saw engagements and congratulatory messages between the CPC and SACP. There have been more than fourteen inter-party exchanges between the CPC and the SACP during the past decade. In the year 2021, CPC and SACP held a webinar where both parties were set to enhance their cooperation and exchanges on occasion of their centennial celebrations. Both parties pledged their commitment to working together to usher in a new era of cooperation and communication.
Drawing on similarities between the two parties, Solly Mapaila, First Deputy General Secretary of the SACP, pointed out in his speech that both parties, “guided by Marxism, have been committed to national liberation and socialist exploration. In the past 100 years, the CPC has always kept in mind its founding mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation”.
Mapaila went on to praise the successful efforts of the CPC on its success in eliminating absolute poverty. He further stated that China under the guidance of the CPC was now on its way to comprehensively building a modern socialist country.
Referring to the SACP, Mapaila pointed out that the SACP has always been at the forefront of the struggle against colonialism and racist domination, which led to a new South Africa in 1994.
The South African society has undergone a tremendous transformation ever since. He concluded by stating that millions of people in South Africa had benefited from this commitment.
Li Mingxiang, Assistant Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC) pointed out that, "the century-long struggle of the two parties for their missions has made remarkable contributions to the global socialist movement, proving the validity of Marxism and demonstrating the strong vitality of socialism.
Party-to-Party relations may be regarded as one of the foundations upon which multilateralism may be strengthened in the fight against the notion of the zero-sum-game. In this regard, party-to-party relations may be surmised as a stepping stone towards building a community with shared future for mankind.
Tembe is a Sinologist and founder of SELE Encounters.