The key to China’s success lies in the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee recently adopted the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century (hereafter simplified as the Resolution). A panoramic, grand historical narrative for the Party’s century-long endeavors, the Resolution is an important outcome of the Party’s theoretical development based on the understanding of the history and practice which are integrated with each other.

A thorough learning and profound grasp of its core tenet are of great practical significance and far-reaching historical influence for embarking on the new journey of building a modern socialist country in the new era.

Accumulated experience

Experience comes from practice, and the breadth and depth of practice determine the breadth and depth of experience. The century-long endeavors of the Communist Party of China were made in a complex environment and grand context, covering vast fields. The challenges and difficulties faced in this process were incomparable.

What is experience? The simplest way to define it is as knowledge and skill used in the past. The great progress of human civilization is inseparable from the effective accumulation of experience, and the great forward strides of history must be made through the transformation of experience. The CPC’s development and growth is underpinned by rich experience.

It is the fine tradition of the Party to draw experience from history. At the current historical juncture as the CPC celebrates the centenary of its founding, it is the strategic decision-making of the Party that has carried forward this tradition by summarizing its historical experience over the past century. The experience it has accumulated involves upholding the Party’s leadership, putting the people first, advancing theoretical innovation, staying independent, following the Chinese path, maintaining a global vision, breaking new ground, standing up for ourselves, promoting the united front, and remaining committed to self-reform.

From another point of view, the experience includes that of leading revolution, of advancing the pursuit of national development, of strengthening social governance, and of improving Party building. The pursuit of national development and social governance cover multiple sectors of economics, politics, culture, society, and ecology. The Party building entails the efforts to strengthen the Party in political, ideological, and organizational terms and in terms of conduct and discipline, with institution building incorporated into every aspect of this process, and continuing the fight against corruption.

Invaluable asset

In the course of endeavors over the past century, the formation of the Party’s experience was closely related to the creative practice of the Chinese people. The CPC has always fully respected the people’s initiative in innovation, and advocates learning from the people and drawing wisdom of practice from the people. The most important reason for why the Party’s century-long endeavors can create such a remarkable miracle is that the greatness of the political party is integrated with the greatness of the people. Before the founding of the CPC, why did many other political forces and other parties fail to save the nation? The truth was that these political forces and political parties did not respect the subjectivity of the people, and failed to unite and organize the people. Their efforts were thus unable to alter the once fragmented situation in the old China. History has proven that their experience was quite confined, with narrow visions and limited effects, which could not impact the historical process of the development of Chinese civilization in a profound way.

As the crystallization of collective wisdom, the historical experience from the Party’s endeavors over the past century stores the information of “why we were successful in the past and how we can continue to succeed in the future.” As the invaluable asset of the CPC and China, such experience does not come easy and we have no reason not to cherish it, no reason not to inherit it, and no reason not to carry it forward.

Qi Weiping is a professor from the School of Marxism at the East China Normal University.