Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

The 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is just around the corner. Some Western media outlets and scholars, especially those from the US, seem to have made a fresh wave to slander the CPC. For example, Bill Bishop, an American author and journalist, on Tuesday tweeted that, "One lesson from 100 years of CCP history is that paranoia and insecurity are part of the Party's DNA, and it will never look like it feels secure." The Wall Street Journal also published an article on Friday, entitled, "An Anxious 100th Birthday for China's Communist Party."

This is US' new argument belittling China and the CPC against the backdrop in which the CPC has make brilliant achievements. Over the past four decades of China's rapid rise, there have been various arguments that demean China. China's economic collapse is one of them. In 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic severely hit the global economy, China was the only major economy to register economic growth. No one, even in the West, would now believe China's economy will collapse. In this context, the US starts to slander China from other perspectives, and thus hypes that the CPC "feels insecure."

Insecurity comes from the lack of strategic confidence. But China is strategically confident. China's rapid development over the recent 40 years has intensified such confidence.

In comparison to China, the US seems to be the one short of security. It has labeled China as its top rival. The country is involving China with its domestic and international agendas. When talking with its allies, Washington has spared no effort to rope its allies and partners in its anti-China chariot. These US' irrational moves against China reflect the country's strategic anxiety and lack of strategic confidence. Such a mind-set may develop into one of strategic fears. In such a scenario, any decision will lead to disastrous results.

The view that the CPC is insecure is one of many prejudices from the US and the West. Few political parties in the world have had such an arduous journal, or achieve such a great achievement, in short period. 

People with different ideologies have different understandings of the CPC. Over the 100 years, the CPC accomplished the visions of most Chinese people. Before the People's Republic of China was founded, people from different classes had the same goal of ending the semi-colonial and semi-feudal state - the CPC made this a reality. After the new China was founded in 1949, most Chinese people hope that they could get rid of poverty. The CPC's achievement of eradicating poverty is unique in the world.

But out of prejudice against the CPC, some Westerners put aside these achievements and twisted facts by insisting that paranoia and insecurity are part of the CPC's DNA. They try to mislead the public's understanding of the CPC by imposing an academic concept of the CPC that is flawed.

They do it intentionally rather than from an objective academic viewpoint. They want to turn their subjective prejudice into an objective truth. This is not academic methodology. Their conclusion from twisted facts does not hold water. In modern societies, confrontation among different ideologies is an objective fact. The Chinese civilization emphasizes harmony in diversity and common development. This means different ideologies can peacefully co-exist.

There are always Western scholars and politicians who spare no effort to attack Communism. This is actually a kind of "cleansing" of "paganism." They will not be satisfied until Communism has been destroyed. However, every ideological camp should be wary of such mentality, and should instead pursue harmony in diversity. The US and the West want to wipe out and remove Communism like a bad plague. They have repeatedly demonized, attacked, slandered and besieged Communism. Their aim is to exterminate Communist ideology. This is impossible and dangerous to human civilization. 

The CPC has never faced a state without criticism in the past 100 years. Even at its best, there were often a myriad of "China collapse" theories. The Party has had its fair share of praise in the last 100 years. For every new achievement there will be new voices of opposition. Nor do we expect criticism of the CPC to cease as it grows stronger. The CPC should do its own thing well beyond such praise and criticism. Whether they criticize or abuse, the Party should concentrate on its own things and continue to fulfill its mission in accordance with the original aspiration of Communists. Misunderstandings and criticisms will be destroyed along with the achievements of Communists. 

The various theories around "China collapse" have not been realized. The so-called collapse theory itself should collapse now. 

The article was compiled based on an interview with Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn