Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

On July 1, the Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrated its 100th anniversary. The CPC is currently the largest political party in the world. It has also made history as an uninterrupted ruling party for 72 years. The CPC has nearly 92 million members. In China, which has a population of 1.4 billion, only about 6.6 percent of Chinese citizens are members of the CPC. Although a limited number of Chinese are members of the CPC, the CPC has become extremely popular among Chinese citizens.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a sharp decline in the credibility and popularity of governments and ruling parties all around the world, but in China the credibility and popularity of the CPC and the government has increased. In early 2020, while COVID-19 was afflicting China, some American professors were allegedly analyzing how Chinese government was losing grip on power. They had even gone so far as to predict the complete collapse of communist rule in China. But a survey by Ash Center, Harvard University, released in 2020, shows that Chinese respondents view Chinese central government very favorably.

What are the chief reasons on why the CPC, with a history of 100 years, is becoming more and more popular in China day by day? There are some secrets and some of them are briefly discussed here.

First of all, the CPC and the Chinese government have always put the people first. Controlling the coronavirus epidemic in China has been possible because they have always prioritized their people. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has always directed every member of the Party to give priority to the people. China has applied the policy of "no one left behind" even in poverty alleviation. Therefore, the popularity of CPC is on the rise.

The second thing is poverty alleviation. Over the last eight years, China has lifted 98.99 million people out of extreme poverty. The right to life of every citizen is called human rights and by alleviating extreme poverty, China has demonstrated the best human rights in the world. It is quite natural that the citizens are happy with the government and ruling party once the Chinese government has guaranteed the issues related with health, education, insurance, employment, social security and protection of senior citizens.

The third thing is anti-corruption campaign. As soon as Xi came to power, he adopted a zero-tolerance policy for corruption. To eliminate corruption, Xi started with high-level CPC leaders. Unnecessary government expenses were slashed. The people were greatly relieved by all this and the popularity with the CPC and the Chinese government among them increased.

Fourth, successful and strong leadership. Addressing the CPC's 100th anniversary celebrations, Xi pointed out that the CPC has basically achieved major successes. He said: "To realize national rejuvenation, the Party has united and led the Chinese people in pursuing a great struggle, a great project, a great cause, and a great dream through a spirit of self-confidence, self-reliance, and innovation, achieving great success for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era." The CPC leadership has been successful and strong for these major successes pointed out by Xi.

Fifth, a strong sense of patriotism. China has been struggling with external problems as well as numerous domestic ones. In recent times, the US coalition has been trying to discredit China on issues such as Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea, openly interfering in China's internal affairs, defaming China in the international arena, and discriminating against Chinese citizens and Chinese products. At such a time, the CPC has been working to create a sense of patriotism by uniting all Chinese. 

Sixth, development and construction. The Chinese say, if you arrive anywhere in China after six months, you will have a whole new experience. This represents China's rapid approach to development and construction. China is now the world's second-largest economy. In a few years, China will overtake the US to become the world's largest economy. Examples of the world's great development are all in China. No country can compete with China's physical infrastructure. Because of such progress, the dignity, prestige and respect of Chinese in the world has increased today. China has attracted the most foreign investment in the world and has also become the largest investor in the world. In order to share the benefits of development with others, China has launched a grand Belt and Road Initiative that is sharing development around the world. The CPC and the Chinese government have become popular because of development that has increased the dignity of the citizens. 

The author is immediate past chairman of Press Council Nepal, editor in chief of Jana Aastha National Weekly. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn