The Minister in Charge of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Answers Reporters' Questions on the Publication of One Hundred Years of the Communist Party of China

BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) -- On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the book One Hundred Years of the Communist Party of China, prepared by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, was published by the Publishing House for the History of the Communist Party and distributed nationwide with the approval of the Central Committee. Recently, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency interviewed the minister in charge of the Institute about the publication of the book.

Q: On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of the CPC, the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee prepared and published One Hundred Years of the Communist Party of China. What are the main considerations for that?

A: On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of our Party, looking back on 100 years of the Party's history, we have a more complete and clearer understanding of it. The 100-year history of the CPC is a glorious and splendid history, but also a history of overcoming hardships, laying the foundation for the cause, and opening up the future. In the 100 years of successive struggles, the Party has led the people to create a great history, forge a great spirit, and gain valuable experience, enabling the Chinese nation to achieve a tremendous transformation: it has stood up, grown rich, and is becoming strong, and creating a great miracle in the history of the development of the Chinese nation and the history of human social progress. Our party, as the world's largest party in power for a long time, is best qualified and most confident to tell the world clearly about its past, present and future, to guide the Chinese officials and the general public to learn and review the history of the Party well and to draw upon and carry forward the Party’s valuable experience.

 Since the 18th National Party Congress, the Party Central Committee, with General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core, has attached great importance to reviewing, learning, and promoting Party history and to education on this history, and worked hard to ensure that Party history is of relevance to our present, assists in our government administration and educates our people. General Secretary Xi Jinping has reiterated that history is the best textbook, learning Party history is integral to upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and continuing to advance the cause of our Party and country, so we must study it and study it well. Last year, our Party celebrated its centenary, carried out education on its history, held the Sixth Plenary Session of its 19th Central Committee and made the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century. The main purpose of compiling One Hundred Years of the Communist Party of China is, with a focus establishing a regular and long-term institutional mechanism for learning Party history and promoting education on it, to help our Party and nation to earnestly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's major statements Party history and the guiding principles from the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. The book will help our Party and nation firmly establish a correct view of Party history and see more clearly from the Party's century of struggle why we were able to succeed in the past and how we can continue to succeed in the future. This will help them practice the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission more firmly and consciously, better adhere to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and make unremitting efforts to achieve the Second Centenary Goal and realize the Chinese Dream of National Rejuvenation.

Q: Could you introduce the preparation and publication of the book?

 A: The preparation of book was an important task assigned to the Institute of Party History and Literature by the Central Committee. The preparation work was launched in February 2017 and it took more than five years to complete the book based on several drafts. The preparation work always received the kind care and careful guidance from General Secretary Xi Jinping. In July 2019, he gave major instructions and guidance for the preparation work which served as our correct direction and basic guidelines. A total of 87 central Party and government departments and relevant departments and units of the Chinese military responded to the draft One Hundred Years of the Communist Party of China referred to them by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee with many important comments and suggestions. After the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee, the Institute of Party History and Literature, based on the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century, made comprehensive revisions to the draft and again solicited comments from relevant departments and experts in Party history and theory. We carefully studied each and every one of these comments and suggestions and accepted them wherever possible. All this played a very important role in integrating researchers, improving the level of preparation, and ensuring the quality of the book. It is justifiable to say that the book is an important result of General Secretary Xi Jinping's kind care and strong guidance, and is the crystallization of the wisdom of the Party.

 Not long ago, the Party Central Committee officially approved the publication of One Hundred Years of the Communist Party of China. The 860,000-word book consists of four volumes on "The Period of the New-Democratic Revolution", "The Period of Socialist Revolution and Construction", "The New Period of Reform, Opening Up, and Socialist Modernization", and "The New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics", respectively.

Q: Could you tell us the guiding thought and principles for the preparation of the book?

 A: In preparing the book, we always followed Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guidance. We conscientiously implemented the guiding principles from General Secretary Xi's major statements on the history of the CPC and his major speeches and instructions on Party history and literature work, especially from his long, major instructions on the preparation of the book. We adhered to dialectical materialism and historical materialism, freed our minds and sought truth from facts. We, to emancipation of the mind and seeking truth from facts. We integrated Party spirit and principles with scientific spirit. We worked to accurately grasp the theme, main thread, mainstream and essence the development of Party history. We evaluated major historical facts, figures, events and views in line with the guiding principles of the Central Committee. We worked to make to book political, theoretical, authoritative, academic and readable and to ensure the orientation is, historical facts are accurate, and the presentation is credible and lively. We did all this in order to provide authoritative, official history for the Party and others to learn Party history, establish the correct view of Party history more deeply and widely and ensure that the Party and the general public achieve a consensus on official Party history. We want to encourage the Party members and officials and the members of the general public, especially the young people, to become firmly confident in Party history, bear it firmly in mind, and move forward with confidence.

 The preparation work strictly followed the three historical resolutions of the Party, especially the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century and a series of new views and new statements on Party history by the Central Committee with General Secretary Xi at the core. It drew on the best of Books One and Two of A History of the Communist Party of China, Seventy Years of the Communist Party of China, Ninety Years of the Communist Party of China, and other official Party history books. It is of particular note that Ninety Years of the Communist Party of China is an official Party history book prepared under the personal proposal and careful guidance of General Secretary Xi, which has had a significant impact on the Party, academic circles and the general public and has been widely praised. In order to maintain the authority, stability and continuity of official Party history books, the first 90 years of One Hundred Years of the Communist Party of China were a revised version of Ninety Years of the Communist Party of China; this new book’s section of Party history since the 18th National Party Congress in 2012 is a newly added part about the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The preparation work followed the principle of maintaining the correct political direction and breaking new ground. On the basis of reflecting the magnificent history of the CPC, the great path it has blazed and the great achievements it has made in the past 100 years, and focusing on the history we are now experiencing, the new book defines the "New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" as the fourth period of the Party's history. It also makes the 18th National Party Congress the starting point of the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It fully describes and reflects the historic achievements, historic changes and fresh experiences accumulated in the cause of the Party and country in the new era. The book fully describes and reflects the historical process and decisive significance of the formation of the Two Confirms. It strives to reflect the latest achievements in research on Party history and theory. With a focus on key points and priorities reiterated by General Secretary Xi Jinping, the book unfolds around the major issues he emphasized, such as adapting Marxism to the contemporary Chinese context, correctly grasping the principal contradiction and central tasks in Chinese society, attaching importance to strategies and tactics, and maintaining the Party's identity as a Marxist party, and uses historical materials to elaborate on these issues in each chapter. The book makes new explorations and attempts in words and expressions, integrates history and theory, ensures that theory is derived history, makes narrative and discussion alternate, emphasizes both form and content, and focuses on telling history both as it is and why. In addition, the book uses pictures to enhance the vividness and readability. It has a total of 455 pictures, including 425 photos and 30 charts.

Q: What are the important practical significance of publishing this book in the year when the 20th National Party Congress is to be held?

 A: General Secretary Xi stressed that the history of the Party is the most vivid and persuasive textbook. This book is about the history, struggle, path, and law. It is of relevance for today and for tomorrow and is a rich source that assists in government administration and education. The book is an authoritative textbook that helps the Party and the general public follow Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guidance, reinforce the Four Consciousnesses, enhance the Four-Sphere Confidence, and ensure the Two Upholds, constantly consolidate and expand the results of Party history learning and education, carry on the Party’s legacy from generation to generation.

 The 20th National Party Congress will be held later this year, which is a major political event of the Party and the country. The publication of One Hundred Years of the Communist Party of China will help to better publicize and display the Party's glorious history, great achievements, fine traditions and valuable experiences. It will guide the Party members and officials and the general public to further enhance their knowledge of and affection for the Party, better remember the fundamental question of what the CPC is and what it wants to do, and better understand why our Party is capable, why Marxism works, and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is strong. It will help the Party to thoroughly understand and effectively apply Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the Two Confirms, effectively translate them into a high degree of consciousness to resolutely ensure the Two Upholds, transform them into a powerful impetus to advance on this new journey and make achievements in this new era, work hard and move forward courageously, and welcome the 20th National Party Congress with practical actions. The new book will help us to further understand the laws of history and grasp the initiative of history at the critical period of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It will remind us yesterday's suffering and glory, urges us to be worthy of today's mission and responsibility, and encourages us to live up to tomorrow's great dream as we strive unremittingly to achieve the Second Centenary Goal and the the Chinese Dream of National Rejuvenation.

(Source: People's Daily, June 30, 2022, p. 5)

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