Tackle Challenges with Courage and Wisdom
Challenges for China: How the CPC Makes Progress
Edited by Xie Chuntao
Price: RMB 68
Paperback, 276 pages
Published by New World Press
By QIAO TIANBI
ON or around the 90th anniversary in 2011 of the establishment of the Communist Party of China, a series of political books on the China model and the governance experience of the CPC appeared on the domestic publishing market. They included Zhang Weiwei’s China Trilogy, among which The China Wave: Rise of a Civilizational State was a best-seller in China, and an English edition was also published. The other two popular books, edited by Professor Xie Chuntao, are: Why and How the CPC works in China; and Governing China: How the CPC Works. This trend followed a succession of important meetings in China – the 18th CPC National Congress, and the Third and Fourth Plenary sessions of the 18th CPC Central Committee, themed on future development orientations.
In 2014, Professor Xie completed his third work in this vein: Challenges for China: How the CPC Makes Progress.
Commenting on this book, Li Junru, member of the CPPCC Standing Committee and former vice president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said, “Focusing on the serious challenges facing China and the CPC, this book shows how the Party is meeting these challenges. It has both theoretical depth and rich examples. It is pragmatic, applicable and readable.”
Reuters declared in late 2012, “China is now richer and more confident than at any time in the previous decade, but still faces unprecedented pressures in the form of immense social, economic and political challenges, which if not managed skillfully could shake the Party to its core.”
Taking into account the current world landscape, national circumstances, and the stage of development of the CPC, Professor Xie concludes that there are eight challenges facing the CPC. They are: how to sustain the development of a healthy economy; how to develop democracy; how to improve the cultural soft power of China; how to maintain social harmony and stability; how to promote ecological progress; how to promote China’s peaceful reunification; how to build a peaceful and stable environment for China; and how to penalize and prevent corruption. Professor Xie and his writing team have examined the severe situation facing the CPC, the origins of and reasons for its problems, and the measures the Party has taken in response to these challenges, along with its practical achievements and prospects.
The book cites reports in both domestic and international media, the latest research achievements and data, and also ample actual instances. Readers can draw their own conclusions from the collision of different ideas put forward in the book. “Explaining ideas through anecdotes” and “displaying opinions of third parties” has been the main principle, as discovered and summarized by Professor Xie, in writing popular political books.
In Chapter 2 of the book entitled Developing Democracy, Professor Xie recalls the pre-election in the year 2000 of the village committee in Dingxing County, Hebei Province. More than 1,400 voters took their seats early that morning on the open sports ground in the elementary school where the election was held. The entire voting process strictly followed statutory procedure. A count was taken of participants in the meeting and election; there was a call for a vote on the pre-election method of the meeting; and a selection was made of election personnel, including the general ballot examiner, ballot examiners, vote counter, and vote announcer. The entire process lasted until 1 p.m. Despite chilly weather and hunger pangs, voters waited patiently for the final result. Dr. Charles E. Costello, director of the Department of Democracy Program of the Carter Center, was deeply impressed by voters’ enthusiasm. As he said, “Although it was extremely cold, we could see that the voters were nonetheless in high spirits. They nominated the candidates entirely according to their own will. This was a very democratic pre-election.” That China’s farmers so cherished their political rights gave us greater expectations and hopes for more comprehensive political democracy.
While China’s new leadership took office, a commentary in Singapore’s Zaobao estimated, “The tasks and challenges confronting China’s new administration are formidable. When the curtain on the Xi Jiping era rises, the true test begins. Combating corruption alone will be a rigorous test of his political will and courage.”
“Penalizing and Preventing Corruption” is the title of the book’s last chapter, in which the author pinpoints the valid opinion, “Combating corruption is not only a political struggle but also a cultural battle.” In Chinese political culture, deep-rooted deference to official rankings and the patriarchal system, and the prevalence of nepotism, special privilege mentality, and obsession with hierarchy still influence certain officials as well as the public. Corruption spreads under such conditions, along with the crowd mentality within society of going with the flow. As Professor Xie observes, “There are many people who recognize, sympathize with, admire, and even indulge corruption.” The determination of the new leadership was manifest in its anti-corruption achievements after two years. However, combating corruption so long rife both politically and culturally remains an arduous task.
Professor Xie maintains a strong awareness with regard to problem settlement. His book titles are all questions which the content sets about examining and answering. This style of writing suits the psychology of readers experiencing social transformation as they wade into the deep water zone of reform which calls for constant attempts to find new solutions to longstanding problems.
