Ambassador Wan Wen Lei
—Written on the Occasion of the 105th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China
July 1st, 2026, marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of the People’s Republic of China, delivered an important speech pointing out: “Over the past 105 years, our Party has always stayed true to its original aspiration and founding mission to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, uniting and leading the people of all ethnic groups across the country in relentless struggle, and has written the most magnificent epic in the Chinese nation’s thousands-of-years history.” To understand contemporary China, one must first understand the CPC. To comprehend China’s development miracle, one must explore the journey of struggle and the way of governance of this centenary party. Over the past 105 years, the CPC has grown from a party with only over 50 members into the world’s largest governing party with 101 million members, leading a major country of more than 1.4 billion people. It has not only rewritten the destiny of a major country but also provided a brand-new choice for developing countries around the globe to explore the path to modernization.
The past 105 years have been a history of dedicating to save the nation and founding a country for the people. In modern history, China was a nation of shattered land and destitute people, where countless quests for national salvation stumbled to fail. It was not until the birth of the Communist Party of China that the Chinese people found their backbone which leads the cause of national rejuvenation. Through 28 years of bloodshed and struggle, the CPC led the nation to overthrow the old order and found New China, bringing a definitive end to the tragic era when the country was humiliated, the people suffered, and the civilization was tarnished. Since then, the CPC has led the people to forge an independent, comprehensive industrial system from scratch. In a matter of decades, China traversed an industrial journey that took developed nations centuries to complete, making a historic leap to become the world’s second-largest economy, and creating the two miracles of rapid economic growth and enduring social stability. Most notably, since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has championed a people-centered philosophy. China has ushered in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, embarking on a new journey toward a modern socialist country in all respects, and propelled the irreversible historical course of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
The past 105 years have been a history of practical actions devoted to all and benefiting people’s livelihood. What lies behind China’s miraculous achievements in economic and social development? The answer is found in the very defining mission of the CPC: to pursue happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. Under the leadership of the CPC, China completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects as planned and won the largest battle against poverty in human history. Nearly 100 million rural population were lifted out of poverty, historically resolving the problem of absolute poverty and achieving the poverty reduction targets of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Today, China boasts the world’s largest education, social security, and medical and healthcare systems, with the level of public security continually improving. China has made major breakthroughs in fields such as manned spaceflight, artificial intelligence, and new energy, achieving a rapid shift from a global manufacturing hub to a global innovation center. Facing all kinds of risks and challenges, the CPC and the government have always put the people above all else, responding to the people’s aspiration for a better life with pragmatic and efficient governance. History and reality fully shows that the CPC’s governance foundation comes from the people, relies on the people, and is for the people.
The past 105 years have been a history of bearing the world in mind, building itself and helping others succeed. The CPC not only seeks happiness for the Chinese people but also strives relentlessly for the cause of human progress. As the changes unseen in a century unfold at a faster pace, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Humanity has once again stood at a crossroads, wondering which way to go. Facing the question of our times—“What is wrong with the world, and what should we do?”—President Xi Jinping has successively proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, injecting more positive energy into world peace and development. Under the leadership of the CPC, we promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, contributing Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength to address major questions confronting humanity. The CPC is committed not only to benefiting the Chinese people but also to sharing development opportunities with the world in an open and inclusive manner. Since the beginning of foreign aid more than 70 years ago, China has provided development assistance to Timor-Leste and other 160 plus countries, and the high-quality “Belt and Road” cooperation has covered more than 150 countries.
This year marks the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. Standing at a new historical starting point, the centenary party sets out once again. Under the leadership of the CPC, China will continue to practice the neighborhood diplomacy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness. China will work together with Global South countries, including Timor-Leste, to deepen political mutual trust and practical cooperation, so as to bring more development benefits to the people in all countries. We will jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing nations, and work hand in hand to build a more just and equitable global governance system and eventually promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity and a better world.
