CPC: A century of victory over many tribulations many trials and tribulations

By Mbelwa Kairuki

On 16th June 2021, I had an opportunity to deliver a speech at the Special Thematic Dialogue on Shanghai’s achievements in practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The event was part of activities to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Shanghai, the birthplace of CPC and host to the 1st Congress of CPC.

From the outset of my speech, I admitted that it was challenging to talk about CPC in just five minutes. In 100 years, CPC has passed through a test of time to achieve victory over many trials and tribulations. It is also impossible to write 1000 words article talking about CPC’s ten decades of existence for the same reasoning. In this regard, I will focus my writing on CPC’s remarkable achievement in fighting poverty in China and CPC’s contribution to China-Africa Cooperation.

Fighting poverty in China

As we all know, poverty has been a worldwide problem haunting humanity for millennia. Poverty elimination has been an ideal humankind has yearned for since ancient times. Over the years, the international community has devoted enormous human and material resources and worked out various methods to eliminate poverty as speedily as possible, including the efforts of the United Nations to expedite the global poverty reduction process through the successful identification of the Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

From day one of its existence, CPC has placed high on its plan to eliminate poverty and made arduous efforts to this end. These efforts were more visible when CPC launched reform and opening-up policy in 1978. At the 18th National Congress in 2012, CPC pronounced the decisive battle against extreme poverty as one of its governance priorities. Accordingly, CPC, under the leadership of His Excellency Xi Jinping, expounded a series of new ideas and viewpoints, devised a raft of significant decisions and arrangements, and led the entire Party and indeed the entire nation in waging an all-out war against poverty.

By lifting over 10 million people out of poverty each year for seven consecutive years, China, under CPC leadership, has created a miracle of poverty reduction, a feat applauded by many as the “greatest poverty eradication success” in human history.

As of now, more than 700 million rural residents in China have shaken off poverty, accounting for over 70 per cent of poverty reduction worldwide. Last year China marked the conclusion of the decisive battle against extreme poverty. Despite the emergence of Covid-19, China lifted the entire rural population above the poverty line and consequently achieved the poverty reduction goal set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. This achievement constitutes a milestone of profound historical significance for both China and the world.

In the four years that I have stayed in China, I have witnessed firsthand how CPC leadership leads the fight against poverty at all levels. CPC’s success story gives us strength and certainty that with peace, determination, focus, hard work, and shared vision- it is possible to fight poverty successfully.

Poverty Eradication is a top priority agenda in Tanzania. The government has adopted policies and programs to provide the basic human needs for our people: food security, education, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health care, electricity, and shelter.

Notwithstanding the reduction and substantive investments in social sectors, poverty incidence remains high across the country. The improvements in living standards have not evenly speed, especially between the urban and rural areas. Therefore, in our endeavors, we will continue to work with China and other countries and international organizations to find solutions to eradicate poverty.

China-Africa Cooperation

The story of China-Africa Cooperation will be incomplete without recognizing the central role of the CPC. While there were early trade contacts between Ancient China and Africa, the more structured relations that exist today are, by very far and large, attributed to the leadership of CPC. Under the able CPC leadership, China signed bilateral trade agreements with Algeria, Egypt, Guinea, Morocco, and Sudan. After that, it is in the record that the CPC leader, Zhou Enlai, took the relations to a greater height with the ten-country tour he made to Africa between December 1963 and January 1964.

Sooner, China became part of our liberation struggle in Africa and, in particular, Southern Africa. Under the leadership of Chairman Mao Zedong, the CPC cooperated hand in hand with Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere on the Tanzanian side and Mzee Kenneth Kaunda on the Zambian side to support the liberation struggle in Southern Africa. And that is one reason why despite the economic challenges of their own at that time, China gave a soft loan to Tanzania and Zambia to construct the TAZARA railway line. The 1680 km long railway line provided much-needed logistical support to the liberation struggle in southern Africa; that is why- it was famously known as FREEDOM RAILWAY. To date, TAZARA remains the most significant symbol of China-Africa friendship and historical monument and living legacy of the CPC spirit of south-south cooperation.

In the same spirit, China had also enjoyed solid and crucial support from African countries, including the support that led to the successful restoration of China’s membership in the United Nations. Then the leader of CPC, Chairman Mao Zedong, was quoted as saying at the time that “it is our African brothers who have carried us into the UN.” In the 21st century, a new chapter of mutual support between China and Africa is enjoyed under the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation and Belt and Road Initiative.

I conclude this article by wishing CPC another century of success since I see in CPC success flourishing China-Africa relations.

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The writer is Tanzania Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China