On the day of its 90th birthday, the Communist Party of China (CPC) can proudly celebrate "a historical milestone" that has successfully paved the way for China to become world's second economic power, an Italian expert said Friday.
"The CPC has won the test of time... Its outstanding achievements are demonstrated by the incredible outlook that China presents today," said Giuseppe Sacco, an international affairs professor at Rome's LUISS University.
July 1 marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC.
Among the many achievements that the party has made in the ensuing nine decades, Sacco first noted China's liberation from foreign rule, which stood as a pre-condition for the country's economic revolution and the efforts in securing the terrotorial unity.
He secondly praised the CPC's policies to develop China's economy.
"China's economic development in the last 15 years has no equals in the world and this is due to the decisions and strategies adopted by the CPC," he said.
He also appreciated the CPC's measures to bring well-being and richness to the entire population by reducing social income gaps and tackling poverty and hunger.
"The CPC is investing in the birth of a new middle class and is bravely facing the negative impacts of the rapid industrialization process and mass exodus from the countryside to the cities," Sacco said.
Another important achievement of the CPC lies in spreading culture to the lower classes, Sacco said, citing the many attempts of the party to reform the Chinese language so as to reach out to the majority of the people.
"Last year in China roughly 6.5 million students graduated from university and this indeed stands as a cultural milestone."
According to Sacco, the CPC has also done a lot in recent years to promote individual rights and freedom, including a wider access to the internet, an increase in internal political debate, and the opening up to possible political reforms.
As for the near future, in Sacco's view, the CPC's main challenge is to further "consolidate the state of widespread economic welfare" for the population of the country.