July 1 marks the 95th Anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. One does not have to be a Communist or even a believer in the Marxism Leninism principles to appreciate the great achievements of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party since its founding in 1921.

The fact is that China lay flat at the beginning of the 20th century, being a victim of the loot, plunder and exploitation of the Foreign Imperialist Powers. Its own failings to respond to these challenges by way of domestic structural reforms, was a stark reminder of the national malaise. The weakened Qing dynasty, like ruling feudal hierarchies elsewhere in Asia and Africa, had become a target for extraction of territorial concessions and economic exploitation in the wake of Sino-British Opium Wars between1840-1860. The criminal neglect of the building of Navy by the Qing Court resulted in the European Colonial powers imposing their writs on China. Each Qing concessions encouraged them to ask for 'doing more'. A failure to deliver would lead to Coalition building and gunboat diplomacy. This was demonstrated in the ganging up by the 'Eight Power Coalition' which attacked and ransacked Beijing in 1901, compelling the Qing court to flee to the interior. The immense miseries inflicted on the Chinese inhabitants in the coastal cities which formed part of concession to extra territorial Powers, are also a dark chapter of the modern history. The burning of Yuan Mingyuan Garden in Beijing, is a living testimony of the enormous damage inflicted to the rich cultural heritage of the Chinese people by the marauding Western Powers.

The overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1911under the charismatic leadership of Sun Yatsen was the first victory, enabling the Chinese people to rise up for domestic renaissance. The Western Imperial Powers were however not content with the rising nationalist sentiments among the Chinese. They saw in such awakening, a danger to their colonial interests. All attempts to reform the exploitative governance structure in the post Qing era from 1911-21 therefore did not deliver the desired results. The inability of the ruling hierarchy to change and the interference by the Foreign Imperial Powers accentuated the mass poverty, under development, chaos and conflicts making China ripe for revolutionary change. It was under this background that the representatives of the Chinese Intellectuals, Workers and Peasants decided to take destiny in their own hands. Globally, the First World War had just ended and Bolshevik Revolution had just been born in Russia. The Marxist philosophy was winning converts everywhere. American president Woodrow Wilson was dreaming for a world 'safe for democracy' by establishing the League of Nations. In reality, the Versailles Treaty which imposed 'reparations' and indignities of various kinds on the German people, were to lead to the rise of Nazism and Fascism and the reasons for the Second World War. In the wake of the end of the Second World War, the wind of change in Asia and Africa started blowing faster with calls for self-determination from the Colonial rulers.

The Communist Party provided the Chinese thinkers a powerful platform to confront the exploitative forces. The masses realized correctly that it was not possible to confront the Imperialist powers, who were out to carve out 'spheres of influence' in China, without a radical change in domestic ruling hierarchical structures. The Communist Party led the Chinese masses through the chaotic and the hazardous struggle to reclaim their motherland. The epic Long March of the Red Army from Jiangxi's jungles to Yanan's caves is Shaanxi Province from 1927 to 1937, was a heroic event in history of military warfare. The Western Powers however did not relent in their efforts to cause maximum sufferings to the Chinese population by supplying vast quantity of arms and ammunition to the Kuomintang forces under Chiang Kaishek. Saner elements in the Nationalist camp did understand the 'game plan', but could not stop the ensuing Civil War which led to avoidable two million casualties. The victory of the Communists in the national war of Liberation and the establishment of the Peoples' Republic of China in 1949 defeated all attempts by the Foreign Imperial Powers to either control and carve it up. Failing in their objectives, they imposed sanctions on the Peoples' Republic of China, boycotting it for quarter of century. China was not allowed entry in the United Nations to take its rightful seat. It was only due to the relentless struggle by China's friends and Allies such as my own country Pakistan, that it was finally admitted in the United Nations in 1971.

The Open door policy and Economic Reforms followed by the visionary and pragmatic Chinese leadership in the wake of the Third plenum of the 11th Party Congress in December 1978 has proved their correct reading of history. China's rise now cannot be thwarted by any means. Clock of history cannot be reversed. China is not alone. Over the past more than six decades, its global stature has risen significantly. Its economic profile has skyrocketed from a backwater Third World country to the (soon to be) the largest economy in the world. It has already the largest GDP at US $19.6 trillion as of 2015 on the basis of the credible Purchasing power parity (ppp) estimates. China has lifted the largest number of people out of poverty in the shortest period of time in human history. China Watchers worldwide agree that China's successes and achievements could not have been possible without the effective leadership provided by the Communist Party.

The World never had a 'One size fits all' ideology, philosophy or political system, nor is it likely to have in the future. Those who talk of 'China collapse' and promote 'China Threat' propaganda lack credibility. Their stereotyping of the Chinese Communist Party as 'authoritarian' is utterly wrong. The Western scholastic or futuristic prognosis about China has been invariably proved absurd and negative. This is because the Western thought process is inherently defective and lacks moral standards of justice. The Communist Party's track record in China of restoring national pride, unity and stability, achieving economic prosperity and contributing to regional and global peace and security cannot be questioned. The success of China, its political ideology or system cannot be demeaned or dismissed by such stereotypes in a globalized world. The truth has a tendency to be known sooner rather than later. If there was no Communist Party, there would be no new China, goes the popular belief in China and is not just a piece of official propaganda. The Communist Party learns from the Masses and guides the masses. It suits the Chinese national conditions. If the Communist ideology has received setbacks elsewhere, it has been essentially due to the national conditions in those societies. Personally, I am of the view that China's successes owes as much to its Communist ideology, political organization, governance, as to its centuries old Social capital, Soft power and Cultural heritage also referred to as the 'Chinese characteristics'. The Chinese characteristics ideally complement the strengths of the Socialist modernization.

While China grows in global stature, its people become prosperous and it influence grows under the leadership of the Communist Party, it should not be oblivious to the new set of domestic challenges and the emerging Imperialist designs. First the domestic challenges that the future Communist Party leadership would need to tackle. These include rising income inequality, growing pollution, loss of Social Capital, Creeping Western cultural influences, Corruption, Evils of Extremism, Separatism and Terrorism, etc. On the external level, there is talk of Cold War II, irrespective of what China says or does to promote a paradigm of Win-Win for all states. China's rise has not been accepted or likely to be by the Imperialist Powers who have built their strengths on the basis of their predatory instincts. So-called democracy in Third World nations have been used to generate political instability, economic despondency, brain drain and flight of capital. While China is pursuing a positive and inclusive template, these Powers have long believed in 'Zero sum game' or as they say heads, I gain or tail you lose, or vice versa. The West will never tolerate a strategic competitor. In my view, never before in human history has a great Power risen without conflicts and Wars. China's extraordinary rise using its Social Capital and Soft Power is a worthy example deserving serious research and study. The Chinese do not seek a leadership role, but it will be thrust on them. China's rise gives hope that finally peace and stability, balance and harmony will return to a tormented world laid waste for decades by the forces of war, hate, xenophobia and domination.

So far the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party has read correctly the forces of history, but the epic struggle ahead, has just begun. China is on the right side of history! The exploitative forces are 'down but not out'. China has taken several initiatives to share its prosperity with the world. The success of 'One belt one road' and Maritime Silk Route strategy will help build a shared destiny of Europe, Asia and Africa to ensure ultimately peace and prosperity for all the humanity.

The Author

Syed Hasan Javed is a former officer of the Foreign Service of Pakistan. He has served in different diplomatic assignments in Pakistani Embassies in Harare, Dushanbe and Brussels. He spent nearly a decade in the People's Republic of China in two diplomatic assignments, first time as a Third and Second Secretary from 1980-1987. The second time, he was deputed as the Deputy Head of Mission/Minister in the Embassy of Pakistan, Beijing from 2001-2003.

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