BEIJING — The world is witnessing two dramatic scenarios: the world economy recovering sluggishly after the global financial crisis; and the West mired in an unprecedented institutional crisis, while China constantly creates social and economic miracles, showcasing its growth path based on socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Looking at the ruling parties around the world, very few have been at the helm for more than 30 consecutive years. Yet, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has governed for 68 years and continues to improve living conditions for its people, providing valuable experience for political parties worldwide on long-term governance.

As American China expert Robert Kuhn said, the key to the Chinese miracle is the extraordinary longtime leadership of the CPC.

A GUIDING IDEOLOGY

When the world hit by financial crisis in 2008, sales of “Das Kapital”, the works of Karl Marx, almost tripled, according to German publishing house Karl-Dieztz-Verlag. “Rediscovering Marx” suddenly became in vogue, with the West reflecting on the crisis.

As US economist Robert Heilbroner said, we should learn from Marxism in order to advance human society.

Marxism reveals the universal truths of human development. The CPC has always persisted in taking Marxism as its guiding ideology and made it the thought core to unite hundreds of millions of the Chinese people.

The CPC has combined Marxism with China’s conditions on the ground to create a unique ideology shaped by Chinese characteristics.

BUILT FOR PUBLIC, WORK FOR PEOPLE

This April, Uruguayan Broad Front Party President Javier Miranda led a delegation to Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province to study China’s targeted poverty relief work.

What he witnessed left him deeply impressed.

As president of a ruling party for three terms, Miranda knew only too well how difficult it was for a party to maintain long-term rule.

The most important responsibility of a ruling party is to ensure social justice and equity, and the CPC has established an example for other ruling parties, he said.

“Under CPC leadership, China has not only maintained rapid economic growth, but also let the development fruits benefit wide-ranging areas including the people’s living conditions, healthcare and public education,” he said, adding that this experience is something foreign ruling parties can learn from.

The key to the CPC’s success is that the party always takes the people as the center of development. It insists on developing for the people, by the people, and sharing achievements with the people.

Aikyn Konurov, secretary of the Central Committee of the Kazakh Communist People’s Party, said, “CPC officials know the Chinese people well. They always put the public interest first, which is the fundamental difference between the CPC and ruling parties in Western countries.”

In the contemporary world where traditional ruling parties face the risk of shrinking public support, the CPC has developed with time by absorbing people from different classes, and trying to reach consensus among the majority of people.

PARTY DISCIPLINE

“Are China’s leaders better than ours?” asked the US magazine Politico.

The CPC’s cadre group is selected through a rigorous process, while some members of the public can edge into the US Congress by currying favor with voters through a claptrap.

By comparison, the Politico asked: “How certain are we that whichever leaders come out of our process (general selection), of whatever party and persuasion, can stand on equal footing with whomever comes out of theirs (China’s)?”

US magazine the Diplomat said that the CPC appoints cadres through performance and capability, in manner that even successful businesses cannot replicate.

When interpreting China’s development miracle, Singapore founder Lee Kuan Yew said it is the most capable figures among 1 billion-plus people who are steering the country to greatness.

The CPC attaches great importance to party building and appoints officials based on their performance and competence to ensure solid governance.

Furthermore, the party is constantly strengthening discipline within its ranks.

Specifically, the CPC has established the Central Inspection Group, which is considered an intraparty strategic plan to protect itself from being contaminated by any political speculator.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the CPC Central Committee under Xi Jinping’s leadership has insisted on addressing the “four forms of decadences (si feng)” -- formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance.

The party’s crackdown on corruption and other misconduct shows the general public the CPC’s ambitions to eliminate injustice in order to raise the morale of the party and the people.

Gustavo Girado, head of Argentine consulting firm Asia & Argentina, said the CPC can plug up loopholes in its system because it excels in self-correction.

The anti-corruption campaign launched by Xi is a good example of this, Girado added.

STRATEGIC WISDOM, PLANNING FOR FUTURE

Partisanship is a deep-rooted problem in Western democracies. Struggles between executive and legislative branches and “Veto Games” have resulted in the failure to enact much needed legislation. Special interest groups “kidnap” policies through lobbying, and different parties coming into power often leads to reversal of state policies, resulting in a massive loss of time and resources.

According to Professor Huang Xianghuai of the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC, while there exists the so-called “economic cycle of elections” in the West, the CPC has guaranteed the longtime stability of the state’s fundamental policies.

Having benefitted from successive governing, the CPC has built up its capacity for formulating strategies for the country’s economic and social development.

Take the Five-Year Plans as an example. From large-scale industrial construction to creating a moderately prosperous society, the CPC has accomplished the greatest modernization project history has ever seen over the past 60 years.

“China is fully confident of the future,” said Konurov from the Kazakh Communist People’s Party, “because it has planned every step and will never give up the goal of working for the well-being of the people.”