The National Congresses of the Communist Party of China (hereafter Party Congress) are very important events in the politics of the People’s Republic of China held at the interval of five years. The 20th Party Congress began in Beijing on 16 October 2022 and will be concluded by 22 October 2022. From more than 96 million Party members, a total of 2,296 delegates have been elected to attend the 20th Party Congress. The delegates represent 4.9 million primary-level organisations of the Party. The process to elect new CPC Central Committee and new CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) during the Party Congress has begun.[i] The 20th Party Congress of China is all set to: amend the Party’s Constitution besides endorsing a record third term for President Xi Jinping; select a leadership team to lead and govern the country for next five years and: announce goals/tasks for China’s development in the next five years and beyond.
In his report to Party Congress on 16 October 2022, President Xi termed the work over the past five years (since the 19th Party Congress) as “truly momentous and extraordinary”. He noted that the overall leadership of the Party and the “centralized, unified leadership of the Central Committee” have been strengthened.[ii] In this background, the objective of the paper is to briefly analyse China’s political campaigns, especially those related to building the Party and the Chinese model of governance in the context of the ongoing Party Congress.
Party building
While addressing the 20th Party Congress on 16 October 2022, President Xi stated that notable advances have been made in the “great new project of Party building”.[iii] The “great project of Party building” has been a major highlight of Chinese politics since the 18th Party Congress in 2012.[iv] Extensive ideological campaigns were followed with the goal to strengthen the Party and promote loyalty to the Party, centered on President Xi who emerged as “core” of the ruling party. The process of Party building was highlighted in the last Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC (October 2017) where the announcement about “embarking on the new great project in Party building” was made.
Party documents over the past few years have highlighted the need to advance the “great project” of “Party building” and promote the “great cause” of socialism with Chinese characteristics to withstand “Four tests” and overcome “Four kinds of dangers”. [v] The four tests refer to the following: (a) test of the CPC as the ruling party (b) test of reform and opening up (c) market economy test and (d) test in the external environment. The “four dangers” are lost vitality, insufficient capacity, alienation from the people, and rampant corruption.[vi] The Party building project is aimed to highlight the importance of Chinese model of governance and to overcome all the challenges facing the Party.
Anti-corruption campaign has been a major highlight, especially since the 18th Party Congress. The Party has stressed that “corruption is the greatest threat to the Party’s long-term governance. The fight against corruption is a major political struggle that the Party cannot and must not lose”.[vii] President Xi, in his report to the 20th Party Congress (on 16 October 2022) talked about greater efficiency in fighting corruption during the last 10 years. However, there has also been a perception that this campaign is politically motivated and has been used to neutralize or penalize some factions/groups within the Party. The anti- corruption campaign of the Party as well as the project of party building is likely to be pursued with greater vigour not only in domestic context but also in foreign policy apparatus.
Upholding the authority of the CPC Central Committee and strengthening Party leadership in foreign affairs has also been an agenda of the Party. President Xi’s speech at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs in June 2018 gave a clear guidance in this regard. While addressing the Conference, Xi called for “a strong contingent of foreign affairs personnel that are loyal to the CPC, the country and the people…”. He also noted the importance of “enhancing the party-building in institutions abroad so as to form a management mechanism catering to the requirements of the new era”.[viii] These political guidelines have been carried out over the years in the foreign policy domain. Xi Jinping’s report to the 20th Party Congress indicates that there will be greater promotion of Chinese model of governance by the Party in coming years.
The Chinese model of governance
During his address to the 20th Party Congress, President Xi reiterated importance of China model of “whole process democracy”. In the past, China has used different occasions to highlight the ‘failure’ of American model of democracy and the success of Chinese model of governance. While referring to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson on August 20, 2021 stated that “For us, a key criterion (for democracy) is whether the country can meet people’s expectations, needs and aspirations. In this sense, Chinese democracy is people's democracy while the US is money democracy; the Chinese people enjoy substantial democracy while Americans have democracy only in form; China has a whole-process democracy while the US has voting democracy that comes every four years.”[ix] Jin Liangxiang from Shanghai Institutes of International Studies highlighted that “Afghanistan is also proof that American-style democracy cannot simply be inserted into countries with different cultural backgrounds”.[x] Such statements by the Chinese government and experts suggest that the Chinese government has an agenda to highlight the Chinese model of governance to its own people as well as to the international community.
During the 20th Party Congress, President Xi spoke in favour of China’s Zero-Covid policy. The policy has been an issue of intense debate including within the Party. China still carries out extensive lockdowns and testing wherever new cases are found. However, the fact remains that this policy has adversely affected the economy and life of the people in China. As per World Bank estimates, China’s GDP growth is expected to slow sharply to 2.8 percent in 2022, from 8.1 percent in 2021.[xi] According to Chinese government data, in the second quarter (April-June 2022) the country’s GDP grew merely 0.4 percent, year on year basis.[xii] Economists have seen the decline in GDP growth as a major consequence of China’s Zero-Covid policy. There are also several reports of economic and other difficulties faced by people during the lockdowns in China.
However, the Party on the other hand has commended the accomplishments of the government in coordinating the Covid-19 response. China’s Health Minister Ma Xiaowei has reaffirmed its support for the “dynamic Zero-Covid” policy and took a clear-cut stand against “erroneous” thoughts of “coexisting with the virus”.[xiii] It is also important to understand the political agenda of Zero-Covid policy. “Within China, Zero-Covid has been framed as evidence of the superiority of the Chinese political system…”.[xiv] The debate is intensely political in China linked to ideology of the Party and highlights that China has lost very less number of people compared to the US which is a democratic country. Evidence suggests that the Zero-Covid model has given the state an extraordinary control over people’s lives in China and affected the country’s economy adversely. It has been noted that “rather than a model to be emulated, the zero-COVID machinery in China has emerged as a warning tale”.[xv] Arguably, the current concentration of power at the top is adversely affecting the principles of collective leadership and is hindering changes in the Zero-Covid policy.
Conclusion
Certainly, the Party building project will be Xi’s one of the main agenda during his third term. The messages from the Party and the top leadership of China led by President Xi suggest sustainability of the Party in long run is at the core of the agenda. Ideological campaigns including those highlighting the ‘Chinese dream’ and core socialist values as well as anti- corruption campaign and creating foreign affairs personnel loyal to the Party will be continued to be highlighted as means to strengthen and revitalise the Party to face the challenging time ahead. China seems determined to highlight its model of governance as it refers to “whole-process people’s democracy” or consultative democracy rather than electoral democracy.
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*Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, Senior Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.
Endnotes
[i] “People's Daily urges delegates to 20th CPC National Congress to perform duties faithfully” Beijing, 25.09.2022 available at https://english.news.cn/20220925/8b1fdba8609d4a04a20530c99987d21b/c.html (accessed on 12.10.2022)
[ii] Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China by President Xi Jinping “Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive in Unity to Build a Modern Socialist Country in All Respects” , Great Hall of People, Beijing, October 16, 2022.
[iii] Ibid
[iv] “China Focus: 19th CPC Central Committee 3rd Plenum Issues Communiqué”, Beijing. 01.3.2018available at http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-03/01/c_137006746_2.htm, (accessed on 12.10.2022)
[v] Xinhua News Agency, 中国共产党十八届六中全会公报发布(全文) (The Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee Communique) issued on 27 October 2016 available at http://news.sina.com.cn/c/nd/2016-10-27/doc-ifxxfuff6960217.shtml accessed on 10.09.2022
[vi] For details see, Sanjeev Kumar and Avinash Godbole, “China's Sixth Plenum: Analysing the Outcomes”, available at /show_content.php?lang=1&level=3&ls_id=1754&lid=773 accessed on 12.10.2022.
[vii] Xinhua, “Full Text: Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century”, Beijing, 16-11-2021 available at http://www.news.cn/english/2021-11/16/c_1310314611.htm (accessed on 12.10.2022)
[viii] Sanjeev Kumar, “China’s Central Conference 2018: CPC to Play Greater Role in Foreign Affairs – A Preliminary Analysis” New Delhi 02 July 2018 /show_content.php?lang=1&level=3&ls_id=2497&lid=1775(accessed on 12.10.2022)
[ix] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC “Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on August 20, 2021” available at https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/t1900877.shtml(accessed on 21.8.2022)
[x] Jin Liangxiang, “Taliban Returns Amid Failure Of US Interference Policy”, Beijing available at http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2021-08/18/content_77700208.htm (accessed on 21.8.2022)
[xi]World Bank, “China overview” available at https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/overview (accessed on 12.10.2022)
[xii] “China's economy secures positive growth in Q2 despite downward pressure,” Beijing available at https://english.news.cn/20220715/5cefeddaef6746d6885121b24de0d845/c.html#:~:text=In%20the%20second%20quarter%20(Q2,major%20economic%20indicators%20in%20April. (accessed on 12.10.2022)
[xiii] “China doubles down on zero-Covid policy ahead of Communist Party”. Hong Kong 18.04. 2022 available athttps://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3174651/china-doubles-down-zero-covid-19-policy-ahead-20th-party (accessed on 12.10.2022)
[xiv] Ananth Krishnan “Caught in a zero-COVID trap : Extreme measures, state power, and the lives of ordinary Chinese citizens” New Delhi 17.09.2022 available at https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/caught-in-a-zero-covid-trap-extreme-measures-state-power-and-the-lives-of-ordinary-chinese-citizens/article65899373.ece (accessed on 12.10.2022)
[xv] Ibid