A series of three comments under the pen name Xuan Yan was published on the front and the second page of People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, on Jan 15, Feb 24 and April 2, expounding the Party's views on the opportunities and challenges China faces in a new era.

The first comment urged the nation to grasp the historical opportunities stemming from the Party's strong leadership, the growth of national power and its technological advancement to strive for new achievements and future development.

The second piece urged all nationals, particularly Party members, to regard themselves as pioneers on a great course.

The third focused on the reform plan passed by the top legislature in March, and pointed out the self-correcting genes of the Party, as well as the decades of effective reform practices it has pursued, which has not only injected vitality into governance, but also nurtured China's political institutions.

The articles were very popular and have been widely praised and appreciated for their insightful content, founded on incisive historical and philosophical perspectives, that showcased the Party's vigilance against arrogance, its resolve to walk down the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and its sober-mindedness.

The three articles, which linked the people's well-being with that of the nation, show the people's concerns still resonate with the Party.

They indicated that the people and Party are on the same wavelength when it comes to many key issues related to the nation's future, which is in fact an important characteristic of the new era of China.

The Party has succeeded in leading the nation in winning independence from foreign powers, and constructing a wholesome national economic and industrial system. Considering that all these have happened in a country with nearly one-fifth of the world's population within a century, the Party has every right to take pride in its achievements.

Given the country's development, it is justified for people to fear that the Party might develop a sense of complacency, something that has brought down many once-strong dynasties in Chinese history. And that fear drives home the message that it is already a social consensus that the Party's performance is closely bound up with the people's interests, and only the Party can secure the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Its legitimacy to rule comes from how well the Party serves the people. But when a bond deeper than that contractual relationship develops between the people and the Party, the nation will become even stronger and more united. That is what is happening in China, particularly since Xi Jinping became CPC Central Committee general secretary in 2012.

Since then, the Party has focused more on making society fairer, the economy more efficient, the environment cleaner and governance better. And it will continue to do so.

These are the people's demands and the mission of the Party, as shown by the clear and concise words of Xi, whose remarks convey an overwhelming sense of urgency and down-to-earth pragmatism.

Under Xi's leadership, the Party is still a trailblazer as well as an inheritor of past achievements. Knowing that a sober-minded and self-reforming Party, with nearly 90 million members, is earnestly striving for the well-being of the people and the nation, the people have no reason not to stand together with the Party to realize their shared dream of national rejuvenation.

The author is a China Daily writer.