National education effort launched by CPC emphasizes fundamental goals

The Communist Party of China is launching an education campaign nationwide to remind its 89 million members of the Party's fundamental purpose and historic mission.

Experts said such a campaign is of great historical and practical significance, especially amid a changing international and domestic situation.

The campaign, under a theme of "staying true to our founding mission", started on June 1. On May 31, President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reiterated at a key meeting that seeking happiness for the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the Party's original aspiration and mission, as well as the fundamental driving force behind the heroic fight of generations of CPC members.

The campaign, conducted among all Party members, with emphasis on officials at or above the county level, is expected to help Party members better understand Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, advance Party building, maintain the Party's close ties with the people and achieve the goals and accomplish the tasks put forward at the 19th CPC National Congress.

Through the campaign, CPC members should foster perseverance, think what the people are thinking and work together with the people. All areas, departments and organizations should list the prominent problems that need to be addressed and make efforts to solve them, according to Xi. Preventing and cracking down on corruption is also an aim of the campaign, he added.

During the past two weeks, a series of events has been held across the country, including theoretical learning, visits to revolutionary spots, sharing experiences of model Party members and research and field studies on existing problems.

More than 30 central-level steering groups, led by former ministerial-level officials, have been set up to guide all provincial-level regions, central Party and government departments and big State-owned companies on how to conduct the campaign.

Deliberation of the Party's aspiration and founding mission is key to understanding how the CPC has grown from a dozen people to the world's largest ruling party, according to Dong Yunhu, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Shanghai Committee.

"President Xi has told us never to forget why we started. He said that as everything moves forward, we must remember the path we have trodden. No matter how far we go and how glorious our future may be, we can never forget the past, and we can never forget why we embarked on this journey in the first place," Dong said on Tuesday at a symposium on the education campaign in Shanghai.

He said the location of the symposium was of special significance, given that Shanghai saw the birth of the CPC in 1921.

Long Xinmin, vice-chairman of Chinese Society of the History of the Communist Party of China, said that looking back on the Party's history and staying true to the Party's founding mission, which represents the fundamental interests of a large and diverse working class and demands constant devotion to the people, has allowed and will continue to allow the Party to grow and prosper.

Xie Chuntao, vice-president of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, said Xi's Thought has made it clear how to realize the mission of the Party in the new era.

Xie said the four-pronged comprehensive strategy, which addresses comprehensive moves to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, deepen reform, advance law-based governance and strengthen Party self-governance, shows how Xi himself is taking responsibility in staying true to the Party's original aspiration.

"All the reforms have been pushed forward smoothly because they all put people in the center," he said.

Lyu Yanqin, director of CPC Revolutionary Spirit and Cultural Resources Research Center of Jiaxing University, said the education campaign will also help Party members remain vigilant and alert even though the country has developed well in the past 70 years.

Dong, of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee, said the Party is aware that the world is undergoing a profound change and China is faced with a complicated external situation. Many new challenges and problems have surfaced, so it's urgent for the Party to keep to the strategic goals and lead the people to overcome difficulties and forge ahead.

Wang Gonglong, a professor at the Shanghai Party Institute of the Communist Party of China, said the education campaign is taking place as China faces external uncertainties, such as trade disputes with the United States.

"Although there's no direct link between the two, the campaign does help officials and Party members to have a better understanding of the situation we're facing …and stay focused on our own work," he said.