Analysis
BEIJING – The sixth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), held in Beijing from November 8 to 11, has adopted a landmark resolution on major achievements and historical experience of the Party over the past century.
It is the century-old Party’s third resolution on historical issues. Seventy-six years have passed since its first resolution on historical issues and 40 years since the second.
Noting that learning from history is a vital characteristic in Chinese culture, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has stressed that the Party has consistently attached great importance to reviewing its historical experience.
From that consideration, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in March decided that the sixth plenary session would focus on a comprehensive review of the Party’s major achievements and experience in its century-long history. A working group was established, with Xi as its chief, to draft the document.
Xi also chaired the first meeting of the group in April, officially starting the drafting work.
At that meeting, Xi stressed that the drafting of a document of high quality on the Party’s history is arduous but glorious work since this process would build a broader consensus and stronger unity in will and action among all Party members. It would also rally and lead Chinese people of all ethnic groups in achieving new and great success in building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
When the framework of the draft document was taking shape, Xi presided over another plenary meeting of the group on the drafting work.
On July 1, members of the drafting group came to Tian’anmen Square in downtown Beijing to listen to Xi’s speech at a grand gathering celebrating the CPC centenary, which has become the key basis of the drafting work.
Xi has reiterated the need to promote democracy and draw on collective wisdom during the drafting process to make the draft resolution a solid document, epitomizing collective wisdom and consensus.
As early as April 1, the CPC Central Committee issued a circular to conduct discussions and solicit opinions on the agenda of the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee from both within and outside the Party.
In more than 20 days, 109 views and suggestions from various regions, departments, and sides were gathered, and the drafting group compiled a summary of 753,000 Chinese characters accordingly.
On Sept. 10, Xi chaired a symposium to solicit non-communists’ views and suggestions on the draft resolution, at which non-communists voiced their opinions and submitted 10 written materials.
Xi gave specific instructions that all pertinent suggestions should be absorbed and embodied in the resolution.
During the drafting process, Xi convened a series of meetings of the drafting group, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and its Standing Committee.
He also studied and edited each draft of the resolution and offered concrete suggestions and requirements.
On behalf of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi delivered a work report at the plenary session on November 8 and explained the draft of the resolution to the session.
Plenum attendees were divided into 10 groups for deliberation on the draft documents. They offered 138 suggestions, based on which 22 revisions were made to the draft.
On November 11, the resolution, with over 36,000 Chinese characters, was unanimously endorsed.
This landmark resolution sounded the clarion call for the century-old CPC marching towards the future, which will lead the Chinese nation to its great rejuvenation. – Xinhua
