New book tells stories of CPC and its international friends

A book titled Shared Ideals: The Communist Party of China and its Cherished Friends from Around the World was launched on July 23 in Beijing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The book, which is available in both Chinese and English versions, brings together the stories of 18 representative international friends of the CPC who have made outstanding contributions to China over the past 100 years. It is published by the Foreign Languages Press, a subsidiary of China International Publishing Group.

Guests from more than 10 countries delivered speeches at an event marking the book's launch. They shared their insights into China's development, recalled the century-old friendship between the CPC and its international friends, and looked forward to the prospect of jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Danilo Turk, former president of Slovenia, said the historical transformation that China has achieved over the past 100 years is a strong testimony to the resilience, energy and talent of the Chinese people.

The past four decades, the period known as the time of reforms and opening up, has been particularly impressive. Extreme poverty was eliminated, and standards of living have been improving, Turk said.

China's development process has put the people first, continuously improving people's livelihoods and opening new avenues of progress, he added.

Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a U.S. expert on China and chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, said that many foreigners marvel at how China managed to contain the coronavirus, with so few cases and deaths compared with other countries.

I point out (in the book) that the common root of China winning the war to contain the contagious coronavirus and the war to eradicate extreme poverty is the CPC's leadership and organizational capacity, Kuhn said.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of the Pakistani senate's standing committee on foreign affairs, said the CPC has created new records in building a better tomorrow for the one-fifth of humanity residing in China, and is also a source of inspiration to people in other countries who want to have a new and better future.

We can see how China has made a difference as a leader in (tackling) climate change, as a leader in providing vaccines as public goods in this age of the pandemic, and that has been a source of help to millions of people all over the world whose lives have been saved, Sayed said.

He went on to say that in the current context, the way forward is through the Belt and Road Initiative, connectivity, cooperation, and working together to tackle pressing issues facing humanity.

Warren Bethune, chairman of the Toronto Canada-China Friendship Association, explained that Dr. Norman Bethune is a fondly remembered hero in the hearts of the Chinese people.

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Dr. Norman Bethune is the connector of Canada-China relations. I encourage us all to follow Dr. Norman Bethune and strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations between Canada and China, said Bethune.

Dave Bromwich, president of the New Zealand China Friendship Society, held that understanding of China today remains an important moderator in geopolitical issues.

Perhaps Rewi Alley would add that, to understand China, the West needs to receive a Chinese voice (to know) that China is not a threat, but promotes peace and harmony, Bromwich added.

An old friend of the Chinese people, Alley spent 60 years living and working in China. He made important contributions to the Chinese people's fight against the fascist invasion, the economic development of the new China, and the friendship between China and New Zealand.

Yuri Tavrovsky, professor of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia and head of the Expert Council of the Russian-Chinese Committee for Friendship, Peace and Development, noted that China does not force other parties or nations to repeat its formula for success.

There is no one-size-fits-all model for modernization, and countries must find whatever is best for them. For its part, the CPC is willing to exchange and share its experience with political parties of all countries, so that we can do more good for our people and people around the world, Tavrovsky stressed.