1921 – A vivid panorama of revolution

  by Keith Bennett

The 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China has been the occasion for many grand and impressive events throughout July. 1921, which has also been playing in selected cinemas in Britain and Ireland, and doubtless elsewhere, is the film for the centenary.
    A feature film, with special effects worthy of any Hollywood blockbuster, it also features some documentary footage, skilfully heightening the sense of both drama and realism.
    Whilst 1921 is focused on that momentous year, it deploys flashbacks as far as the 1850s, showing China’s degradation to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal ruined nation and then at its conclusion a potted but vivid historical reconstruction of subsequent years, which culminates in Chairman Mao proclaiming the founding of the People’s Republic on October 1st 1949, as well as Young Pioneers visiting the restored site of the first party congress 100 years later.
    A similar historical technique is deployed to depict aspects of some of the key characters, including such pioneering Chinese communists as Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu, Li Da and, of course, Mao Zedong. Particularly moving is the depiction of the tragic and heroic fates of some of the key early martyrs of Chinese communism, including Yang Kaihui, Mao’s first wife and great love. This provides a raw and poignant contrast to the youthful idealism, frenetic activity and infectious optimism of many of the key characters as they throw themselves into the preparations for the founding of the party whilst simultaneously immersing themselves in the surging movement of the young but extremely militant Chinese working class along with the youth and students. Shanghai, in particular, where the party was founded, is accurately depicted as a playground for wealthy Chinese and above all for foreign overlords, but as a living hell for the masses of Chinese people.
    Whilst the leading characters are presented in a more all-round, nuanced and ‘human’ way than was typical of an earlier period of Chinese revolutionary cinema, the film successfully combines action and romance with skilful expositions of key political questions. Quite lengthy readings from the Communist Manifesto highlight the young revolutionaries’ wholehearted embrace of the need for class struggle leading to the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and their rejection of the reformism of the Second International, whilst the question of whether communists should hold office in a progressive bourgeois government, such as that of Dr Sun Yat Sen, is touched on in the case of Chen Duxiu. And in one short but highly significant scene Mao Zedong raises the importance of the peasant question, to the initial scepticism of his comrades. It was, of course, Chairman Mao’s grasp of the peasant question, and of the role that the peasants could play in the revolution in a country such as China, that created the conditions for victory and secured his eternal place as one of the greatest and most original leaders and theoreticians of the global communist movement.
     Also central to the political thrust of the film is the role played by the Communist International (Comintern). The two representatives from the Comintern who attended the CPC’s founding congress are rightly portrayed as heroic and selfless individuals, with some nail-biting scenes worthy of any genre of action movie. And the need to follow the path of the Russians, of the victorious October Revolution, is consistently highlighted. But there are also some pretty heavy hints of future tensions between the CPC and the Comintern, focused on the Chinese communists’ determination to forge an independent path as something intrinsic to their nation-building project.
    The role of the Comintern representatives in liaising with the fledgling Japanese Communist Party in Shanghai is also featured.
    The panoramic sweep of this film also takes us beyond China – to the Kremlin in Moscow, where we see Lenin addressing a congress of the Communist International, and to Paris, where we see the struggles of the Chinese workers and students to get organised under the banner of Marxism and to build support for China’s struggle among the French public. Here we are introduced to a 17-year-old Deng Xiaoping, with the affectionate name his comrades gave him at the time, Doctor of the Mimeograph, for his skill and diligence in producing revolutionary literature under difficult conditions.
    1921 is a touching, exciting and profound film – both great entertainment and a great education. It needs to be widely viewed, whether in China or around the world: for young Chinese people so that they might better know the struggles and sacrifices of their forebears that have made possible today’s increasingly strong and prosperous socialist China; and for those of us in the non-socialist world, who may sometimes feel daunted by the enormity of attempting to transcend the outmoded system of capitalism, to be reminded that a better world is indeed possible and that even a small number of people, with no resources to speak of, can really help to make it happen, so long as they have the spirit, in Marx’s words, to “storm heaven”.
    Or as Chairman Mao put it in his poem Chingkangshan Revisited: “Nothing is hard in this world if you dare to scale the heights”.

JOINT STATEMENT OF PROPOSALS OF THE
CPC AND WORLD POLITICAL PARTIES SUMMIT

We, the 10,000-plus delegates representing more than 500 political parties and organisations from over 160 countries, attended on 6 July 2021 the CPC and World Political Parties Summit hosted by the Communist Party of China (CPC) via video link. Focusing on the theme of “For the People’s Wellbeing: The Responsibility of Political Parties”, we had in-depth exchange of views at the Summit. As a result, the Summit has been brought to a successful conclusion with broad consensus.

We note that the world today is undergoing complex and profound changes, as the trend of economic globalisation continues to surge ahead, science and technology develop at an amazing speed, and interactions among civilisations become increasingly frequent. The pursuit of wellbeing of people of all countries is getting closely intertwined as never before, coupled with both historic opportunities and risks and challenges. The onslaught of COVID-19 has once again taught us that humanity lives in one and the same global village which is evolving into an inter-linked community with a shared future. The difficulties and challenges confronting humanity can only be resolved through solidarity and cooperation. Political parties, as the fountainhead of national policies and proponent of people’s interests, play an important role in the political life of countries. Under the new historic circumstances, it is the shared responsibility and common objective for political parties to ensure the wellbeing of their own people in a true sense and enable the attainment of wellbeing of all people towards the harmonious vision of prosperity for all.

I. We propose that political parties of all countries be committed to building consensus on values. Efforts must be devoted to promoting values shared by all mankind, i.e., peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. The historical trend towards greater democracy in international relations must be followed and multilateralism must be upheld so that relations are based on common ground, mutual respect and mutual learning. The principle of mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation must be adhered to as a guidance to interactions between and among countries. A common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable approach to security must be pursued. There must be concerted efforts to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity. Hence the international community will move forward in the endeavour to build a shared future and stronger political strength will gather for human development and progress.

II. We propose that political parties of all countries be committed to promoting common development. Proactive measures must be taken to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to dovetail development strategies, coordinate macroeconomic policies, and strengthen global cooperation on technological innovation, and to promote the sharing of knowledge and technologies. The multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation playing a central role must be safeguarded to promote liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment. Infrastructural and industrial cooperation must be deepened to ensure the stability and smooth functioning of industrial chains, supply chains and financing environment, toward higher level of inter-connectivity. Hence economic globalisation will become more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all and global development will be fairer, more efficient and coordinated.

III. We propose that political parties of all countries be committed to building our Mother Earth into a hospitable homeland. Political parties must take the realisation of “intergenerational equity” as the aim and mission in achieving the vision of harmony between man and Nature. The principles of prioritising resource conservation, and environmental protection, and letting nature restore itself must be observed. Green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable ways of life and production must be pursued to create an eco-system where all elements coexist in harmony. Active support must be provided to developing countries in the form of, among others, capital, technology and capacity building so that combined strength can be built up to address climate change, marine pollution, biological conservation and other global environmental issues. Hence a global environmental governance system featuring fairness, equity and win-win cooperation will take shape together with a human-Nature community of lives with a shared future.

IV. We propose that political parties of all countries be committed to safeguarding people’s life and health. The philosophy of putting the people and their lives first must be applied by placing people’s life and health on top of the development agenda and ensuring full consideration of health factors in policy making. With the objective of life-cycle health services for all, people’s growing need for safe, effective, convenient and affordable health services must be satisfied. Science and cooperation must be identified as the reliable means to defeat the virus and extricate ourselves from diseases. Politicisation of the pandemic and stigmatisation of the virus must be opposed. Developing countries with vulnerable public health systems must get necessary assistance to enhance their response capacity. Hence, the global governance system of public health will get improved together with progress in building a community of health for all.

V. We propose that political parties of all countries be committed to facilitating exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations. The principles of equality, respect, openness and inclusiveness must be observed to rise above differences among civilisations and ideologies for the protection of diversity of world civilisations. All civilisations must and can find their rightful place in humanity’s intellectual treasure-house. Inter-civilisational dialogues and exchanges must be promoted through intensive people-to-people interactions and cooperation in the fields of education, science and technology, culture and art, sports, tourism and among think tanks. Interactions among various social groups of all countries must be encouraged to enhance better understanding and appreciation among various civilisations and to draw insight and inspiration. Hence, different civilisations will co-exist in harmony together with innovative development of individual civilisations.

VI. We propose that political parties of all countries be committed to improving the wellbeing of their own people. Issues of immediate concern to the people must be responded to effectively by promoting the establishment of institutions and the rule of law in the society, improving social policies and public services, and promoting judicial justice and equality in income distribution. Redoubled efforts must be taken to combat corruption, enhance international anti-corruption cooperation and promote the building of clean and competent governments. Various measures must be adopted to improve conditions for the development of the poor, including fiscal and financial policies, education and training and industry-specific support. Hence, poverty alleviation will become more self-driven, well-targeted and results-oriented. In the meantime, greater attention and input must be devoted to international cooperation on poverty alleviation. More emphasis and support must be directed towards poverty reduction and alleviation in all countries, particularly developing countries.

VII. We propose that political parties of all countries be committed to raising their level of governance. Adequate attention must be paid to address challenges for party-building brought about by the wave of digitisation and IT application by enhancing experience sharing and cooperation on governance and constantly exploring effective ways to improve party-building under the new circumstances. The efficacy of social governance must be uplifted to ensure holistic and coordinated performance thereof. Hence, the governance ability from participation, deliberation and delivery perspectives for the wellbeing of the people will improve. A greater contribution will be made to the resolution of development conundrums facing mankind.

VIII. We propose that political parties of all countries be committed to devising better rules for global governance. The philosophy of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits must be upheld. Joint efforts are needed to safeguard the UN-centred international system, preserve the international order underpinned by international law, and to uphold the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The status and role of international law in the global governance system must be elevated. International rules must be effectively observed and practiced so that the rule of law is exercised in the international domain. Joint efforts must be devoted to exploring the establishment of policy and institution systems that are tailored to the new technological revolution and industrial transformation so that technological innovations can be accessible to, shared and utilised by more countries and their people. Hence, the reform process for the global governance system will become more equitable, open, transparent and inclusive and the sovereignty and people's interests of all countries will be fully guaranteed.

We wish to thank the Communist Party of China for what it has done to make this Summit possible. We undertake to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the CPC and contribute our wisdom and strength to enhancing mutual understanding and common development among people of all countrie

 

China: 100 fighting years

 By Andy Brooks

Speech given by NCP leader Andy Brooks at the online} Symposium on the Centenary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China and China's Future Development {on 22^nd June 2021, organised by the Chinese embassy in London

One hundred years have passed since the foundation of the Communist Party of China on 23rd July 1921. China has risen from being a weak semi-feudal, semi-colonial country to become a force for peace in the global arena with the second largest economy in the world.
    It is a mixed economy – but any hopes that the imperialists held that China was going down the capitalist road were dealt a severe blow at the recent Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) where Xi Jinping reminded delegates that “what we are building is Socialism with Chinese characteristics, not some other -ism”.
    China has now regained its rightful place in the world. In the 13th Century China was ahead of Europe in per capita income terms. China was still the workshop of the world in 1820 when it accounted for one-third of the world’s GDP. It was a global economic power during 18 of the last 20 centuries, and it is now regaining the ground it lost because of imperialist intervention in the 19th Century.
    Of course, in the past China’s wealth was the preserve of a ruthless feudal ruling class. These days China’s wealth is being used to finally eradicate the last vestiges of poverty, to raise the standard of living of everyone in the people’s republic, and to help the development of the Third World through genuine fair trade and economic assistance.
    This is the glorious achievement of the CPC that led the resistance that defeated the Japanese imperialists and the reactionary Chinese warlords and politicians in the pay of American imperialism, to establish the people’s government on 1st October 1949.
    This year communists are commemorating a century of struggle. But the focus for Chinese communists and, indeed, for communists all over the world is fixed firmly on the future of Marxism, the future development of People’s China and its role within the global communist movement.
    Chinese communists always stress that socialism with Chinese characteristics cannot be exported and that their revolution is not a model for others to emulate slavishly. But we very rarely, at least in Western Europe, ask ourselves why?
    The answer in part is based on the struggle of the Chinese communists to overcome dogmatism and sectarianism to eventually build a people’s democracy in their own way, to serve the needs of the working people of China.
    Commenting on the rise of the bourgeoisie in France, Marx famously said that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. Communists too can make mistakes, but unlike the bourgeoisie we consciously try to learn from past mistakes in order to avoid future ones.
    In Europe, the mistake was clearly to elevate slavishly what was believed to be the ‘Soviet model’ even though few Western communists even really understood what the Soviet Union actually was. The Soviet Union wasn’t a ‘people’s democracy’ in the sense we understand it now. It was a unique state based on Soviet power, and whilst its economic structures could be imitated – as they were after a fashion in eastern Europe – the Soviet political system could not.
    Following the Soviet victory in the Second World War, the revolutionary upsurge that followed led to the establishment of people’s democracies throughout Eastern Europe on the same basis as the people’s democratic dictatorship was established in China in 1949. The question was how long would this transition take?
    In the beginning people’s democracy was seen as a lengthy process. Initially it was believed that the length of the road to socialism would depend on the development of social and economic factors in each individual country. But Cold War tensions led to the rapid incorporation of most of the European people’s democracies into a Soviet economic and military bloc, which later proved incapable of withstanding the counter-revolutionary pressures of the 1980s.
    The Chinese communists clearly believe that the transitional period, at least as far as their immense country is concerned, will be a lengthy process.
    In China, the people’s government initially followed the Soviet-led example of Eastern Europe but that failed to take into account the concrete conditions in the country – the poorest in the world in 1949. Subsequent attempts to use exhortation to boost production during the Great Leap Forward and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution also failed in the long-term, so the decision of the CPC to adopt a policy of reform and opening up was perhaps the only alternative left in the late 1970s. Forty years later we can assess what has been achieved.
    The reform process has accelerated industrial growth, technical innovation and scientific knowledge whilst improving the social and cultural conditions of the people.
    China has made poverty eradication a key task in achieving its first centenary goal. Millions upon millions of people have been lifted out of poverty, whilst the opening up has given China access to the high technology needed to develop their electronics and computer industries as well as the broader manufacturing base that has enabled China to provide concrete assistance to the peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America. In this spirit, China sent help to COVID-19-affected countries throughout the world, including Britain and other parts of Western Europe.
    The CPC has becoming a rallying point for the world communist movement. We welcome it. Although calls for the re‑establishment of a formal Communist International are premature, a co-ordinated international communist response is needed to rally working people against the imperialists and oppressors.
    We must work to restore the momentum for revolutionary change; strengthen co-operation and united action with communist and workers parties around the world; build solidarity with the global anti-war movement and forces for liberation in the Third World to unite the class and march towards a new tomorrow – the world Marx and Engels predicted and a world that will surely come. We see it in China today. We will all surely see it tomorrow.

 

• Learn from the CPC's experience (China Daily)
  

For peace and socialism!

Andy Brooks speaking at the Wanshou Fourm

   By New Worker correspondent

Communists from Britain, Scandinavia and North America sent a solidarity message to the beleaguered Bolivarian revolutionary government in Venezuela at the close of a joint mission to People’s China for a series of seminars on the economy and the development of socialism in China today.

NCP leader Andy Brooks and Peter Hendy from the Central Committee were part of the British communist contingent that included Rob Griffiths, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Britain, and a number of his comrades as well as some members of the CPGB (ML).

The international delegation spent the first few days in Hangzhou, the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang province in East China. There they visited the Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Museum and saw the historic “Red Boat” on the South Lake – the wooden boat where communist delegates met to establish the Communist Party of China in 1921. They later went to Yiwu city to see the former house of Chen Wengdao, the famous Chinese scholar who translated the Communist Manifesto into Chinese in 1921.

The comrades saw the remarkable achievements of Chinese e-commerce and other new industries when they were taken around the headquarters of the Alibaba Group, a Chinese multinational conglomerate specialising in e-commerce, retail, Internet and high technology, and they took part in a number of round-tables with Chinese communist cadres, local officials, economists and academics.

In the capital, Beijing, the united delegation joined comrades from Latin America for meetings with the All-China Women’s Federation and the leadership of the Communist Youth League. They visited the Central Party School for a briefing on the new development concepts of the Communist Party of China and saw the giant strides that the people’s government has taken over the past 40 years at an exhibition at the National Museum of China in Tiananmen Square.

Later delegates joined students and academics at the 27^th Wanshou Forum at the Renmin University of China (RUC) that was founded by the Communist Party of China and focuses on the humanities and the social sciences. The Forum was initiated by the International Department of the Communist Party of China in early 2016 and it aims to provide an open and inclusive international exchange for Chinese and overseas political leaders, think-tank scholars and academics to help build a community with a shared future for humanity and a better world.

Three delegates, Andy Brooks, Runa Evensen from the Communist Party of Norway and Luis Villanueva, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Peru (Unity), took part in the closing ceremony. And in his concluding remarks Andy Brooks said: “We call on communists, socialists and all class-conscious workers to close ranks, organise and rally workers in the struggle for peace and socialism in the 21^st century”.