CPC's opening-up key to reducing bias

• Source: Global Times
• [01:41 April 29 2010]
• Comments

What qualifications are necessary to join the Communist Party of China (CPC)? How does the recruitment process work? Will the CPC keep increasing its members? These questions are probably on the minds of many China observers.

To the outside world, the ruling party of China, with its 76 million members, and a history of 89 years of both ups and downs, largely remains a mysterious entity.

The International Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, the foreign affairs department of the party, held a briefing Tuesday attended by some 40 diplomats on the topic of party democracy. Earlier this month, the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, where future key leaders are educated, hosted a visiting tour for foreign diplomatic delegates.

The world's largest political party is trying to present itself to the outside world. Since the start of China's opening-up and reform, when government departments at various levels became more transparent, the body of the CPC has remained reclusive. Its governance principles, specific efforts and its structure are unfamiliar to the public and the foreign world.

Fully aware of the challenges it faces, the CPC has never stopped improving itself. It has, for example, strengthened supervision within the party, reformed the party election system, and improved the transparency of party affairs. It is additionally faced with the need to deal with a more complicated economic and diplomatic situation.

Governing a country as big as China for six decades, especially given the fast economic growth of recent years, is a feat worthy of applause. Perhaps due to past mistakes, the CPC is concentrating more on getting things done than it is on communicating itself to a world increasingly interested in the party itself.

Foreign governments are eager to know more about China's success. Many foreign scholars have shifted their studies to focus on the CPC's governance.

Meanwhile, insufficient communication from the CPC has created confusion. Without an understanding of the CPC's governance strategy and policies, it is difficult for the world to predict China's future direction.

Openness brings more vitality, as China has learned in many spheres.

Needless to say, problems such as corruption exist within the party system, and improving its internal democracy remains a challenge. But China's governing body is now showing its core elements to the world.

A rising China is attracting more attention. The country should seize the opportunity to introduce its political system to the world. Opening-up and reducing the political bias of the world against China is a challenging task, but one we must face.