Second, the CPC adapts Marxism to the Chinese context. The Party does not just copy and paste any doctrine; it applies the theory to China's realities, and turns it into something of our own, and writes new chapters of Marxism. President Xi Jinping has stressed that China must neither follow an old, rigid path of isolation, nor take the wrong turn to change its nature or abandon its system.

The Party is able to reflect on its past experience, while not clinging to any development model that has been proven wrong; it is able to raise the idea that China should "blaze a path of our own and build a socialism with Chinese characteristics", while not veering toward capitalism or democratic-socialism; it is able to replace the planned economy with a socialist market economy, while rejecting the practices of neo-liberalism; it is able to fully engage China in economic globalization in the course of opening-up, while keeping independence and initiative.

Chairman Mao Zedong proposed the ways toward victory such as "encircling the cities from the countryside" and "seizing political power from the barrel of a gun". They were once viewed as heretical by the Communist International. Later they were proven very relevant to the Chinese realities, and became an important outcome of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. During the debate on whether reform and opening-up represents a capitalist or socialist road, and what should be the right relationship between planning and market, Mr. Deng Xiaoping put forth a set of criteria for judgment. In his view, whether there is a little more planning or a little more market was not the essential difference between socialism and capitalism. He was firmly resolved to advance the socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics. And that brought the Marxist theory of political economy to a whole new high.

President Xi Jinping has proposed a new set of propositions, including a new development philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open and inclusive development for all, the vision for higher-quality growth, the commitment to upholding and improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and the need to modernize China's system and capacity for governance. These ideas have further enriched and developed the Marxist philosophy, the theory of political economy and scientific socialism. The Chinese political system is created by the CPC as suited to China's realities, and consistent with the basic principles of Marxism. It includes the system of people's congresses, of CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation, of regional ethnic autonomy, and of self-governance at the primary level.

All things considered, the CPC is different from the capitalist parties in the world. It is different from the communist parties in other countries. The CPC is not another Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Third, the CPC embraces self-reform to stay vibrant and resilient. In the history of political parties around the world, many big parties degenerate after assuming power. They lose touch with reality and ultimately lose the support of the people and the very foundation of their governance.

And here comes the question, why can the CPC remain at the forefront of the time and the backbone of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation? Fundamentally, it is the Party's ability to face up to its mistakes, correct them, and bravely embrace self-reform, no matter how painful it is.

The CPC grows up by reforming itself every step of the way. In January 1935 during the Red Army's Long March, the CPC Central Committee convened the Zunyi Meeting to correct the "left" mistakes; the meeting saved the revolution and the Party. During the years in Yan'an, Chairman Mao Zedong mulled over a new path to break the historical cycle of rise and fall. In January 1945, he happily told Huang Yanpei, a democratic scholar, that he had found the new path, and the path was democracy.

At the 2nd Plenary Session of the 7th CPC Central Committee in March 1949, Mao instructed that Party members must "remain modest, prudent and free from arrogance and rashness in their style of work, and preserve the style of plain living and hardworking".

The 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978 was a historic turning point. In the spirit of opening the mind and setting things right, it corrected the mistake of the decade-long "Cultural Revolution", and steered China toward reform and opening-up.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has stressed the need for effective self-supervision and strict self-governance of the Party. It has taken steps to deter corruption, in both mindset and institution. A large number of corrupt officials, be they "tigers" or "flies", have been brought to justice. The anti-corruption campaign has posed a strong deterrence, and achieved sweeping victory. It responded to the expectations of the people, and gained great popular support.

While modernizing China, the CPC has never ceased in modernizing itself. These two processes have complemented and reinforced each other, and taken together, have contributed to the success story of China.