People-centered approach key to CPC's successes

To understand China today, one must understand the Communist Party of China. And to understand the Party, one must understand why it places people at the center of its governance philosophy.

Many international observers view the CPC through the lens of ideology, institutions or state power. Yet within China's own political tradition, the Party's legitimacy has long been tied to a different question: whether it can improve the lives of ordinary people. From the revolutionary years to the current drive toward modernization, the Party has consistently defined its mission around people's interests, aspirations and well-being.

This people-centered approach reflects a governance logic rooted in China's historical experience and the Party's understanding of its own role.

The first principle is that development must serve the people. Historical materialism holds that people are the makers of history. In China's socialist system, people are regarded as the masters of the country, and this principle shapes the Party's approach to governance.

Policies are expected to address the public's concerns, improve livelihoods and expand opportunities for a better life.

The Party's people-centered orientation is also tied to its Marxist character. The CPC was founded for the people and has repeatedly stressed that it does not represent the interests of any privileged group. A well-known story from China's revolutionary history tells of three Red Army soldiers who shared half of their only quilt with a villager on a freezing night.

The story captures a relationship embodied in the Party: standing with ordinary people and sharing hardship with them.

The second principle is that development depends on the people. The Party comes from the people, is rooted in the people and draws its strength from the people. China's major achievements were not accomplished by the Party alone; they were achieved through the efforts of hundreds of millions of citizens.

During the revolutionary period, ordinary people provided food, transportation and support for the struggle for national liberation. During socialist construction, they rebuilt a country devastated by war and poverty.

Since reform and opening-up was adopted, they transformed China through decades of hard work, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Chinese people have played an active role in poverty alleviation, economic reform, environmental protection, public health efforts and risk prevention, helping to gain results that have attracted global attention.

China's experience has repeatedly shown that the closer the Party remains to the people, the stronger the country's capacity to overcome challenges. Governance cannot be judged solely by official declarations; it must ultimately be reflected in the people's assessment of whether their lives are improving. Respecting the people's initiative and creativity has, therefore, driven China's development momentum.

The third principle is that the fruits of development should be shared by the people. Common prosperity and social fairness have become increasingly important goals of Chinese modernization. Economic growth is not viewed as an end in itself, but as a means to enable more people to benefit from development.

Over more than a century of struggle, the CPC has pursued revolution, construction and development with a single overarching aim: enabling the people to live better lives.

China has eliminated absolute poverty and completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, China's per capita GDP rose from $10,632 in 2020 to $13,953 in 2025, exceeding $13,000 for three consecutive years.

Material progress, however, is only part of the story. China has also witnessed profound changes in its cultural confidence and social outlook. Confidence in the country's path, theories, institutions and culture has grown markedly, while the pursuit of a better, more civilized and more harmonious society has become a prominent feature of public life.

Whether one examines China's revolution, its reform era or its current modernization drive, a consistent thread emerges: people occupy the central place in the CPC's understanding of governance.

From the principle of "serving the people wholeheartedly" to the people-centered development philosophy and the idea that "the country is the people and the people are the country", the Party has continuously linked its future to that of the Chinese people.

As China advances toward its next stage of development, the CPC's governance remains anchored in the same conviction that has guided the Party throughout its history: China's modernization is meaningful only when it delivers a better life for the people, relies on the people's strength and allows the people to share in its achievements.

The author is a research fellow at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance).

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.