Political observers and scholars in Europe have shared their views on Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building and its implications for China's governance and long-term development following the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
The four-day meeting, held in Beijing from Oct 26 to 29, adopted a resolution on persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance. A communique released after the meeting called for thoroughly studying and applying Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building, describing it as an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
David Gosset, founder of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, pointed to the concept of self-reform, and said that "it expresses the idea that a political organization must possess the capacity to identify its weaknesses, correct its mistakes and renew its practices". He placed the concept within a broader historical perspective, noting that Chinese political thought has long examined why governing institutions rise and decline, and how they can avoid the complacency, corruption and rigidity that have led to the failure of previous ruling orders.
The communique specifically addressed this historical question, and identified two answers: the people's oversight over government and the Party's self-reform.
Gosset said that institutional renewal is becoming increasingly important as China advances toward its next stage of modernization, when technological progress, demographic changes and industrial upgrading will require governing institutions to remain adaptable.
Levente Horvath, head of the Center for Asian-Hungarian Relations at Mathias Corvinus Collegium and a former Hungarian consul general in Shanghai, said that Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building highlights the importance of strengthening the Party's organizational capacity, internal discipline and institutional effectiveness.
"I believe these principles are closely connected to China's ability to maintain policy continuity and pursue long-term modernization goals," he said. "Senior leaders typically gain extensive practical experience at different administrative levels, from local communities to provinces and the central government. This gives them first-hand knowledge of the challenges of governance."
Ondrej Dostal, a Czech member of the European Parliament, said, "China and Europe would benefit much more from exchanging experiences and learning from each other's successes and challenges. Successful governance of a country is only possible if every yuan is spent with maximum accountability and effectiveness."
Edouard Xia, a researcher at the Institute of Political Science Louvain-Europe at UCLouvain in Belgium, said that the fifth plenum, as a major political event, is a continuation of the development of China's political philosophy.
For Gosset, as China advances toward its long-term development goals, the effectiveness and adaptability of its institutions will matter as much as its economic and technological achievements.
