In an unprecedented move to reach out to the Western audience and help them understand why it remains the single, largest ruling party in a country of 1.3 billion people, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has published a series of five books about itself, the English versions of which were launched here Thursday during BookExpo America (BEA) 2015.
The "China Today: Understanding the CPC" book series, published by the Beijing-based Party Building Books Publishing House, represents the first attempt by the 86-million-member CPC in its 94-year history to convey a "genuine and understandable" image of itself to the outside world.
"We have released this book series to cater to the needs of both the Party itself and the outside world," Zhao Fan, president of the publishing house, told Xinhua at an hour-long ceremony for the English version's launch, held on Thursday afternoon in the China Pavilion of BEA 2015 at New York City's Javits Center. China is the guest of honor for the Global Market Forum of the three-day grand book fair.
"As China is becoming increasingly important on the international arena, most people, including those who once held stereotypes about the CPC, eventually want to know more about the party," Zhao explained.
Displayed neatly in lines on the publisher's display shelves, the five books offer people a rare glimpse into the world's largest ruling political party.
The first book of the series, entitled Exploring The Miracle, explains the gist of the so-called China Miracle, or the country's stunning economic takeoff after just 36 years of reform and opening up. Another three, namely Serving The People, Governing China, and China and The CPC, focus on the fundamental aims of the Party and how it designs its governance structure, strategies and systems.
The last of the series, titled The Good Fight, highlights the anti-corruption campaign which has become one of the top priorities for the Party's current leadership over the past few years. It will probably become the most appealing one to the Western readers, said a publishing house staff who didn't want to be named.
Flipping through pages, it would surprise many to see that these books have almost everything but empty slogans, something quite common in Chinese political publications from the past.
Actually they are full of historical anecdotes, substantial data and figures, as well as stories of Party members loved and followed by the people for their role model behaviors and self- sacrifice spirit, or those hated by the people for power abuse and graft.
Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation dedicated to promoting China-U.S. relations, noted that the CPC's decision to open itself up bears significance to both China and the world.
"China is involved in every matter of international importance, yet China is misunderstood in many ways," Kuhn told Xinhua. " People are more knowledgeable about China today but not so knowledgeable about the Party at all, and that's why it is critical for the Party itself to make an outreach to the world in a detailed manner."
While China is eager to cooperate with the rest of the world in promoting world peace and prosperity, it could only happen when the world understands China and the CPC in a proper way, he added.
Ryan Allen, a doctoral fellow with the New York-based Columbia University, said that the launch of the English "Understanding the CPC" series offers an opportunity for the Western audience to understand a political party that led China from dire poverty to economic and political excellence.
"It's always a good thing to offer information for people to read about and analyze (the CPC). It shows the Party is trying to let people understand (itself), including those who might be hostile or not willing to have the reception," Allen told Xinhua. "Now the step has already been made, the Americans have to reach out and take it."
Interestingly, several decades ago when the notorious McCarthyism prevailed in the United States amid the so-called Red Scare, even the mere mentioning of Communism seemed to be a taboo.
"I think foreigners can disagree with the CPC, argue with the CPC, but all who need to understand China must understand the CPC, " said Kuhn.
At Thursday's ceremony, Zhao, the publishing house president, also stressed that the books' compilation and publication would have been impossible without the "strong support and all-round assistance" from various central departments of the CPC, particularly the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee headed by Zhao Leji, which oversees the Party's all personnel and structural affairs.
"In the past the Party seemed to be a sensitive topic to the external world, and it seemed to want to keep everything internal, but a very secretive approach doesn't work in the world today," said Kuhn. "Therefore, China and the Party should be credited, for a beginning of the current outreach and openness."
The 71-year-old expert on China also pointed out that over the past two and a half years under its new central leadership, the CPC has "taken a more aggressive and more open approach," as it has been "strengthened" in terms of anti-corruption, work style and transparency.
"We have seen the Party develop and we have had Party building in different ways that are very important," he elaborated. "So now I think there is confidence (for the Party) to go out into the world. As this process continues, and as China continues to develop, I hope the Party will become more and more confident and more and more open."
