The Communist Party of China (CPC) opens the 19th National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
"My comrades and I have no doubts that China is able to achieve its 'two centenary goals,'" Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov told Xinhua in a recent interview. [Special Coverage]
The "two centenary goals" refer to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was established in 1921, and building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the centenary of the People's Republic of China, which was founded in 1949.
"This is not a utopia. The 'two centenary goals' are based on a scientific analysis of existing trends and their extrapolation," said Zyuganov.
The CPC has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty since it adopted the reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s, and now the poverty-stricken population is constantly declining, he noted.
China has the world's largest foreign exchange reserves and it is also developing its scientific sector at a tremendous pace, he said, adding that China is widely recognized as a leader of economic, social and high-tech development.
"The successes cannot leave anyone indifferent, especially if one considers the country's starting positions," he said.
One hundred years ago, China was torn to pieces by military cliques backed by foreign powers that treated China as "a predator treats its prey," he said.
"Only thanks to the CPC, it was possible to unite the country and drive out foreign aggressors," he said.
He said an undoubted advantage of the CPC is that it attaches great significance to the development of theory.
"I believe the most famous example of innovation in theory and practice is the concept of socialism with Chinese characteristics," he said.
All of China's achievements were made possible by the wise policy of the country's leadership, who stick to socialism and set ambitious but well-thought-out goals for decades to come, Zyuganov said.
"There is no doubt that by 2049 a material and technical base will be created in China to build a modernized socialist society," he said.
As for Western-style democracy, Zyuganov said he believes it is "not a panacea for all ills."
He said the Chinese people have chosen their own model of democratic development, which is best suited to solving the most important tasks and meeting the development needs of the country.
"This choice has been proved to be more than successful, which is the best proof of the effectiveness of China's political system under the CPC leadership," he said.
