Since its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has traversed a glorious journey of more than one hundred years. This century-long history has been written with blood, sweat, tears, courage, wisdom, and strength. It is a century of overcoming adversity and obstacles, of diligent work and ceaseless progress, full of challenges and miracles. It is a century of glory forged through suffering, rising with determination after setbacks, reaping success from exploration, setting things right after mistakes, opening up new horizons in transitions, and winning the future through relentless struggle.
The pursuit of national independence, the liberation of the people, national prosperity, and the people’s happiness is the theme and main thread of the Party’s century-long history; relentless struggle, no fear of sacrifice, theoretical exploration, ensuring the people’s wellbeing, and self-improvement are its mainstream and essence; advancing the cause of revolution, development, reform, and rejuvenation is its distinctive feature; and achieving the goals of saving, revitalizing, enriching, and strengthening the nation is the solemn mission of the Party throughout its history in the past century.
The Party’s history of more than one hundred years can be divided into four periods: the period of the new-democratic revolution from the establishment of the Party in July 1921 to the founding of the People’s Republic of China in October 1949; the period of socialist revolution and development from October 1949 to the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in December 1978; the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization from December 1978 to the 18th National Party Congress in November 2012; and the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics from November 2012 to the present. In these four historical periods, the Party has completed and advanced four major tasks. These tasks have forged the century-long glory of the Communist Party of China.
