China News Service:

The CPC has made great achievements over the past hundred years. However, the Party has also made mistakes and experienced setbacks. How do you view the mistakes and setbacks now? Does the Party purposely downplay them? Thank you.

Chai Fangguo:

From 1921 to 2021, the Party's 100-year journey has surged forward with great momentum. Over the past hundred years, the Party has united and led the Chinese people in crossing many barriers and achieving great success in the New Democratic Revolution, the socialist revolution and reconstruction, reform, opening up, socialist modernization, and the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. We have made a tremendous transformation from standing upright to becoming prosperous and growing in strength. The Party has changed China thoroughly and profoundly promoted the development and progress of humanity.

In the course of leading China's revolution, reconstruction and reform to great success, the CPC has also made mistakes and experienced setbacks. Instead of avoiding or covering them up, the Party has faced up to them, analyzed their causes and drawn wisdom and strength to forge ahead from them. The experiences and lessons learned in this regard are reviewed systematically in the Resolution on Certain Issues in the History of the CPC (released in 1945) and the Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of the CPC Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China (released in 1981). By doing so, the whole Party has come to a clear consensus on its past, grown stronger in unity, enhanced awareness of historical experiences, and set the stage for forging forward in better shape. The Party also examine the inadequacies and weakness exposed in our work at important meetings, and accordingly put forward improvement measures, while reviewing successes and experiences. With a serious and scientific attitude, we have written and published books on Party history, including "The History of the Communist Party of China (1921-1949)," "The History of the Communist Party of China (1949-1978)," "The Ninety-Year History of the Communist Party of China," and "The Brief History of the CPC" published this year, which have all truthfully reflected on and portrayed the journey the Party has traveled over 100 years of struggle. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized, "Honestly acknowledging its problems and mistakes, including those of its leaders, the CPC has always conducted careful analysis of root causes and taken resolute measures to correct them. Its mistakes, failures, and lessons, together with its successes, all serve as an invaluable textbook."

As we all know, a new path of development is shaped by exploring and practicing. Every political party is restrained by the historical conditions they are in, both the specific subjective and objective conditions. No political party dares to say that it never makes mistakes. Looking back over the path we have taken, it is essential that we develop an accurate understanding of Party history. We should grasp the main points, themes and essence of the course of Party history, and understand and evaluate the important events, meetings and figures in its history accurately and scientifically. Efforts should be made to unequivocally oppose historical nihilism. The CPC is a political party that can see its past objectively and scientifically. The Party has corrected its mistakes, overcome its setbacks, ended disorder, and broke new ground constantly by upholding the truth. In the long course of its development, the Party has constantly engaged in significant self-reform, exercised effective self-supervision, practiced strict self-discipline in every respect, and consistently pursued improvement. These fine traditions are also the salient feature of the Party. Thank you.