Editor's Note: Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has worked with all other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind, which has boosted confidence and added impetus for development of Asia and the world. For the celebration of the 100th funding anniversary of the CPC, we are launching the “CPC in eyes of foreign military students” series, viewing China and CPC from the perspective of foreign soldiers.
By Army Major Vicent Sibanda from the Republic of Zimbabwe
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Since its establishment, the CPC has led and united with the Chinese people to blaze a new trail through numerous obstacles and hardships and made remarkable achievements. As a foreign military student ever studying at the PLA Army Logistics University , I've had my own insight into the CPC, a political party with courage to assume responsibility.
The year 2020 exposed the world to unprecedented challenges due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In China, the CPC always put the people and their life first during the fight against the virus. By the end of 2020, China had not only succeeded in bringing the pandemic under control but also accomplished its goal of poverty elimination on schedule, lifting tens of millions of poor Chinese out of poverty.
A Chinese friend told me that he used to live a hard life in the countryside. To put an end to local poverty, the Party and the government issued multiple supportive policies. With the financial and technical assistance from the government, his family began to plant greenhouse vegetables several years ago, and the sale of vegetables has brought a continuous increase of income for his family and vastly improved their living standard.
This story impressed me deeply. China has the largest population in the world, and we can imagine how difficult it is to eliminate poverty and realize moderate prosperity in the whole country. Nowadays, what it has achieved satisfies its people and astonishes the world, setting an example for other countries to meet the United Nations 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The CPC is a political party with courage to assume responsibility. Under its leadership, China always actively fulfills its international obligations and demonstrates its sense of responsibility as a major country. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, China helped many countries fight the virus while doing a great job at pandemic prevention and control at home, which is truly impressive.
In my home country Zimbabwe, China was the first country to provide us with personal protective equipment along with other supplies to combat the virus. It also sent medical expert teams to Zimbabwe to share their anti-virus experience and work side by side with our medical workers. In February this year, China provided precious COVID-19 vaccines to Zimbabwe to support our first phase of vaccination.
As far as I know, many other developing countries have also received aid from China. While China was sending much-needed vaccines to developing countries to help them control the epidemic, some Western countries, in sharp contrast, were selfishly hoarding the vaccines. Not long ago, the President of Zimbabwe was vaccinated with a Chinese vaccine, which has greatly eased public panic and boosted our confidence in defeating the virus.
As Guan Yingxiang, political commissar of the PLA Army Logistics University, told us, the CPC is not only working for the welfare of the Chinese people but also tries to make China’s development achievements benefit the whole world, as manifested by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. I believe the CPC’s guideline and vision will empower China to keep pressing ahead toward a better future.
(This article is based on an interview by the PLA Daily with Major Vicent Sibanda assigned to the Army from the Republic of Zimbabwe, who had once studied at China's PLA Army Logistics University.)
