Witnesstohistory

As the Communist Party of China turns 95, a veteran member looks back at the milestones, especially in African ties

A military band and 21-gun salute. that’s the kind of fanfare nations use to announce a valued relationship with another nation. But when it comes to political parties, they prefer to make friends in a quieter way. Though the Communist Party of China (CPC), one of the largest parties in the world with extensive relations with likeminded organizations around the world, turns 95 on July 1, there are few personal anecdotes on its exchanges with other parties.

However, veteran CPC member Ai Ping has a wealth of information, especially about the CPC’S links with African parties, thanks to a 30-year career in developing the CPC’S external relations. His career in a way reflects the growth of arguably the most famous communist party in the world.

It was the end of 1977 and representatives of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), the ruling party in Mozambique, were visiting China. FRELIMO had expressed keenness to establish relations with the CPC, but the latter was reluctant to do so.

“At the time, the CPC had a principle of building relations only with communist parties,” Ai told Chinafrica. “Its external relations, to a large extent, served the International Communist Movement.”

Given the principle, the CPC insisted on defining the trip as a state visit, rather than an exchange between political parties, which raised eyebrows in Mozambique.

At the time, the CPC was also opposing the hegemony of the then Soviet Union, and the comprehensive relationship between Mozambique and the Soviet Union further complicated relations between China and Mozambique.

However, it is never a good idea to treat an olive branch with coldness. So the visit became a turning point, prompting the Party to give second thoughts to its policy. Subsequently, the International Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly proposed to the CPC Central Committee that the restrictions on choosing friends be lifted, especially for nationalist parties in Sub-saharan Africa.

“It was a watershed moment in CPC history. Since then, the external relations of the CPC began to be no longer based on the same ideology necessarily, nor share the aim of the International Communist Movement,” Ai said. “It began to serve the nation’s foreign diplomacy instead. I consider myself very lucky to have witnessed the change.”

The CPC’S “friends’ circle” first opened up to nationalist parties, then extended to social democratic parties, and finally crossed ideological dif-