Triumph of socialism with Chinese characteristics: ex-East German premier

China's remarkable achievements are important to not only China but the rest of the world as well. This is the sum of what Hans Modrow, former premier of the German Democratic Republic (erstwhile East Germany), said in a recent dialogue with two Chinese scholars on Party history studies, which was published by Cankaoxiaoxi, a newspaper affiliated with Xinhua News Agency.

Talking about the historical significance of the resolution of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee in November, Modrow, who is also the former chairman of the Party of Democratic Socialism, said that he has been interested in China's accomplishments ever since the launch of reform and opening-up.

Hugely impressed by the plenary session, held in the new era, and heartened to see many ordinary people participating in the plenum, the 94-year old statesman said the CPC carries out work in a transparent and open manner.

Modrow still remembers that day in September 1956 when Chairman Mao Zedong met with Walter Ulbricht, then head of state of the German Democratic Republic. During the meeting, according to Modrow, Ulbricht said that socialist society was a long historical period, an expression that has been mentioned in the plenary session's resolution.

And the fact that the resolution also says the CPC should take a two-step approach to "build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of the 21st century" signifies that building a socialist country in the true sense of term requires a lot of energy and time. But Modrow has no doubt that China will ultimately realize that goal.

Besides, the resolution states that Mao Zedong Thought represents the creative application and advancement of Marxism-Leninism in China. This is something, Modrow said, Ulbricht has mentioned way back in 1956.

The CPC has a clear, long-term plan to deal with the changing world and adapt Marxism to the Chinese context, Modrow said. The CPC has been moving forward on the socialist path with Chinese characteristics and has realized that freeing of minds, and reform and opening-up are processes without an end.

Emphasizing that the brotherhood and friendship between socialists in Germany and China have lasted decades, he said the plenum's resolution, by reflecting on the past and reviewing the Party's major achievements and historical experience over the past century, has encouraged thinkers around the world to further develop and advance socialism in the 21st century.

Modrow voiced special support for one of the ideas in the resolution: that the Party must always remain on guard against the erosive influence of Western political thoughts. And since the CPC is right in saying that traditional and nontraditional security threats are intertwined, he said, it is politically correct and necessary to safeguard national security.

The resolution aptly analyzes the real situations in China and the world, sets the Party's tasks required to develop and enrich socialism with Chinese characteristics, Modrow said, adding that, though the plenum focused more on China's domestic problems, it can help promote building a fairer, more equitable world.