The year 2026 marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). From just over 50 members at the time of its founding to more than 100 million members today, the CPC has grown vastly in size. What remains unchanged, however, is its original aspiration. The CPC has always placed the people's longing for a better life at the heart of its mission.

If once together with the wind the roc could rise, he would fly ninety thousand miles up to the skies.

The quote comes from To Li Yong, a poem by famous Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Li Bai. It means that there will come a day when the roc rises with the wind and soars straight up into the highest heavens. The Great Roc, a legendary giant bird from ancient Chinese mythology, is famous for soaring to immense heights and traveling vast distances, long serving as a symbol of lofty aspirations and expansive vision. Here, the poet used the roc as a metaphor for great ambition and a promising future.

On February 10, 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping quoted this line in his speech at a Spring Festival reception. He noted that the CPC has stayed true to its original aspiration and mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.

Undaunted by hardships and unafraid of sacrifice, the CPC has united and led Chinese people of all ethnic groups in revolution, the building of a stronger nation, and reform and opening up. The Chinese nation has achieved a tremendous transformation: It has stood up and grown well-off and is becoming strong.

Achieving national rejuvenation is the CPC's lofty ambition. Like the soaring roc, China is making every effort to turn this ambition into reality under the Party's leadership.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), the country made great strides and delivered achievements across many fronts. China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, the C919, entered commercial service in May 2023. Its high-speed rail network stretched beyond 50,000 km by the end of 2025.

During this period, China led the world in new-energy vehicle production and sales. In its pursuit of a greener future, the country has built the world's largest clean energy system.

Over these five years, China's economy continued to break new ground. Its GDP grew more than 36 trillion yuan ($5.3 trillion), equivalent to the yearly economic output of the world's third largest economy. Average life expectancy rose to 79.25 years in 2025, and basic pension insurance now covers more than 1 billion people.

This year is the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), China's development blueprint for the next five years. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan focuses on key areas including employment, education, healthcare and elderly care. It marks a shift toward greater investment in people, so that all can enjoy the benefits of development more fully and more fairly.

Today, the CPC, the world's largest Marxist governing party, is moving forward with vitality and confidence as it leads the Chinese people in rejuvenating and strengthening their nation, once weakened by internal conflicts and foreign aggression. Its next goal is to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by the mid-21st century. BR

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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