CGTN: What drives people's trust in China's governing party?
On the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, CGTN has published an article exploring why China's governing party wins wide public trust and support. The article highlights the Party's people-centered philosophy and its role in promoting a more just and equitable global governance system.
BEIJING, July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- To the residents of a Changchun neighborhood in northeast China, 66‑year‑old Wu Yaqin is a trusted "alley steward." For nearly 30 years, she has looked after little things that mean a lot – the daily routines that keep a community alive and connected.
Over the decades, Wu has done it all. She's arranged in‑home haircuts, medicine deliveries and hot meals for the elderly, started an initiative that sent more than 100 disadvantaged students to university, and settled over 1,000 disputes between neighbors.
On Wednesday, Wu was among the model members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to whom Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, conferred the July 1 Medal, the Party's highest honor, at a gathering marking the 105th anniversary of the CPC's founding.
Seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation has always been the CPC's aspiration and mission over the past 105 years, said Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, in his address at the event.
Serving the people
Xi said the CPC boasts fine qualities with no parallel among other political parties and political forces.
"We must firmly keep in mind that this country is its people, the people are the country," he said, urging all the Party members to continue to serve the people wholeheartedly.
All of the July 1 Medal recipients are ordinary CPC members, deeply rooted in their communities, who have dedicated themselves to extraordinarily selfless service.
Ma Shanxiang, for instance, has been stationed at the grassroots level in Chongqing for more than three decades, successfully mediating more than 2,500 local disputes. Meanwhile, in rural Henan, village Party chief Li Liancheng has pulled Xixinzhuang out of deep poverty, helping transform it from a struggling village into a nationally recognized model for rural revitalization. At the forefront of industrial innovation, 89-year-old academician Zhong Jue has spent her career tackling core technological bottlenecks in aluminum processing, elevating China's manufacturing capabilities to a globally leading position.
The unwavering dedication of its members is exactly why the CPC as a whole enjoys broad public trust and support, a fact underscored by a recent CGTN global poll, which found that 63.9% of international respondents agree that the achievements of Chinese modernization are inseparable from the CPC's sound policymaking. Furthermore, a landmark 13-year study by the Harvard Kennedy School reveals that over 90% of the Chinese people are satisfied with the central government.
Experts attribute this high public approval to a distinct governance philosophy. "The Communist Party of China does not serve a select privileged few; it serves 1.4 billion people," explains Zheng Changzhong, director of the Center for Party Building and National Development Studies at Fudan University.
Zheng notes that Party policies, such as targeted poverty alleviation, rural revitalization and universal basic healthcare, ensure that all citizens reap tangible benefits from the country's progress.
"In terms of values, the Party's leadership ensures that China prioritizes people, not capital," he adds. "In practical terms, Chinese modernization spans economic, political, cultural, social and ecological sectors. Only the CPC is capable of coordinating these diverse forces and bringing them together into a single, unified effort."
Enriching global governance
The socialist China led by the CPC is widely recognized as a builder of world peace, advocate for global development and guardian of the international order, Xi said.
Over a decade ago, China introduced the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Building on this framework, it has launched landmark initiatives on global development, security, civilization and governance.
Tailored to the core priorities of emerging‑market and developing nations, these four major initiatives have struck a chord across the Global South. Nearly 160 countries and international organizations have backed the Global Governance Initiative, and over 130 have signed on to the Global Development Initiative, with more than 80 nations joining its Group of Friends.
International observers have voiced similar backing. Egyptian scholar Diaa Helmy observes that China has become "an indispensable doer" in promoting a more just and equitable global governance system, while Adhere Cavince, a Kenya-based international relations scholar, hails the constructive and forward-looking role the CPC is playing in enriching global governance practices.
From just 58 members at its founding to nearly 101.29 million at the end of 2025, the CPC has grown into the world's largest governing party in a rapidly changing international environment.
Xi has pledged that on the new journey, the Party will continuously promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity to inject greater positive energy into global peace and development.
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