Q: Do differences in ideology constitute a barrier in
the CPC's exchanges with foreign political parties? What principles
does the CPC follow in its external relations?
A: The CPC, boasting a membership of more than 66 million, is
the party in power in a country with a population of 1.3 billion.
In recent decades, the CPC has attached great importance to
external relations. Aspiring to peace, development and progress, it
is active in promoting exchanges and cooperation with political
parties and political organizations in various countries and
regions. To date, it has established cooperative links and contacts
of various forms with 400 parties and organizations in more than
140 countries and regions, giving initial shape to a multi-channel,
wide-scope and in-depth party-to-party exchange pattern.
It is an irrefutable fact that all political parties have their
own ideologies. Given this, the CPC always upholds the principles
of "independence, complete equality, mutual respect and
non-interference in each other's internal affairs" when conducting
inter-party exchanges and cooperation. Based on these principles,
the CPC has normalized its relations with communist parties and
workers' parties in other countries and established relations with
national democratic parties in developing countries. It has also
forged contacts, communications and cooperation of various forms
with socialist parties (social democratic parties and labor
parties), liberal parties, Christian democratic parties,
conservative parties and other political parties all over the
world, especially in developed countries, as well as international
party organizations in the spirit of “transcending ideological
differences to seek mutual understanding and cooperation.”
It is China's belief that today's world is the one that values
dialogue. Differences in ideology should not become a barrier of
communications. Instead, they can provide motivation for
party-to-party communications with different countries.