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Photo taken on Oct. 27, 2020 shows the replica of a boat, now
referred to as the Red Boat, on which the founders of the Communist
Party of China convened a historic meeting in 1921, on Nanhu Lake in
Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) As the Communist Party of China (CPC) marks its centenary in 2021,
the Party is looking back on its history and recounting past glory. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC
Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has
on multiple occasions shared stories from the history of the CPC that
shine a light on the integrity and hardworking spirit of outstanding
Party members. CADRE RECOGNIZED AS ROLE MODEL OF INTEGRITY Lankao, a county in central China's Henan Province that was once
stricken by poverty, is known throughout the nation, largely because of
Jiao Yulu, an official who worked there in the 1960s and died of illness
on duty at the age of 42. The late Lankao Party chief devoted his life to promoting local
development by leading people to combat sandstorms, saline-alkali land
and floods, known as the "three disasters" that plagued the county at
the time. Jiao has inspired generations of Chinese with his hard work, plain living and moral integrity. Xi visited Lankao in March and May 2014. Addressing local officials,
Xi urged them to strive to become outstanding Party members and
officials by following Jiao as a role model of integrity. Jiao lived a frugal life, repeatedly mending his clothes, hats,
shoes, and socks to prolong their use, and "was always the first to bear
hardships and the last to enjoy comforts," Xi said. "He strictly abode by Party discipline and rules and never used his
power to seek benefits for himself or his relatives," Xi highlighted. SOLDIER REMEMBERED AS ICON OF ALTRUISM Fushun, a city in northeast China's Liaoning Province, is where Lei
Feng -- the late Chinese icon of altruism, served and was buried. Lei joined the People's Liberation Army in 1960 and was known for
devoting almost all of his spare time and money to selflessly helping
others. "If you were a water drop, would you like to provide any moisture for
the fields; If you were a ray of sunshine, would you like to light up a
portion of the dark; If you were a grain of rice, would you like to
feed a life?" read a diary of Lei's. In 1962, Lei died in an accident when he helped a fellow soldier direct a truck. He was only 22. A year later, Chairman Mao Zedong called on the entire nation to follow Lei's example. Lei's legacy lives on. In 2018, during an inspection to Fushun, Xi visited Lei's memorial
and laid a flower basket before his tomb. Commemorating this Chinese
icon of altruism, Xi stressed the need to pass on the Lei Feng spirit
from generation to generation. "We will be invincible" if each and every Chinese person, CPC member
and CPC organization can practice the Lei Feng spirit and become "a
shining cog which never rusts" in their own roles, Xi said. QUARTERMASTER WHO SACRIFICED HIS LIFE The past 100 years since the CPC's founding has seen a great number
of outstanding CPC members. While some of them are household names like
Jiao and Lei, there are also many others who are lesser known or even
nameless but whose stories have been faithfully retold and remembered
over the years. Integrity and self-discipline have always been essential requirements for CPC members, especially those holding public office. Xi once cited a story that took place during the Central Red Army's epic Long March in the 1930s. While scaling a snowy mountain, a soldier was found frozen to death,
clad in thin worn clothes. The commander sent for the officer in charge
of supplies, demanding to know why cotton-padded coats had failed to
reach the soldier. People told the commander through tears that the late
soldier was none other than the quartermaster himself. He who had all the quilts and uniforms at his disposal chose to die
of cold rather than warm himself first. "What a noble state of mind!" Xi
said. "It is the devotion of thousands upon thousands of Chinese
progressives with similar political consciousness that has helped the
CPC win one arduous battle after another," Xi added. Enditem
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