Chinese President Xi Jinping has pointed out, "to understand China today, one must learn to understand the Communist Party of China (CPC)." With the rapid development of China's economy and society, and the steady advancement of Chinese path to modernization, the notable achievements of the CPC have drawn extensive international attention and scholarly interest. Against this backdrop, the Global Times has launched the "CPC in Global Eyes" column, focusing on the feelings, perspectives, and insights of international friends from various fields regarding the CPC's historical path and achievements.
They include those who have toured China; deeply study the CPC in academic fields; work, live, study, seek employment, or do business in various fields in China; and who, though having not having visited China in person, pay close attention to the CPC's policies and trends. Through their vivid personal experiences, we aim to present a multifaceted overseas view of the CPC.
In the fifth installment of this series, we turn to Shanghai, home of the Memorial Hall Scenic Area of the First, Second, and Fourth National Congresses of the CPC. Revered as the "place of the Party's original aspiration," the area is a touchstone for the CPC's founding ideals. At the Memorial Hall of the Second National Congress of the CPC, a unique team of international volunteers dedicates their leisure time to offering guided services and facilitating cultural exchange activities. The Global Times recently spoke with two of these volunteers, who shared their service journeys and offered vivid, first‑hand observations on the Party.
One day in early 2025, Indonesian student Audrey Keiko Wilona stepped into the Memorial Hall of the Second National Congress of the CPC in downtown Shanghai while taking a stroll. At the time, Wilona, who was still quite unfamiliar with the history of the CPC, did not expect a casual visit to affect her so deeply.
Inside the memorial, the 22-year-old encountered the struggles of the Party's early members. She was particularly drawn to the section on the former site of the Pingmin Women's School, the CPC's first school for cultivating women cadres in 1922. There, Wilona discovered accounts of how the Party helped women access education, pursue truth, and join the revolutionary cause, which resonated with her in a way that felt intimate despite the distance in time and space.
"When I read the stories of these pioneering women educators, it reminded me of Indonesia's Raden Adjeng Kartini, a symbol of women's education and empowerment in my country," Wilona recalled. "Even though the two places are far apart, the spirit of pursuing knowledge and trying to improve society is very similar."
Some of the teachers in the Pingmin Women's School later went on to teach at the Shanghai University. As an international student in Shanghai University's School of Life Sciences, Wilona felt a meaningful personal connection, which sparked her curiosity and affinity toward the original site. Months later, at the memorial's invitation, she returned not as a visitor but as an international volunteer.
"Through this volunteer work, I can not only learn the history of the CPC more directly, but also feel a stronger sense of belonging to the local community," Wilona told the Global Times. "It is a very meaningful part of my life in Shanghai."
Including Wilona, the international volunteer team now includes 30 people from 16 countries and covers 10 languages, according to the memorial. After training, volunteers can choose to assist international visitors at the memorial, and also to take part in Shanghai's cross-cultural exchange activities, bringing those stories to a wider audience.
Wilona has taken part in two local speech competitions as an international volunteer at the memorial. At those platforms that encouraged diverse voices to tell China's stories, she talked about her visits to Shanghai's memorials and sites related to the CPC.
During one of her speeches, Wilona played the classic Chinese revolutionary piece Ode to the Red Plum Blossom on the guzheng, a traditional Chinese zither. The song commemorates Jiang Zhuyun (1920-1949), a Party member revered as a heroic model. Many CPC members like "Sister Jiang" worked selflessly and fought tirelessly for a brighter future for the country. "They light the way forward," Wilona said.
Beyond historical narratives, Wilona's understanding of CPC members comes more directly from her daily life. From staff at the memorial to some of her university classmates and teachers, she finds these ordinary Party members around her to be genuinely warm and helpful, having offered much support as she adjusted to life in Shanghai. "More than that, I feel there's an atmosphere of willingness to help others throughout Chinese society, which is probably inseparable from the CPC's commitment to serving the people."
Therefore, when asked to describe the CPC in three words or phrases, Wilona's first choice was "people-oriented."
The other two were "visionary" and "resilience." On "visionary," Wilona pointed to an exhibition hall at the memorial that displays 70 representative Party constitutions from different eras. In July 1922, the CPC adopted its first formal constitution right where this current memorial hall is located. "[These documents] made me feel that the Party not only summarizes past achievements, but also clearly charts the direction and goals for the future. It shows a long-term vision," Wilona told the Global Times.
"Overall, these words reflect the impressions I formed from the historical figures I learned about, and from the community dedication I have seen during my time in China," she concluded. "They represent how I, as an international volunteer and student, understood the stories shared with me here."
Living and studying in China gives Wilona a frontline view of the country's progress under the leadership of the CPC. For her, the most immediate impression as a woman has been a deep, almost tangible sense of safety, as she can wander the streets alone at night in Shanghai without a second thought. She also speaks highly of China's rapid advances in high technology, and finds its seamless blending of tradition and modernity truly striking.
"All of this has made me keenly aware of the vitality and warmth of China under the Party's leadership," she said.
CPC in global eyes: CPC is ‘innovative, inclusive and progressive’: Ghanaian volunteer
For Ghanaian graduate student Jackson Kubagma, who is studying international relations at the Shanghai University, his two years in China have been a journey toward a growing understanding of and respect for the CPC through volunteer work.
In 2024, through an introduction by his university, Kubagma took part in a Chinese New Year celebration at the Memorial Hall of the Second National Congress of the CPC, where he immersed himself in traditional Chinese culture and folk customs. For him, the experience was more than a cultural outing - it also offered him a closer look at "the CPC's history and its early development" as presented at the memorial.
Moreover, elective courses on China's political system at his university had already made Kubagma curious about the Party, and eager to deepen that curiosity through direct contact. So, when the memorial invited him to join its international volunteer team, Kubagma accepted without hesitation.
The memorial provides volunteers with concise, structured training covering CPC history and practical skills for serving visitors. Kubagma recalled that Chinese visitors were often intrigued to see a foreign volunteer, asking in English why he had chosen to serve there, while international tourists tended to ask him detailed questions about the exhibits.
"I found that some international visitors are very interested in the fact that the Party was formed during the time of heavy opposition by the colonizers and other invasions, [such as] the Party members had to [secretly] hold a meeting in the boat," Kubagma told the Global Times. "They really appreciate the resilience and the strength of the Party members, their contribution, and commitment to the building of the Party."
Those conversations were casual as well as educational. Kubagma not only shared what he had learned about the CPC's history, but also continued learning from visitors - a two-way exchange that, as he said, steadily deepened his understanding of the Party.
When asked about his impression of the CPC, Kubagma summarized it with three words: "Innovative, inclusive, and progressive."
He explained that the CPC's innovative approaches to social problems and economic development are striking; its people-centered focus and emphasis on community services enable broad-based sharing of development gains, a kind of inclusiveness he sees as key to effective governance; and its relentless pursuit of progress - from human capital to resource use - drives the nation forward. "[All these] would make a life better for the people in China," he concluded.
In Kubagma's eyes, under the leadership of the CPC, China has achieved many astounding feats, with the most impressive being the monumental victory in poverty alleviation.
During his time in China, Kubagma has traveled through cities and villages, witnessing dramatic rural change: accessible education, improved transport networks, and comprehensive public security - developments he sees as built on the firm foundation of poverty alleviation.
Kubagma believes that the CPC's success in lifting people out of poverty stems from sound governance, resolute anti-corruption efforts, and the promotion of rural industrialization. "The Chinese poverty alleviation achievement is actually the project I'm working on in my final-year thesis," he said. "[I'm] looking at its replication or transferability in Ghana, so that we can draw lessons."
Kubagma's experiences in China also sharpened his awareness of biased Western media portrayals of China and its ruling party. He recalled that after visiting the memorial, he felt compelled to present a different picture to foreign audiences. Therefore, he launched a YouTube channel named "AfriChina Connect," producing videos that spotlight Chinese advances in technology, transport, education, and culture, which explores further possibilities for China-Africa cooperation.
"When they see [the videos], they have been enlightened about what is happening in China," said Kubagma. "So that is my motive. I started it purposely to draw lessons from China's developments for African countries to learn from."
Kubagma will graduate in June 2027. For the future, he is determined to either work for the Ghanaian government in China as a diplomat, or start his own business while continuing his volunteer work in the country. Also, he said he hopes to expand his YouTube channel into a dedicated platform for promoting China-Africa exchange and mutual learning.
"My plan is to stay in China after school, because China is my second home," he told the Global Times.
Source: Global Times:
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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