Economist says CPC stands test of time, delivers what people want

HONG KONG, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) is one of the few political parties in the world that has stood the test of time and delivered what the people want, an economist has said.

Not only has the party helped transform China into a moderately prosperous society, but it has also delivered public goods -- from raising the literacy rate to boosting life expectancy, Lawrence Lau, Ralph and Claire Landau Professor of Economics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said Thursday in an opinion article in the South China Morning Post.

Lau said the party has successfully solved the problems of feeding China's large population and keeping people adequately clothed.

China has been the most successful in the eradication of poverty, Lau said.

Life expectancy, which was only 35 years in 1949, and 67.8 years in 1981, grew to 77.3 years in 2019, Lau said.

Lau also said China's economic development is a truly remarkable achievement over a long period of time, and he attributed this success to the long time horizon of the Chinese economic policymakers and the single-minded focus on economic growth.