TOGETHER WE STAND

In an interview with Beijing Review， Alvaro Rodriguez， International Secretary of the Communist Party USA （CPUSA）， shared his thoughts on the need for development and social justice. This is an edited version of the interview：

Beijing Review： Could you please share with us some of your thoughts on the exchanges between the communist parties of China and the U.S.？ What do both parties have in common and what differences stand out to you？

Alvaro Rodriguez： We， the CPUSA， value our relationship with our fraternal party， the Communist Party of China （CPC）. Aside from a recent bilateral meeting with the CPC， we also attended the World Symposium of Marxist Parties hosted by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee， with the aim to strengthen our exchanges and solidarity.

Both our parties share common aspirations and values. For example， both are highly committed to poverty alleviation， equality and social justice， as well as establishing a world of shared prosperity and development.

Though all communist and workers parties are different， given they all face different objective conditions and stages of development， the CPC is pursuing a type of socialism with Chinese characteristics， whereas the CPUSA pursues socialism with American characteristics. Regardless of our different circumstances， both of our parties follow the principles of socialism， and no other type of “ism.” The CPC focuses on the Chinese dream， and the CPUSA is going after the American dream.

What are your comments on Chinas eradication of extreme poverty and COVID-19 management？

The Peoples Republic of China， led by the CPC， is forging ahead and breaking new ground in contributing to the development of Marxist theory and practice. The CPC has always remained true to its original aspirations and keeps its mission firmly in mind and sight.

The struggle to end human deprivation， including hunger， is one of the great achievements of the CPC. With one fifth of the worlds population， China has met the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by lifting nearly 800 million Chinese people out of absolute poverty. This eradication of absolute poverty is a unique achievement in the modern history of humanity， a monumental task that accounted for more than 70 percent of absolute poverty worldwide.

We appreciate the international solidarity as expressed by the CPC， particularly its work in managing the COVID-19 crisis. Many countries have received vaccines from China， and its spirit of global cooperation is yielding results.