BEIJING - The Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrates its 91st founding anniversary on Sunday.

Ninety-one years ago, the CPC has only some 50 members, whereas this year's anniversary will be observed by over 82.6 million CPC members.

The celebration comes just after the recent success of China's manned Shenzhou IX spacecraft, which took three astronauts on a 13-day trip to Earth's orbit, as well as the manned submersible Jiaolong's dive to over 7,000 meters beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

Over the 91 years since its founding, the CPC has been making unremitting efforts to end domestic turmoil and bring the nation back to a path of development, growth and rejuvenation.

The establishment of a basic socialist system has provided a fundamental political and systematic cornerstone for China's development, while reform and opening-up have promoted continuous and rapid development in the country.

Moreover, the Scientific Outlook on Development has brought about promising prospects for comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development in China.

Over the past 10 years, the CPC has united with and led Party members and people nationwide in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, making remarkable achievements in economic, political, cultural and social construction, improving people's livelihoods and building the country into the world's second-largest economy.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics is thriving in China under the CPC's leadership.

However, it should also be said that the Party is facing growing challenges and is still shouldering arduous and complicated tasks.

Hu Jintao, the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, warned Party members at a ceremony held last year to mark the CPC's 90th founding anniversary that the Party is facing severe tests and growing dangers.

The solution to these tests lies in efforts to maintain the CPC's advancement and improve the Party's capability to govern.

Efforts should be made to tackle unbalanced development in economic and social fields and to speed up the transformation of China's development pattern.

The fact that China has not only achieved spectacular development itself ,but is also contributing to the world economy, has provided convincing evidence that the CPC is capable of handling complicated situations both home and abroad.

The improvement of the Party's ability to govern also requires a people-oriented approach.

It should be kept in mind that support from the public will always provide the fundamental momentum for the Party to move forward, while the motto "serve the people wholeheartedly" should always serve as a fundamental principle for the CPC.

To that end, the Party should work to safeguard fairness and equity in society, improve its social management measures and better regulate the use of power in accordance with law.

Moreover, anti-corruption measures and efforts to maintain the purity of the Party's spirit will keep the Party well-disciplined and healthy and help the Party win trust from the people.

Looking back on past decades of development, China's people have confidence that the CPC will successfully lead the country to a bright future.