As the Communist Party of China has just celebrated its 92nd anniversary on July 1, some newly released books written by former Party leaders are gaining more interest among readers.

Ten Theses on the Party's Purposes by former vice-minister of culture Gao Zhanxiang, is one of the most popular ones.

"Serve the people" has been the core value that supports the Party's successful leadership and thriving progress since the day it was founded, Gao stresses in the book published by Beijing Times Chinese Press.

In the book, Gao re-examines the Party's contemporary interpretations and challenges.

Gao says "serve the people" - the title of former leader Mao Zedong's historic speech in 1944 - is the most influential, profound and loved slogan in the Party history.

"The country's recent development gives the slogan new dimension. It's an ideal that all Party members can't leave behind," says 78-year-old Gao.

"The Party and the people were like fish and water. If the relationship turns into oil and water, then social conflict will increase," he adds.

Gao, who is also a famous poet, says the idea is deeply rooted based on his personal experiences.

"I have been a faithful follower of the Party ever since I was 9, when it saved me, then a child labor, from the cruel oppression of the Japanese army," he says, adding he joined the Party at 17.

Gao had worked in a factory for 20 years, and then was assigned to the countryside for eight years. He says he learned about ordinary people's needs from his years working with the grassroots.

Xu Bolin with the China Film Association thinks Gao's book is timely because "it answers the call of the Chinese Dream and the cultural crisis of lacking in spiritual nutrition".

Chinese Culture Promotion Society's Wang Shi says the condition which the Party members are in now is different from Mao's time because people are better off and their needs have changed.

"The objective of the Party's service is different now. When we speak about serving the people, we need to understand and study the people better and deeper," Wang says.

To Zhang Quanjing, former head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, to serve the people basically means two goals - to tackle corruption and to ensure a better standard of living for the people.

Gao dedicates 10 chapters of his book to the history and current challenges of the ideal idea of "serve the people". He also includes 100 passages from Mao's original articles on the topic.

"Serve the people is the inner impetus for the realization of the Chinese Dream for everyone," Gao says.

Like Gao, former senior official Wu Guanzheng also rose from a financially limited family.

Wu's new book Spare Talks, published by the People's Publishing House, achieved a sensational success. The book, written after his retirement, sold 300,000 copies within one week of release.

Covering childhood, school life and several untold stories of Wu's work, the book won huge appeal for being fresh, candid and philosophical. It also includes tens of Wu's original pencil sketches and Chinese traditional paintings.

"I was impressed by Wu's attitude as he goes into retirement, so peaceful and thoughtful as shown in his paintings and writings," says Gao, who is also fond of painting.

meijia@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/16/2013 page19)