Yu Weihai: New Trends in the Development of Communist Parties in Current Developed Capitalist Countries
There are many criteria for judging and observing the state of socialism in the world today, and the condition of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries is an important dimension. Currently, the "changes unseen in a century" [1] are accelerating, and the changes of the world, of our times, and of history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. Under these century-long shifts, what is the overall strength and developmental trend of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries? What new changes and characteristics have emerged in their discourse systems and practical explorations? What is their attitude toward socialism with Chinese characteristics? These questions undoubtedly require in-depth and systematic research. Studying the new trends of Communist Parties in these countries provides a crucial basis for assessing the development of contemporary world socialism. It is also an inevitable requirement for profoundly understanding General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important judgements that socialism with Chinese characteristics has become the "banner of the development of 21st-century scientific socialism" and the "mainstay of the revitalization of world socialism."
New Changes in the Communist Parties of Developed Capitalist Countries
In the early 1990s, severely affected by the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, many foreign Communist organizations suffered massive shocks, and the socialist movement in developed capitalist countries fell into a low ebb. Today, as the changes unseen in a century accelerate, Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries face many new historical conditions. They have undertaken numerous adaptive adjustments and reforms, forming several new developmental situations and trends as a whole.
First, they are striving to escape the predicament of being organizationally "isolated" and "weak," with some Communist organizations seeing new growth in their strength. Since entering the 21st century, and particularly after 2008, capitalism has been put on trial due to its deep entanglement in financial, environmental, pandemic, and security crises, leading to a surge in various social protest movements. Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries seized this historical opportunity to strengthen Party building and launched a new round of organizational "breakouts." Among them, several parties have performed strikingly well, strengthening their party power and expanding their political and social influence, mainly reflected in the following three aspects:
Initially, some Communist Parties have stabilized their positions and seen an increase in membership. For example, the Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB) had 2,885 members in 2007; this reached 8,000 in 2014 and 26,000 by 2023, nearly a tenfold increase in just over a decade. In 2011, the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) had fewer than 2,000 members, which grew to approximately 5,000 in 2018 and roughly 15,000 in 2023. The Communist Party of Britain (CPB) has also achieved steady development, with membership numbers for 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023 reaching 915, 1,011, 1,200, and 1,308 respectively. The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the Communist Party of Canada have also realized membership growth.
Furthermore, some Communist Parties have made breakthroughs in domestic elections. In 2021, the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) defeated the People's Party—which had governed for over 20 years—in the city of Graz with 28.84% of the vote, and communist Elke Kahr was elected mayor. On April 23, 2023, the KPÖ participated in the Salzburg municipal council elections, winning its first seat in that council since 1945. On June 25 of the same year, the Communist Party of Greece won 21 seats in the parliamentary elections, an increase of 6 seats over 2019. On June 9, 2024, the Workers' Party of Belgium increased its seats in the Federal Chamber of Representatives from 12 to 15; in regional parliamentary elections, it won 9 seats in Flanders, 16 in Brussels, and 8 in Wallonia. Consequently, the party holds a total of 65 seats at the federal and regional levels, becoming the fourth-largest party in Belgium.
Additionally, a group of new Communist Parties seeking radical social change has been established. Under the century-wide shifts, capitalist crises have erupted in concentrated bursts, and calls for social transformation have risen one after another, leading to the proclamation of several Communist Parties pursuing radical change. On June 28, 2019, the Australian Communist Party was founded, hoping to "forge a new path in the Australian socialist movement." From November 21–22 of the same year, the First Congress of the New Communist Party of Aotearoa (New Zealand) was held in Wellington, marking the re-establishment of a Communist Party in New Zealand since the dissolution of the Communist Party of New Zealand in 1993. From June 21–23, 2024, a Communist organization in Germany held its First Party Congress, announcing the establishment of the Communist Party (Kommunistische Partei, KP). On June 21 of the same year, the American Communist Party (ACP) was proclaimed and held its First Congress in Chicago on October 12. Since late 2023, a group of Trotskyist Communist Parties bearing the name "Revolutionary Communist Party" held founding congresses in countries including France, Britain, Germany, Spain, Austria, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, the US, and Canada. These were followed by street marches to build momentum and propaganda via online media platforms, attracting significant attention.
Of course, in terms of organizational strength, some parties have not successfully achieved an organizational "breakout," and membership in certain parties has decreased rather than increased. For instance, Communist Parties in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Italy have all shown varying degrees of decline. Among them, the Japanese Communist Party—the largest Communist Party in a developed capitalist country—saw its membership drop from approximately 305,000 in 2014 to 250,000 in 2024. The French Communist Party’s membership fell from 70,000 in 2011 to 57,000 in 2016, and further to 42,000 in 2023. The Communist Party of Spain dropped from 10,000 in 2015 to 7,000 in 2022. The Portuguese Communist Party fell from 80,000 in 1994 to 50,000 in 2020, and further to 48,000 in 2024. In terms of political influence, several historically influential Communist Parties failed to achieve good results in domestic general elections. For example, on January 30, 2022, Portugal held parliamentary elections; the alliance between the Portuguese Communist Party and the Greens won only 6 out of 230 seats with 4.4% of the vote, its worst performance in the 21st century. In the Italian general election on September 25 of the same year, three main Communist parties—the Communist Refoundation Party, the Communist Party (Italy), and the Italian Communist Party—participated in various ways, but none secured a seat, and the electoral alliances they belonged to both received less than 2% of the vote.
Second, they are actively promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism [2], strengthening the Party’s theoretical innovation and adaptive reforms. Many Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries, in accordance with the requirements of the times, are continuously advancing the localization and modernization of Marxism. They have conducted new theoretical explorations on issues such as environmental protection, digital technology, and identity politics.
For a long time, political economy has been the central concern of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries. With the deterioration of the global ecological environment, "there is a need to both innovate political programs—moving beyond economism to answer and respond to new ecological demands—and change methods of political action—strengthening alliances with green forces and expanding anti-capitalist coalitions." Many Communist Parties in these countries have advanced with the times by prioritizing environmental protection in their struggle goals and political agendas. The CPUSA put forward the resonant slogan "People and Planet before Profits." The French Communist Party proposed "Eco-communism" and even redesigned its party flag to include green leaf elements. The Communist Refoundation Party of Italy explicitly adopted ecosocialism as one of its guiding theories. Including environmental protection as a key component in party programs, theoretical seminars, international exchanges, electoral alliances, and social struggles has not only innovated the parties' theoretical achievements on ecological issues but also shaped an image of "advancing with the times" among the masses.
With the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation led by intelligent technology in full swing, Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have strengthened their research on digital capitalism. They have conducted extensive discussions on the new changes of capitalism in the era of digital intelligence, the characteristics of new capitalist modes of exploitation, and the conditions and forms of the struggle for socialism, providing modern footnotes for Marxism. For example, the political resolution adopted by the 21st Congress of the Portuguese Communist Party pointed out the essence of digital technology development: contrary to the rhetoric of "digital democracy" and "free access to knowledge and information," global network technology owned by transnational communication companies has now become one of the primary means of attack for imperialist ideology. By privatizing digital technology, imperialism is working to strengthen its dominance over and manipulation of information and communication technologies. The Communist Party of Finland stated in its program that capitalist powers and monopolies, in order to consolidate their positions and privileges, use information hegemony and technological monopolies to corrupt and disintegrate the labor movement.
Identity politics has now become a field of struggle that Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries cannot bypass, exerting a profound influence on party development. Many Communist Parties view the struggle against racial discrimination, sexism, and all forms of discrimination as part of the class struggle. In terms of discursive logic, traditional working-class discourse has expanded to include more diverse identity subjects who are oppressed and discriminated against. Whether this is a deviation from the traditional working-class collective and a dilution of its attributes, or a modernization and refinement of the working class’s connotation, remains a controversial issue. For instance, the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) pointed out at its Eighth Congress that "the promotion of identity politics ideology, including that of sexual minorities, is reactionary and anti-working class; it distracts and diverts the focus of the proletariat's class struggle for social emancipation, and members involved in such promotion will be expelled." Conversely, the CPUSA has taken the opposite stance, openly supporting identity politics in its discourse system and daily actions. "Our contingent marched proudly with rainbow flags with 'SOCIALISM' in bold letters, and signs with creative slogans like 'Gay is OK... and Communist!'"
Third, struggles between parties have become more frequent, with differences becoming increasingly apparent. Following the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, Communist Parties in various countries consciously sought to strengthen mutual exchange and cooperation, leading to the creation of the International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP). Emphasizing unity and cooperation rather than highlighting differences and disagreements was for a time the primary content of relations between Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries. However, after the 2008 international financial crisis, developed capitalist countries were hit hard, triggering a series of social contradictions and massive protest movements. Some parties judged that the defensive strategy of the world socialist movement needed to change and frequently criticized the "erroneous" theoretical understandings and strategic choices of other Communist Parties. In this context, contradictions between Communist Parties have been exposed publicly.
On current issues such as the Ukraine crisis, internal divisions among Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have become more serious and disputes more acute. They hold different understandings of the definition of imperialist countries, the nature of and primary responsibility for the war, united fronts, and the tasks and goals of the struggle. Joti Brar, Vice-Chair of the CPGB-ML, noted that at an international meeting hosted by the People's Democracy Party of South Korea in May 2022, participants showed clear differences in their understanding of the Ukraine crisis: "Many 'fraternal parties' actually stood on a bourgeois position to preach that 'Russian aggression' was the culprit for the escalation of the situation in Ukraine, and that 'Russian imperialism' was the root of this 'inter-imperialist' conflict." Brar criticized the KKE as exactly such a "fraternal party" standing on an erroneous position. At an internal online meeting of the Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties in Europe in September 2023, the KKE suddenly and unilaterally announced the dissolution of the organization, subsequently publishing an article titled "On the termination of the activity of the EUROPEAN COMMUNIST INITIATIVE and the role of opportunism," attacking the World Anti-Imperialist Platform founded under the leadership of the CPGB-ML: "A small party, CPGB-ML, has launched an outrageous provocative attack against the KKE through open distortions and lies."
It is evident that Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries are highly attentive to global issues such as the Ukraine crisis, imperialism, and internationalist solidarity. Some parties also focus their primary energy on domestic parliamentary activities, striving to expand their political and social influence. In short, from the perspective of theoretical propositions and policy choices, Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have become increasingly diversified and categorized, a trend that warrants attention.
New Characteristics of the Development of Communist Parties in Capitalist Countries
The new developments and changes in Communist Parties within developed capitalist countries present a partial picture of the development of world socialism under the century-wide shifts. Compared to the early period following the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, these new developments and changes possess many new historical characteristics.
First, organized international union and struggle coexist, and the networking trend of intra-party relations is evident. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have established or participated in multiple platform mechanisms. These platforms have built bridges for exchange and mutual learning, constructed centers for solidarity and union, and provided positions for critique and struggle. Examples include the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations founded in 1994; the International Communist Seminar (which ceased activity in 2014) founded by the Workers' Party of Belgium in 1996; the International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP) initiated and led by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in 1998; the Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties of Europe established in 2013 (dissolved in 2023); the World Anti-Imperialist Platform established in 2022; the "European Communist Action" established in 2023; and the Revolutionary Communist International established in June 2024. On these platforms, Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries engage in intensive interaction, pooling their strength by organizing meetings, launching solidarity actions, and signing joint statements on major holidays, significant temporal nodes, and major hot-button issues, collectively presenting the side of world socialist solidarity.
However, among these diversified platforms, there is both compatible intersectionality and divergent parallelism, and even mutually exclusive struggle, reflecting the characteristics of diversification, categorization, and fragmentation in the current world socialist movement. On May 5, 2024, at the Istanbul meeting of the European Communist Action, the Communist Party of Greece criticized the World Anti-Imperialist Platform: "A new international organization has appeared under the deceptive name of the 'World Anti-Imperialist Platform,' composed of social democratic forces and communist parties or groups with no influence over their own national working classes, clearly siding with the camp of imperialist bandits." In July 2024, at the Sixth Washington International Conference of the World Anti-Imperialist Platform, the Revolutionary Unification organization from Greece argued: "The KKE and others are unable to prioritize the goals of the movement in a rational and effective manner, confusing the monopoly stage of capitalist countries with the state of imperialist countries; their representative view is the so-called 'Imperialist Pyramid Theory' [3]."
It is evident that diversified platforms such as the World Anti-Imperialist Platform and "European Communist Action" have become tools for the organized solidarity and struggle of Communist Parties in the world today. While participating as equals in these diversified platforms, Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have both strengthened international exchange and union and actively engaged in "sectarian-style" struggle. Currently, Communist Parties explore in parallel while advancing together in an intertwined manner, uniting across many sides while frequently struggling, reflecting new characteristics of the 21st-century international communist movement. Amidst union and struggle, the relations between Communist Parties exhibit a new "networked" trend, specifically manifested as: more prominent categorized principal forces, more frequent intensive interactions, more obvious diversified modes of connection, more distinct loose internationalism, and more salient regularized patterns of dispute.
Second, network media is increasingly integrating into the organizational building and daily operation of parties, and the "mediatization" tendency of some parties is evident. Along with the development of internet technology and the popularization of mobile communication devices, cyberspace has become an important field for party propaganda and competition. Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have stepped up the pace of informationization, carrying out Party building through the internet and new media to expand political and social influence and close the ties between the Party and the masses.
On one hand, they fully utilize the influence of traditional printed organ newspapers to realize the digitalization of Party media. In the internet era, to adapt to changes in people's reading habits, Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have promoted the implementation of digital Party media projects. The KKE's Rizospastis, the Japanese Communist Party's Akahata, the Communist Party USA's People's World, the Portuguese Communist Party's Avante!, the Communist Party of Canada's People's Voice, the Communist Party of Australia's The Guardian, and the Communist Party of Spain's Mundo Obrero have not only launched independent websites to achieve digitalization but have also opened accounts on social media such as Facebook, X, Instagram, etc., updating Party information in a timely manner to facilitate browsing and interactive commenting by mobile users.
On the other hand, they have vigorously constructed official Party websites and instant media. Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have intensified the construction of official websites, promptly publishing basic documents such as Party constitutions, programs, statements, and resolutions. To facilitate reading by internet users of different languages, many websites have also established multi-lingual versions. For example, the KKE website uses 12 languages including Greek, English, Arabic, German, and Turkish, fully reflecting the "international" character of the communist cause. The official homepage of the French Communist Party is connected to instant communication media, pushing the Party's official accounts on X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok through real-time modules, which better fits the reading habits of young netizens.
However, speaking objectively, it is extremely difficult for Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries to solve problems such as the weakening of relations between parties and trade unions, the weakening of Party-mass relations, and low party influence in the short term. Some parties, due to over-reliance on informationization and digitalization, have instead become detached from the masses [4], resulting in poor results in the construction of primary-level organizations. Their effective means for practicing the mass line are very limited, and their influence among the working class and the masses is gradually flagging, eventually giving rise to a mediatization tendency. They turn into "networked grassroots movements" that emphasize the network while neglecting practice, facing the danger of becoming "internet parties" and "media parties." For example, critics accused the Revolutionary Communists of America (RCA), founded in 2024, of making a grand entrance through media hype, arguing that the party "seems more interested in projecting an image of being active (marching with several dozen people in matching red clothes) than in doing actual organizing work," and "seems more like a social club than a political party or radical group."
Additionally, driven by digital technology, some emerging parties have risen rapidly, including ultra-left parties. Through networked hype campaigns, radicalized parties continuously seize the political space of traditional Communist Parties, bringing greater homogeneous competition and more chaos to Communist Parties within a fragmented party landscape. This is a major challenge facing Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries.
Third, internal chronic ailments restricting party development persist, while the influence of external factors on party development has further strengthened. On one hand, for a long time, Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have suffered from internal chronic ailments that restrict development, such as theoretical "leftist swaying" and "rightist swinging," the aging of Party members, the weakening of Party purity, weak Party cohesion and combat effectiveness, and financial straits. Theoretical "leftist swaying" refers to some Communist Parties being constrained by traditional historical burdens in their theoretical explorations, understanding and applying Marxist theory and Soviet experience in a rigid and fossilized way, exhibiting a certain "ultra-left" tendency. Theoretical "rightist swinging" refers to some parties, in order to promote party modernization and adaptive transformation, being eager to "de-revolutionize," "de-Stalinize," and "de-Leninize," moving their political positions toward the center and the right. Both "leftist swaying" and "rightist swinging" are detrimental to the healthy development of the Party. Furthermore, many Communist Parties face the dilemma of an aging membership. In December 2024, the Political Resolution adopted by the 22nd Congress of the Portuguese Communist Party pointed out that the aging of its members is serious: regarding the age structure, those under 40 account for 10.4%, those aged 41–64 account for 36.9%, and those over 64 account for 52.7%. To reverse the situation of small membership and low influence, most Communist Parties have opened channels for joining the Party on their websites and simplified membership procedures. Due to insufficient manpower and financial resources, the management, supervision, and education of members are not in place; consequently, member loyalty has declined, and the Party's cohesion has been significantly affected.
On the other hand, the influence of external factors on party development has clearly strengthened. First, various forms of anti-communism emerge in an endless stream. To contain the development of the socialist and workers' movements, many capitalist governments persist in their consistent anti-communist behavior, creating difficulties for the activities and development of Communist Parties. On February 17, 2025, a statement from "European Communist Action" pointed out that since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, "anti-communism and various forms of oppression have been increasing, while democratic rights, trade union rights, and freedoms have been greatly weakened." Second, current party politics is increasingly fragmented, and many Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries participate in elections by forming party alliances with other left-wing parties. These alliances have expanded the political influence of Communist Parties, allowing some of the Party's policy proposals to be successfully transformed into national laws or government policies. Third, the leading role of socialism with Chinese characteristics for Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries has gradually strengthened. According to incomplete statistics, over the past decade or so, more than 20 Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries—including those in Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia—have significantly increased their attention, support, and positive evaluation of socialism with Chinese characteristics. For example, the conference document "Discussion of the German Communist Party on China" produced at the 25th Congress of the German Communist Party in March 2023 expressed recognition and support for socialism with Chinese characteristics. In short, socialism with Chinese characteristics is gradually exerting a profound influence on Communist Parties worldwide, including those in developed capitalist countries, and is quietly changing the political agendas of many parties.
Lessons from the New Developments of Communist Parties in Developed Capitalist Countries
Under the changes unseen in a century [5], Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries are deeply besieged by the various encirclements set by the capitalist system. They have not ceased their activities due to the unfavorable survival environment; instead, they have always held high the banner of Marxism, continued to explore socialist developmental paths with their own national characteristics, and actively carried out various anti-capitalist struggles, demonstrating the spiritual strength of Marxist parties that fear no hardship and forge ahead continuously. Studying the new changes and characteristics of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries holds important enlightening value for understanding the current state, development trends, and laws of contemporary world socialism.
First, the new developments of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries indicate that world socialism has presented a state different from the long-term low ebb following the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe—namely, a trend of active striving and seeking new breakthroughs amidst change. Under the impact of the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, whether it was the sharp reduction in the number of socialist countries and their path transitions, the fragmentation and predicament of many Communist Parties, the weakening and disappearance of socialist interaction and union at the international level, or the flagging of socialist discourse under the influence of the "End of History" thesis, all caused the socialist cause pursued by Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries to present a trend of precipitous decline. Many Communist Parties consequently fell into a low period of reorganization, splitting, and reflection. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Although world socialism will experience twists and turns in its development, the general trend of human social development has not changed and will not change." In recent years, although Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have not yet achieved final victory in practical struggles, they have exposed and criticized capitalist contradictions and crises, actively engaged in struggles to defend people's livelihoods and civil rights, and carried out struggles against capitalism and imperialism through various means such as trade union movements, demonstrations, joint statements, and international conferences. Forging ahead with concerted effort on the road to realizing socialism and communism, they are an important force for advancing socialist struggles and movements in developed capitalist countries.
At the same time, many Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries are vigorously advancing adaptive adjustments and reforms, struggling more actively on the front lines of the anti-capitalist struggle and exploring paths toward socialism in their own countries with a more proactive posture. By strengthening international cooperation and constructing joint mechanisms and united fronts, the fragmented world socialist movement is gradually recovering and forming a trend toward unification. This demonstrates that world socialism has begun to burst forth with a positive momentum, forging ahead amidst profound changes and seeking breakthroughs. On May 9, 2025, the "European Communist Action" held a rally in Berlin, Germany, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Fascist War. Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece, emphasized at the meeting that the victory of the anti-fascist struggle 80 years ago proved to the world that the people of all nations have the capacity to respond to various challenges and the dilemmas of the international communist movement. "The future of humanity is not capitalism, but a new world of socialism!" It is precisely through the sustained efforts of generations of Communists in various countries that the sparks of communism have been spread and kept alive, and the struggle for socialism and communism has continuously achieved victory in the face of adversity. The explorations of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries further prove to the world through practical action the scientific judgment of General Secretary Xi Jinping that "we are still in the historical era indicated by Marxism."
Second, the new developments of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries indicate that world socialism is manifesting many new historical characteristics, presenting new tasks for academic research. Since its birth, socialism has undergone a journey from utopia to science, from theory to practice, and from practice in a single country to development in multiple countries. Under the changes unseen in a century [6], the new characteristics and issues in the overall development trend of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries deserve in-depth study by the academic community.
For example, regarding the overall understanding of the current world socialist movement and the international communist movement, importance must be attached to researching the diverse new socialist factors and situations within individual nations. In recent years, many Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have achieved certain results; however, achieving victory in the socialist struggle at the national level remains a task for which there is a long way to go [7]. At the same time, under the changes unseen in a century, many developed countries in Europe and America are riddled with internal contradictions and frequent social protests, while socialist discourse and factors show a growing trend. Communist Parties in various countries concentrate on socialist struggles both within and outside the parliamentary path, committing themselves to promoting solidarity and union at the international level, making positive contributions to the advancement of world socialism. Therefore, in studying the new conditions of the socialist movement in developed capitalist countries under the changes unseen in a century, we must not only strengthen research on the political ecosystem and developmental trends of Communist Parties but also emphasize the study of new socialist factors and situations.
Furthermore, on the theoretical level, Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have enriched and developed Marxist understanding of many issues in response to new changes under the century of profound shifts. Regarding issues such as identity politics versus class politics, global ecological environment issues versus class-based party discourse, the adaptive development of nationalism versus the tradition of internationalist revolution, the parliamentary path versus street politics, the united front versus independence and autonomy, digital network propaganda versus traditional propaganda and education, and the mass line versus grassroots organizational building, many Communist Parties in developed countries have conducted new theoretical and practical explorations and accumulated experience. At the same time, these issues have also brought difficulties to many parties, affecting their healthy development. For instance, the wave of party resignations on the eve of the 40th Convention of the Communist Party of Canada in 2022 was a crisis triggered by the entanglement of identity politics discourses—such as LGBTQ+ issues and racism—and online media. Therefore, importance must be attached to researching the new explorations and changes of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries at both theoretical and practical levels. Only in this way can we more accurately grasp their systems of knowledge and discourse, thereby understanding the developmental status of contemporary world socialism as a whole.
Third, the new developmental trends of Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries further indicate that socialism with Chinese characteristics is becoming the banner of the development of 21st-century scientific socialism and the mainstay of revitalizing world socialism. Under the changes unseen in a century, many Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have carried out adaptive adjustments and reforms, striving to "break through the encirclement" and making some progress. However, constrained by factors such as a harsh political ecosystem, heavy historical burdens, and ineffective Party building, the political development of many Communist Parties remains faltering. At the same time, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, various undertakings in China have achieved historical accomplishments and undergone historical transformations. The successful practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era has caused a major shift in favor of socialism in the historical evolution and competition between the two ideologies and two social systems—socialism and capitalism—on a global scale. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has exerted a tremendous influence on world socialism, playing a massive role in promoting and leading both in theoretical logic and objective practice. Against this background, the degree of attention and the desire for interaction toward the Communist Party of China from Communist Parties in developed capitalist countries have increased day by day, and positive evaluations of socialism with Chinese characteristics have significantly increased. Through hosting or participating in conferences, studying or writing works and articles, accepting interviews, and organizing acts of solidarity, they actively learn, interpret, publicize, and defend socialism with Chinese characteristics. As Mauro Alboresi, National Secretary of the Italian Communist Party, stated in May 2021, socialism with Chinese characteristics demonstrates that "there exists another way to organize the socio-economy and handle relations between different countries and regions; it also proves the feasibility of socialism in the 21st century and has accumulated extremely important experience, contributing to the revitalization of socialist ideals and the future on a global scale. This highlights the importance of the Communist Party of China to China and the international communist movement." Socialism with Chinese characteristics has become the banner of 21st-century scientific socialism and the mainstay for the revitalization of world socialism; this is a significant historical change since socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, and it is also the trend of historical development.