Foreigners in Shanghai meet grassroots Party members

In their final group discussion with China Chat host Miao Xiaojuan, the foreigners concluded that the day spent with CPC members had "refreshed their impressions" of the Party.

Delcroix described his conversation with Yuan as a "bit official" at first, but it later became more relaxed.

"Yuan comes from a small town outside Shanghai. After becoming a Party member, he saw his family's status in the area rise," he said.

Delcroix added that he thought stereotypical views of China held by some people in the West had stagnated since the Cold War.

"A lot of people think itself is just scary, without understanding it at all," he said.

However, he added that judging a political party ultimately depends on the results it achieves, rather than any form of stereotyping.

"People, in the end, care about their standard of living," he said, emphasizing that the most important and pragmatic criterion is development over time.

Delcroix cited his own case as an example.

"A lot of private business and development has happened in China. I have my own company and we have had a lot of encouragement. The pandemic has made it a tough period for many businesses, but we have had tax cuts on everything," he said.

Sharman said, "I think that in general Chinese people are really positive about the future because they can see how everything is constantly improving."

Houle said: "It is the CPC that brought people out of poverty and raised the standard of living. That is the way it is perceived here."

She used to believe that CPC members mainly comprised officials who worked for the Party.

"What really surprised me is that some of them are just ordinary members. They have a lesser political role－it is more about social involvement and aiding society," Houle said.

"The CPC has gained a strong foundation in China and cultivated a sense of pride for people who are part of it. But outside China, not everyone understands and feels the same way about it."

Houle initially thought that "the CPC did not really care about the Western world and kept focusing on solely on its own duties."

However, she found that this was not the case. "Through meeting with the Party members, I realize it is the aim of the CPC and China to kind of open a dialogue in a way that would actually speak to Western media," she added.

The four foreigners said people were the Party's core value. Unger felt that the Party always has the people's support, while Delcroix cited the official slogan "work for the people" to explain the Party's spirit.

In conclusion, Unger said, "I would like to tell my friends how close I came to the CPC and how wonderful the experience was."

Xinhua's China Chat Studio exclusively for China Daily