Nothing seems more critical for the peaceful development of China than the smooth evolution of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and smooth transition of its leadership. China's history of the last 90 years confirms this.

But with the rise of China and ever-expanding globalization, the impact of the CPC's future trajectory has become equally critical for the countries that interact with China. This is especially true of its immediate neighbors such as India. The future of countries like India, seen as another rising power, surely depends on China's continued peace and stability. India, therefore, has direct stakes in the smooth evolution of the CPC.

The CPC represents one of the very few communist parties in the world that have survived several internal and external challenges. The cascading downfall of several communist governments in the 1990s led to some serious innovations and soul-searching within the CPC leadership. The CPC is the largest communist party in the world. And, with the rise of China, the CPC has also come to be recognized as one of the most resourceful political forces in human history.