International attendees at a forum in Hong Kong on Wednesday spoke highly of "putting people first," the governing philosophy of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and the party's contribution to the world.

The secret of the CPC's success is to always stand with the Chinese people, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in a video speech.

China's poverty alleviation is exceptional in world history, and the CPC and the Chinese people have overcome many difficulties together in the past century, he said.

Echoing Hatoyama's remarks, Martin Jacques, a British scholar and former senior fellow at the University of Cambridge, said the CPC has "extremely deep roots in the Chinese population."

"It has transformed China since 1949 from an extremely poor country to what is now the second largest economy in the world...this is a remarkable achievement," he said.

As the need to further reduce poverty and inequality around the world is accentuated in the post-pandemic world, China has got huge lessons to help other countries to learn from, Jim O'neill, chair of Britain's Royal Institute of International Affairs, said.

The economist who coined the term BRICs also highlighted the significance of the Belt and Road Initiative, saying its "win-win benefits in terms of global trade for everybody will be spectacular."

The forum was held to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and assembled more than 300 scholars, political figures and business elites from around the world, who in person or remotely discussed topics including the CPC's contribution to the world.

The event was organized by the liaison office of China's central government and Bauhinia Culture Group Co., Ltd.