BEIJING – The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China opened Wednesday as socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a “new era.”
On behalf of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC, Xi Jinping delivered a report titled “Secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and strive for the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era.”
Here are the highlights of the report:
New era with new thought
– Socialism with Chinese characteristics enters new era
It will be an era of securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and of moving on to all-out efforts to build a great modern socialist country, Xi said.
It will also be an era that sees China moving closer to center stage and making greater contributions to mankind, he said.
– CPC rolls out Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era
The CPC has given shape to the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, a long-term guide to action that the Party must adhere to and develop.
The thought “builds on and further enriches Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development,” Xi said. “It represents the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context.”
Xi defined components of the thought, calling it a “guide to action” that must be adhered to and steadily developed on a long-term basis for all Party members and all Chinese people in their efforts to achieve national rejuvenation.
Related: CPC should have its say in realm of ideology
– Principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved in new era
“What we now face is the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life,” Xi said.
The evolution of the principal contradiction represents a “historic shift that affects the whole landscape and that creates many new demands for the work of the Party and the country,” he said.
Previously the principal contradiction was described as one between “the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people and backward social production.”
Great modern socialist country
– China to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035
Xi said that the CPC will lead the country to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035.
This is the first stage of a two-stage development plan that the CPC drew up for the period from 2020 to the middle of the 21st century.
– CPC to develop China into ‘great modern socialist country’ by mid-21st century
Xi said that the Communist Party of China will develop China into a “great modern socialist country” by the middle of the 21st century.
The Communist Party of China will take a two-step approach to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of the century, he said.
– National rejuvenation just ‘wishful thinking’ without CPC leadership
Without the leadership of the CPC, national rejuvenation would just be “wishful thinking,” Xi said.
“We must keep on strengthening the Party’s ability to lead politically, to guide through theory, to organize the people, and to inspire society, thus ensuring that the Party’s great vitality and strong ability are forever maintained,” he said.
– Achieving national rejuvenation will be ‘no walk in the park’
Citing a Chinese saying that “the last leg of a journey just marks the halfway point,” Xi demanded that every Party member “be prepared to work even harder toward this goal.”
“Today, we are closer, more confident, and more capable than ever before of making the goal of national rejuvenation a reality,” he said.
“Realizing our great dream demands a great struggle,” Xi said.
Economy
– Focusing on real economy
Xi called for focusing on the real economy, and working faster to build China into a manufacturer of quality.
“We will move Chinese industries up to the medium-high end of the global value chain, and foster a number of world-class advanced manufacturing clusters,” he said.
– New methods to improve economic macro-regulation
Xi called for developing new methods to improve macro-regulation by better coordinating fiscal, monetary, industrial, regional, and other economic policies.
– Xi calls for furthering SOE reform
Xi called for furthering reform of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and making them “stronger, better and bigger.”
“We will further reform of SOEs, develop mixed-ownership economic entities, and turn Chinese enterprises into world-class, globally competitive firms,” he said.
– Boosting fundamental role of consumption in China’s economic growth
“We will improve systems and mechanisms for stimulating consumer spending, and leverage the fundamental role of consumption in promoting economic growth,” Xi said.
Reform of the investment and financing systems will also be deepened to enable investment to play a crucial role in improving the supply structure, he added.
– Cause of CPC, nation see ‘historic shifts’ in past five years
Xi said that “historic shifts” have been made in the cause of the Communist Party of China and the country in the past five years.
China’s GDP rose from 54 trillion to 80 trillion yuan ($8.2-$12.1 trillion) over the past five years, he said.
More than 60 million people have been lifted out of poverty over the past five years, Xi said.
Rule of law
– CPC to set up central leading group for advancing law-based governance in all areas
The move is aimed at exercising unified leadership over the initiative to build rule of law in China, Xi said.
Advancing law-based governance in all fields is a profound revolution in China’s governance, he said.
Party building
– ‘Sweeping victory’ in anti-corruption
Calling corruption “the greatest threat” the Party faces, Xi said the fight against corruption never ends and currently remains grave and complex.
– China to scrap ‘shuanggui’ practice
Xi said China will replace the practice of “shuanggui” with detention as the reform of the national supervision system deepens.
Shuanggui is an intra-party disciplinary practice that requires a CPC member under investigation to cooperate with questioning at a designated place and a designated time. The practice is exercised by the Party’s disciplinary officials.
Xi said China will set up supervisory commissions at the national, provincial, city, and county levels, which share offices and work together with the Party’s disciplinary inspection commissions.
A national supervision law will be formulated.
– CPC to launch campaign for staying true to founding mission
Xi said the Party will launch a campaign to instruct its 89 million members to use the Party’s new theories to fortify their thinking.
The campaign, on the theme of “staying true to our founding mission,” covers all Party members, especially officials at and above the county and director level, he said.
Beautiful China
– Environmental measures on track for a beautiful country
People will see a fundamental improvement in the environment and the country will reach the targets set for building a Beautiful China by 2035, Xi said.
– CPC incorporates ‘Beautiful China’ into two-stage development plan
The CPC has incorporated “Beautiful China” into its two-stage development plan for building a great modern socialist country by mid-21st century, Xi said.
– CPC advocates joint building of a clean, beautiful world
Xi called on all countries to work together for a clean and beautiful world and tackle climate change through cooperation.
– China to develop nature reserves system
Xi said China will develop a nature reserves system composed mainly of national parks, as part of an effort to build a beautiful China.
Opening-up
– China will only become more and more open
Xi said that China will not close its door to the world, and it will only become more and more open.
He stressed the importance of both “bringing in” and “going global,” and called upon the country to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative as a priority.
– More market-based interest rates, exchange rates
Xi called for making China’s interest rates and exchange rates more market-based.
He also stressed the importance of improving the financial regulatory system to “forestall systemic financial risks.”
Armed forces
– CPC to build world-class armed forces by mid-21st century
Xi said the CPC will strive to fully transform the people’s armed forces into a world-class military by the mid-21st century.
By 2020, mechanization will be basically achieved. The modernization of national defense and armed forces should be basically completed by 2035, he said.
Diplomacy
– China never seeks hegemony, expansion
China will never seek hegemony or expansion regardless of the level of its development, Xi said.
“The development of China is no threat to any other country. No matter how much China has developed, it will never seek hegemony or expansion,” he said.
Sovereignty
– Party will never allow threat to sovereignty
“We have the resolve, confidence and ability to defeat separatist attempts for ‘Taiwan independence’ in any form,” Xi said.
The CPC stands firm in safeguarding China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow the historical tragedy of national division to repeat itself, he said.
– ‘One country, two systems’ best institutional guarantee for HK, Macao prosperity, stability
Xi said the policy of “one country, two systems” has proved to be the best institutional guarantee for the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao after their return.
