Firmly March on the Path of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics 

and Strive to Complete the Building of a Moderately Prosperous Society

 in All Respects

— Report to the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China

(November 8, 2012)

Hu Jintao

Comrades,

The Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China is a meeting of paramount importance held at the decisive stage of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The theme of the congress is: High hold the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Important Thought of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, emancipate the mind, pursue reform and opening up, pool strength, overcome all difficulties, firmly march on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

I. The Work of the Past Five Years and the Basic Summary of the Past Ten Years

The past five years since the Seventeenth National Congress have been a period in which we forged ahead with courage on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, withstood the test of all kinds of difficulties and risks, and won new victories in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Over the past five years, fresh and major achievements have been scored across all areas: the economy maintained steady and robust growth; significant progress was achieved in reform and opening up; the people's living standards improved markedly; new strides were made in building socialist democracy and the rule of law; cultural development reached a new stage; social development made new progress; a new ground was opened in national defense and military development; work related to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan was further strengthened; and new accomplishments were registered in diplomatic work.

Over the past five years, the Party's building was comprehensively strengthened. The enhancement of the Party's governance capacity and its advanced nature continued to progress; ideological and theoretical work yielded evident results; activities to study and practice the Scientific Outlook on Development bore significant fruits; and substantial strides were taken in the reform and innovation of Party building. Intra-Party democracy was further expanded. Notable progress was achieved in strengthening the ranks of cadres, and talent development opened up a new horizon. The campaigns to excel in performance and create learning-oriented Party organizations were conducted in depth, and primary-level Party organizations were steadily reinforced. Fresh results were accomplished in improving Party conduct, building a clean government, and combating corruption.

At the same time, we must remain soberly aware that our work still falls short in many respects, and numerous difficulties and problems lie on our path ahead. The problems of unbalanced, uncoordinated, and unsustainable development remain acute; institutional mechanisms hindering scientific development remain prevalent; disparities in development between urban and rural areas and across regions as well as the income distribution gap are still wide; some primary-level Party organizations are weak and lax; passive and corrupt phenomena are prone to occur in certain fields, and the anti-corruption situation remains severe. We must attach paramount importance to these difficulties and problems and take earnest measures to resolve them.

In summing up the work of the past decade, we firmly seized and capitalized on the important period of strategic opportunities for China's development, overcame a series of major challenges, and vigorously propelled socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new stage of development.

Over the past ten years, we have achieved a series of new historic achievements, laying a solid foundation for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and bringing about new historic transformations in the visage of our nation.

In reviewing our decade-long struggle, what is most crucial is that we have adhered to the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the Important Thought of Three Represents, had the courage to advance theoretical innovation based on practice, put forward a series of closely interconnected and coherent new thoughts, viewpoints, and conclusions centering on upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and formulated and implemented the Scientific Outlook on Development. The Scientific Outlook on Development is the product of integrating Marxism with the realities of contemporary China and the underlying features of our era, representing the concentrated manifestation of the Marxist worldview and methodology concerning development. It has provided new scientific answers to major questions such as what kind of development to achieve under new circumstances and how to pursue it, elevated our understanding of the laws governing socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new height, and opened up a new realm for the development of Marxism in contemporary China. The Scientific Outlook on Development is the latest theoretical achievement of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Communist Party of China, and a powerful ideological weapon guiding all work of the Party and the country. Together with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the Important Thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development is a guiding ideology that the Party must adhere to over the long term.

II. The Scientific Outlook on Development Is the Guiding Ideology the Party Must Adhere to over the Long Term

Looking to the future, thoroughly applying the Scientific Outlook on Development is of great immediate relevance and profound historical significance for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. It must be implemented throughout the entire process of our country's modernization drive and reflected in all aspects of Party building. The whole Party must more conscientiously take promoting economic and social development as the foremost task in applying the Scientific Outlook on Development, more conscientiously take putting people first as the core stance, more conscientiously take comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development as the basic requirement, and more conscientiously take overall consideration as the fundamental approach.

Emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and being realistic and pragmatic are the most salient spirit and essence of the Scientific Outlook on Development. There is no end to the development of practice, to the pursuit of truth, or to theoretical innovation. The whole Party must have the courage to practice, reform, and innovate, grasp the requirements of the development of the times, conform to the shared aspirations of the people, tirelessly explore and master the laws of socialism with Chinese characteristics, constantly preserve the vitality of the Party and the momentum of national development, and vigorously open up even broader prospects for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the creative practice of the Party and the people.

The Scientific Outlook on Development is the product of integrating Marxism with the realities of contemporary China and the features of our era, and represents the concentrated manifestation of the Marxist worldview and methodology on development. It provides new scientific answers to major questions such as what kind of development to achieve and how to pursue it under new conditions, raises our understanding of the laws governing socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new level, and opens up a new realm for the development of Marxism in contemporary China.

The Scientific Outlook on Development is the latest outcome of the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Communist Party of China, and a powerful ideological weapon guiding all work of the Party and the country. Together with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the Important Thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development is a guiding ideology that the Party must adhere to over the long term.

III. Unswervingly Uphold and Advance Socialism with Chinese Characteristics with the Times

The path we take determines the lifeblood of the Party, the future of the nation, the destiny of the Chinese people, and their well-being. Exploring the path of national rejuvenation in a country with such backward economic and cultural conditions as China is an exceptionally arduous task. Over the past ninety-plus years, relying closely on the people and integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China's concrete realities and the features of the times, our Party has independently blazed its own path. Enduring countless hardships and paying various costs, the Party has scored magnificent victories in revolution, construction, and reform, initiated and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics, and fundamentally altered the future and destiny of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation.

The first generation of central collective leadership of the Party with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country in accomplishing the New Democratic Revolution, carrying out socialist transformation, establishing the basic socialist system, and successfully realizing the most profound and greatest social transformation in Chinese history. This laid down the fundamental political prerequisites and institutional groundwork for all progress and development in contemporary China. During this exploration, although we experienced severe twists and turns, the original theoretical achievements and tremendous accomplishments made by the Party in socialist construction provided invaluable experience, theoretical preparation, and material foundation for initiating socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new historical period.

The second generation of central collective leadership of the Party with Comrade Deng Xiaoping at its core led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups nationwide in deeply reviewing both positive and negative experiences of China's socialist construction, drawing on the historical experience of world socialism, and making the historic decision to shift the focus of the work of the Party and the state onto economic development and introduce reform and opening up. They profoundly revealed the essence of socialism, established the basic line for the primary stage of socialism, explicitly proposed blazing our own trail and building socialism with Chinese characteristics, scientifically answered a series of fundamental questions concerning the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and successfully initiated socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The third generation of central collective leadership of the Party with Comrade Jiang Zemin at its core led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the nation in upholding the Party's basic theory and basic line. In the face of complex domestic and international situations and severe twists and turns in world socialism, they defended socialism with Chinese characteristics, established the Party's basic program and basic experience in light of new practices, determined the reform objective and basic framework of the socialist market economy system, established the basic economic system and distribution system for the primary stage of socialism, ushered in a new stage of all-around reform and opening up, advanced the new great project of Party building, and successfully propelled socialism with Chinese characteristics into the twenty-first century.

In the new stage of the new century, the Party Central Committee seized the important period of strategic opportunities, advanced practical, theoretical, and institutional innovation in the course of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, stressed the people-centered approach and comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development, proposed building a socialist harmonious society and accelerating ecological civilization development, shaped the overall layout of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, focused on ensuring and improving the people's livelihood, promoted social fairness and justice, facilitated the building of a harmonious world, pushed forward the Party's governance capacity and advanced nature, and successfully upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics at a new historical starting point.

In the consistent relay and exploration over more than thirty years of reform and opening up, we have unswervingly held high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, neither taking the old path of isolation and rigidity nor walking down the erroneous path of changing our flag and altering our course. The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics are the fundamental achievements made by the Party and the people through over ninety years of arduous struggle, creation, and accumulation. We must cherish them doubly, uphold them steadfastly, and develop them continuously.

The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics means, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, basing ourselves on the basic national conditions, focusing on economic development, adhering to the Four Cardinal Principles, persevering in reform and opening up, emancipating and developing the social productive forces, building a socialist market economy, socialist democracy, an advanced socialist culture, a socialist harmonious society, and a socialist ecological civilization, promoting the well-rounded development of individuals, gradually realizing common prosperity for all the people, and building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious.

The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a scientific theoretical system comprising Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Important Thought of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, which represents the adherence to and development of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.

The socialist system with Chinese characteristics includes the system of people's congresses as the fundamental political system, the basic political systems such as the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and the system of primary-level community-level self-governance, the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, the basic economic system with public ownership as the mainstay and diverse forms of ownership developing side by side, as well as the concrete systems governing economic, political, cultural, and social fields established on these foundational systems.

The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the pathway of realization, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the guide to action, and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the fundamental guarantee. The three are integrated into the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, forming the most distinctive feature shaped by the Party in leading the people through the long-term practice of building socialism.

To build socialism with Chinese characteristics, the general basis is the primary stage of socialism, the overall layout is the Five-in-One plan (economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological advancement), and the general task is to achieve socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Socialism with Chinese characteristics upholds the basic principles of scientific socialism and endows them with distinct Chinese characteristics tailored to the conditions of our times. With an entirely fresh perspective, it deepens our understanding of the laws governing communist governance, socialist construction, and the evolution of human society. It systematically answers, through the integration of theory and practice, the fundamental question of what kind of socialism to build and how to build it in an oriental country with a large population and a weak economic base, enabling our country to develop rapidly and our people's living standards to rise briskly. Practice has fully proved that socialism with Chinese characteristics is the fundamental direction for contemporary China's development and progress, and only socialism with Chinese characteristics can develop China.

Developing socialism with Chinese characteristics is a long-term, arduous historical task, and we must be prepared to conduct a great struggle with many new historical features. We must unswervingly adhere to and advance socialism with Chinese characteristics with the times, continuously enriching its practical, theoretical, national, and contemporary characteristics.

To win new victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics under new historical conditions, we must firmly grasp the following basic requirements and make them the shared conviction of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups: we must adhere to the principal position of the people; we must adhere to emancipating and developing the social productive forces; we must adhere to advancing reform and opening up; we must adhere to safeguarding social fairness and justice; we must adhere to taking the path of common prosperity; we must adhere to promoting social harmony; we must adhere to peaceful development; and we must adhere to the leadership of the Party.

We must remain soberly aware that our basic national condition—that China is in and will long remain in the primary stage of socialism—has not changed; the principal contradiction in society, namely that between the people's ever-growing material and cultural needs and backward social production, has not changed; and China's international status as the world's largest developing country has not changed. Under any circumstances, we must firmly grasp the primary stage of socialism as our biggest national reality, and advance reform and development in any area firmly anchored in this principal premise. The Party's basic line is the lifeblood of the Party and the country. We must persevere in unifying the focus on economic development with the two basic points of adhering to the Four Cardinal Principles and pursuing reform and opening up in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, neither belittling ourselves nor becoming arrogant, and securing new victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics in a down-to-earth manner.

As long as we cherish ideals, firm up convictions, avoid vacillation, shun laxity, abstain from unnecessary friction, and struggle persistently, arduously, and unremittingly, we will certainly be able to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects when the Communist Party of China marks its centenary, and build a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious when the People's Republic of China marks its centenary. The entire Party must bolster such confidence in our path, theories, and system!

Taking an overarching view of international and domestic trends, China's development remains in an important period of strategic opportunities in which much can be accomplished. We must accurately assess the changes in the connotations and conditions of this strategic opportunity period, comprehensively grasp opportunities, address challenges calmly, seize the initiative, secure an edge, win the future, and ensure the realization of the grand goal of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020.

In light of the actual economic and social development in our country, we must strive to achieve new requirements on the basis of the targets for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects set at the Sixteenth and Seventeenth National Congresses: — Continuous and sound economic development. Major progress should be made in shifting the economic growth model. On the basis of significantly enhancing the balance, coordination, and sustainability of development, we should double our 2010 GDP and per capita income for both urban and rural residents. — Continuous expansion of people's democracy. The democratic system should become more complete, forms of democracy more diversified, the basic strategy of the rule of law comprehensively implemented, a law-based government basically built, judicial credibility steadily raised, and human rights effectively respected and safeguarded. — Marked increase in cultural soft power. The system of core socialist values should take root in people's hearts, the cultural sector should become a pillar industry of the national economy, and the foundation for building a socialist cultural power should become firmer. — All-around improvement in people's living standards. Equal access to basic public services should be broadly achieved, the educational level of the whole nation and the cultivation of innovative talent significantly improved, employment made more adequate, the income distribution gap narrowed, and social security coverage extended to all people. — Major progress in building a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society.

To complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, we must, with greater political courage and wisdom, lose no time in deepening reform in key sectors, resolutely dismantle all outdated ideas, institutional barriers, and structural defects that hinder scientific development, and establish a well-rounded, scientifically standardized, and effectively functioning institutional system to make systems in all fields more mature and definitive. We must accelerate the improvement of the socialist market economy system, improve the basic economic system with public ownership as the mainstay and diverse forms of ownership developing side by side, refine the distribution system with distribution according to work as the principal form and multiple modes of distribution coexisting, improve the macroeconomic regulation system, let the market play a fundamental role in resource allocation to a greater degree and in a wider scope, enhance an open economic system, and promote more efficient, equitable, and sustainable economic growth.

We must accelerate institutionalizing, standardizing, and proceduralizing socialist democracy, expand citizens' orderly political participation at all levels and in all fields, and place all work of the state on a legal footing.

We must accelerate the improvement of the cultural management system and the cultural production and operation mechanisms, essentially establish a modern cultural market system, improve the management system of state-owned cultural assets, and foster a cultural development environment conducive to innovation and creativity.

We must accelerate the establishment of a scientific and effective social management system, improve the social security system, enhance the grassroots public service and social management networks, and institute mechanisms that ensure society is full of vigor while harmonious and orderly.

We must accelerate the development of an ecological civilization system, improve institutions and mechanisms for territorial space development, resource conservation, and environmental protection, and promote a new modernization landscape where humans and nature develop in harmony.

Fulfilling the task of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects on schedule is exceptionally arduous. Comrades of the whole Party must immerse themselves in hard work and struggle doggedly. The state will ramp up support for rural areas and the central and western regions, backing these regions to accelerate reform and opening up, strengthen development capacity, and improve the people's livelihood. Areas with favorable conditions are encouraged to continue leading the way in modernization, making greater contributions to nationwide reform and development.

IV. Accelerate the Improvement of the Socialist Market Economy System and the Shift of the Economic Growth Model

Focusing on economic development is the key to national revitalization, and development remains the key to resolving all issues in our country. Only by promoting continuous and sound economic development can we consolidate the material foundation for national prosperity, people's well-being, and social harmony and stability. We must uphold the strategic thinking that development is of paramount importance, without the slightest hesitation.

In contemporary China, the intrinsic requirement of upholding development as of paramount importance is to insist on scientific development. Taking scientific development as the theme and accelerating the transformation of the economic development mode as the main line is a strategic choice concerning the overall landscape of China's development. We must adapt to new changes in domestic and international economic environments, speed up the creation of a new growth model, shift the focus of development to improving quality and performance, endeavor to stimulate new dynamism in all market entities, build up new innovation-driven momentum, construct a modern industrial system, foster new advantages in the open economy, and continuously reinforce long-term development momentum.

We must adhere to the path of new industrialization, IT application, urbanization, and agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics, promote the profound integration of IT application and industrialization, the benign interaction between industrialization and urbanization, and the mutual coordination between urbanization and agricultural modernization, ensuring their synchronized development.

First, comprehensively deepen economic structural reform. Deepening reform is crucial for accelerating the transformation of the economic growth model. The core issue in economic structural reform is handling the relationship between the government and the market appropriately, respecting market laws to a greater extent, and giving better play to the role of the government. We must unswervingly consolidate and develop the public sector, explore various forms of realizing public ownership, guide more state capital toward important industries and key fields concerning national security and the lifeblood of the national economy, and steadily enhance the vitality, control, and influence of the state-owned economy. We must unswervingly encourage, support, and guide the development of the non-public sector, ensuring that economic entities under all forms of ownership have equal access to production factors in accordance with the law, engage in fair market competition, and receive equal legal protection. We must improve the modern market system, accelerate fiscal and tax structural reform, deepen financial structural reform, improve financial regulation, advance financial innovation, and safeguard financial stability.

Second, implement the innovation-driven development strategy. Scientific and technological innovation provides strategic support for increasing social productive forces and overall national strength, and must be placed at the core of national development. We must adhere to the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics, plan and promote innovation with a global vision, enhance our capacities for original innovation, integrated innovation, and reinvention based on digestion and absorption of imported technologies, and place greater emphasis on collaborative innovation. We must deepen the reform of the science and technology system, accelerate the construction of the national innovation system, and focus on building a technological innovation system with enterprises as the main body, guided by the market, and combining industry, academia, and research institutes. We must refine the knowledge innovation system, implement major national science and technology programs, enforce the intellectual property strategy, and pool the wisdom and strength of the whole society behind innovative development.

Third, push forward the strategic adjustment of the economic structure. This is the primary orientation for speeding up the transformation of the economic growth model. We must focus on improving the demand structure, optimizing the industrial structure, promoting coordinated regional development, and advancing urbanization, tackling major structural problems that restrict sustainable and sound economic growth. We must firmly adhere to expanding domestic demand as a strategic cornerstone, speed up the establishment of a long-term mechanism for expanding consumer demand, and expand the scale of the domestic market. We must firmly adhere to developing the real economy as a solid foundation, introduce policies and measures more favorable to its growth, promote the sound development of strategic emerging industries and advanced manufacturing, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, expand the service sector—especially modern services—and support micro and small enterprises, particularly tech-oriented ones. We must continue to implement the overall regional development strategy, give full play to the comparative advantages of various regions, and increase support for old revolutionary base areas, ethnic minority areas, border areas, and poverty-stricken areas. We must accelerate the reform of the household registration system, orderly advance the urbanization of rural migrant workers, and strive to achieve universal coverage of basic urban public services for all permanent residents.

Fourth, promote integrated urban-rural development. Resolving issues relating to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers is of fundamental importance to all work of the Party, and urban-rural integration is the fundamental way to address these "three rural issues." We must redouble efforts to balance urban and rural development and promote common prosperity. We must intensify policies that strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and enrich rural areas, ensuring that rural residents participate in the modernization process as equals and share in its fruits. We must accelerate the development of modern agriculture, enhance comprehensive agricultural productivity, and safeguard national food security and an effective supply of major agricultural products. We must advance the building of a new socialist countryside and poverty-alleviation development in depth, and comprehensively improve production and living conditions in rural areas. We must take concrete steps to increase farmers' income and maintain its sustained and rapid growth. We must uphold and improve the basic rural operation system and build a new type of agricultural management system that integrates intensive, specialized, organized, and socialized operations. We must reform the land expropriation system and raise farmers' share in land value appreciation gains. We must accelerate the improvement of institutional mechanisms for integrated urban-rural development, facilitate equal exchanges of production factors and balanced allocation of public resources, and shape a new type of relationship between industry and agriculture and between urban and rural areas featuring mutual support, reciprocal benefit, and overall integration.

Fifth, comprehensively improve the open economy. Adapting to new developments in economic globalization, we must pursue a more proactive opening-up strategy and refine an open economic system that is mutually beneficial, diverse, balanced, secure, and efficient. We must accelerate the transformation of the external economic growth model and guide opening up toward optimizing structure, expanding depth, and improving efficiency. We must innovate the mode of opening up, place equal emphasis on export and import, improve the comprehensive edge and overall benefits of foreign capital utilization, accelerate the implementation of the "going global" strategy, coordinate bilateral, multilateral, regional, and sub-regional opening-up and cooperation, and enhance our ability to ward off international economic risks.

We must strengthen our confidence, prevail in this tough battle of comprehensively deepening economic structural reform and accelerating the shift of the economic development mode, and elevate the dynamism and competitiveness of China's economic development to a new level.

V. Uphold the Path of Socialist Political Development with Chinese Characteristics and Advance Political Structural Reform

People's democracy is a glorious banner our Party has always held high. Since the launch of reform and opening up, we have summarized positive and negative experiences in developing socialist democracy, emphasized that people's democracy is the lifeblood of socialism, insisted that all power of the state belongs to the people, and continuously advanced political structural reform. Socialist democracy has achieved significant progress, and we have successfully charted and adhered to the path of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics, establishing the correct direction for realizing the most extensive people's democracy.

Political structural reform is an important component of our comprehensive reform. We must continue to push forward political structural reform actively and prudently, and develop broader, fuller, and sounder people's democracy. We must maintain the organic unity of Party leadership, the running of the country by the people, and law-based governance, take ensuring that the people run the country as the fundamental requirement, aim at enhancing the vitality of the Party and state and mobilizing people's enthusiasm, expand socialist democracy, accelerate the building of a socialist country under the rule of law, and develop socialist political civilization. We must pay greater attention to improving the Party's leadership and governance methods, ensuring that the Party leads the people in governing the country effectively; pay greater attention to improving democratic institutions and enriching democratic forms, ensuring that the people engage in democratic election, decision-making, management, and oversight in accordance with the law; and pay greater attention to giving play to the important role of the rule of law in state governance and social management, upholding the unity, dignity, and authority of the legal system, and ensuring that the people enjoy extensive rights and freedoms in accordance with the law. We must attach prominent importance to institutional development, give full play to the strengths of our socialist political system, actively draw upon the beneficial achievements of human political civilization, and never indiscriminately copy Western political systems.

To advance political development and political structural reform, we must handle the following key tasks:

First, support and guarantee the people's exercise of state power through people's congresses. Support people's congresses and their standing committees in fully playing their role as organs of state power, exercising their functions and powers of legislation, oversight, decision-making, and appointment and removal in accordance with the law, strengthening the organization and coordination of legislative work, intensifying oversight over the government, courts, and procuratorates, and reinforcing the review and supervision of governments' comprehensive budgets and final accounts. Increase the proportion of primary-level deputies, particularly frontline workers, farmers, and intellectuals, while reducing the proportion of leading Party and government cadres. Establish deputy liaison offices in people's congresses and improve the system of deputies' contact with the public. Improve the organizational system of organs of state power, optimize the knowledge and age structure of members of standing committees and special committees, raise the proportion of full-time members, and bolster their capacity to perform duties according to law.

Second, improve the system of socialist consultative democracy. Improve institutions and working mechanisms for consultative democracy and promote its broad, multi-layered, and institutionalized development. Conduct extensive consultations through state organs, CPPCC organizations, democratic parties, and social groups regarding major issues of economic and social development and practical issues concerning the public's immediate interests, widely soliciting public opinion and pooling mass wisdom to build consensus and forge synergy. Uphold and improve the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, fully leverage the role of the CPPCC as an important channel for consultative democracy, advance institutional building for political consultation, democratic oversight, and participation in and deliberation of state affairs, and better coordinate relationships, pool strength, offer advice and suggestions, and serve the overall interest. Strengthen political consultation with democratic parties. Conduct in-depth consultations on special topics, between counterpart departments, across sectors, and regarding proposal handling. Actively develop primary-level democratic consultation.

Third, improve primary-level democracy. Improve dynamic primary-level self-governance mechanisms under the leadership of primary-level Party organizations, focus on expanding orderly participation, promoting transparency in affairs, strengthening deliberation and consultation, and tightening supervision over power, widen scope and pathways, enrich content and formats, and guarantee that the people enjoy more tangible democratic rights. Rely whole-heartedly on the working class, improve the democratic management system in enterprises and public institutions with workers' congresses as the basic form, and protect workers' democratic rights to participate in management and oversight. Give play to the synergistic role of various community-level organizations, realizing an organic combination of government administration and primary-level democracy.

Fourth, comprehensively advance law-based governance. Advance scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial administration of justice, and universal law-abidingness, uphold the equality of all before the law, and ensure that laws are respected, enforced strictly, and violations prosecuted. Improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, strengthen legislation in key areas, and expand channels for the public to participate orderly in legislation. Promote law-based government administration, ensuring strict, standardized, impartial, and civilized law enforcement. Further deepen judicial structural reform, ensuring that judicial and procuratorial organs independently and impartially exercise their judicial and procuratorial powers in accordance with the law. Conduct in-depth legal publicity and education, raising leading cadres' capacity to use rule-of-law thinking and law-based methods to deepen reform, advance development, resolve contradictions, and safeguard stability. The Party leads the people in formulating the Constitution and laws, and the Party must act within the scope of the Constitution and laws. No organization or individual shall have privileges transcending the Constitution and laws, and overriding laws with words, bending laws with power, or perverting the law for selfish ends shall never be tolerated.

Fifth, deepen administrative structural reform. Vigorously promote the separation of government functions from enterprise management, state assets management, public institutions, and social organizations, and build a service-oriented government with scientific functions, optimized structure, clean governance, high efficiency, and people's satisfaction. Deepen the reform of the administrative examination and approval system, continue to streamline administration and delegate power, and prompt government functions to transform toward creating a sound development environment, providing quality public services, and safeguarding social fairness and justice. Steadily advance super-ministry reform and improve the departmental responsibility system. Innovate administrative management methods, raising government credibility and execution capacity. Strictly control institutional establishments, reduce the number of leading positions, and lower administrative costs. Advance the classified reform of public institutions. Improve the coordination mechanism for institutional reform, and plan and coordinate major reforms in an overarching manner.

Sixth, establish and improve the system for restraining and supervising the exercise of power. Persisting in using institutions to govern power, affairs, and personnel, and guaranteeing the people's right to know, right to participate, right to express, and right to supervise are vital guarantees for the proper exercise of power. We must ensure that the powers of decision-making, execution, and supervision mutually check and coordinate with one another, and ensure that state organs exercise power in line with statutory mandates and procedures. Adhere to scientific, democratic, and law-based decision-making, improve decision-making mechanisms and procedures, and establish accountability and error-correction systems for decision-making. Public opinion must be fully solicited regarding decisions that concern the public's immediate interests, and any practices infringing on the public's interests must be resolutely prevented and corrected. Advance transparency and standardization in the operation of power, improve systems for openness in Party affairs, government affairs, judicial affairs, and all service domains, enhance systems of inquiry, accountability, economic liability auditing, resignation, and recall, and strengthen intra-Party oversight, democratic oversight, legal oversight, and public opinion oversight, letting the people supervise power and letting power operate in the light of day.

Seventh, consolidate and develop the broadest patriotic united front. Hold high the banners of patriotism and socialism, and consolidate the ideological and political foundation of the united front. Adhere to the guideline of long-term coexistence, mutual supervision, treating each other with all sincerity, and sharing weal and woe, strengthen unity and cooperation with democratic parties and personages without party affiliation, reinforce the ranks of non-Party representative personages, and select and recommend more outstanding non-Party individuals for leading positions in state organs at all levels. Fully and correctly implement the Party's ethnic policies, uphold and improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy, conduct in-depth education on ethnic unity and progress, accelerate the development of ethnic minority regions, and promote harmonious coexistence, mutual support, and joint development among all ethnic groups. Fully implement the Party's basic guidelines on religious work, giving play to the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting economic and social development. Encourage and guide individuals of new social strata to make greater contributions to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Implement the Party's policies on overseas Chinese affairs, supporting overseas Chinese nationals, returned overseas Chinese, and their relatives in caring for and participating in the motherland's modernization drive and the great cause of peaceful reunification.

The path of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics is the correct path for rallying hundreds of millions of people to struggle jointly. We must firmly march forward along this path, allowing our socialist democracy to display even more vigorous vitality.

VI. Solidly Advance the Building of a Socialist Cultural Power

Culture is the lifeblood of a nation and the spiritual home of its people. To complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must promote the great development and prosperity of socialist culture, initiate a new upsurge in socialist cultural development, enhance national cultural soft power, and give full play to culture's role in guiding trends, educating the public, serving society, and driving development.

To build a socialist cultural power, we must take the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the orientation of serving the people and serving socialism, uphold the principle of letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend, adhere to the principle of being close to reality, close to life, and close to the public, promote the all-around development of socialist material and spiritual civilizations, and develop a national, scientific, and popular socialist culture that embraces modernization, the world, and the future.

The key to building a socialist cultural power is invigorating the cultural creativity of the whole nation. We must deepen the reform of the cultural system, emancipate and develop cultural productive forces, promote academic and artistic democracy, provide a broad stage for the people, let all sources of cultural creation flow abundantly, and open up a new situation where the whole nation's cultural creativity bursts forth continuously, social cultural life becomes more colorful, the public's basic cultural rights are better guaranteed, the people's ideological, moral, scientific, and cultural qualities are comprehensively improved, and the international influence of Chinese culture increases steadily.

First, strengthen the building of the core socialist value system. Thoroughly carry out study and education on the core socialist value system, and use it to lead social trends and build social consensus. Advance the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context, our era, and the masses, and unremittingly arm the whole Party and educate the people with the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Extensively conduct education in ideals and convictions, rallying the broad masses under the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Vigorously carry forward the national spirit and the spirit of the times, and conduct in-depth education in patriotism, collectivism, and socialism. Advocate prosperity, democracy, civility, and harmony; advocate freedom, equality, justice, and the rule of law; advocate patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendship; and actively foster core socialist values.

Second, comprehensively enhance the moral caliber of citizens. Integrate the rule of law with the rule of virtue, intensify education in social ethics, professional ethics, family virtues, and personal integrity, and carry forward traditional Chinese virtues and new trends of the times. Advance the civic moral development project, foster the true, the good, and the beautiful while discouraging the false, the bad, and the ugly, guide people to consciously perform statutory obligations, social responsibilities, and family duties, foster a social environment where labor is glorious and creation is great, and cultivate a healthy trend of knowing honor and shame, upholding integrity, making contributions, and promoting harmony. Carry out targeted education and governance addressing acute moral issues, and reinforce integrity building in government, business, society, and the judiciary. Improve ideological and political work, emphasizing humanistic care and psychological counseling. Deepen public spiritual civilization creation activities, extensively organize voluntary services, and institutionalize campaigns to learn from Lei Feng and publicize moral models.

Third, enrich the people's intellectual and cultural life. Adhere to the people-centered creative orientation, improve the quality of cultural products, and provide the people with better and more abundant spiritual nourishment. Face the primary level and serve the masses, accelerate key cultural projects for the benefit of the people, ramp up support for cultural construction in rural and underdeveloped areas, and continue promoting free public access to cultural service facilities. Establish a preservation and transmission system for fine traditional culture, carrying forward fine traditional Chinese culture. Promote and standardize the use of the common national spoken and written language. Foster the prosperity and development of ethnic minority cultural undertakings. Organize mass cultural activities and nationwide reading activities. Strengthen and improve online content building, singing the main melody online. Popularize scientific knowledge, advocate the scientific spirit, and enhance the scientific literacy of all people. Extensively carry out nationwide fitness activities, promoting the comprehensive development of mass sports and competitive sports.

Fourth, enhance overall cultural strength and competitiveness. Insist on giving priority to social benefits while unifying social and economic benefits, and promote the comprehensive prosperity of cultural undertakings and rapid growth of the cultural industry. Develop philosophy, social sciences, news, publishing, radio, television, film, literature, and art. Strengthen major public cultural projects, improving the public cultural service system. Promote the integration of culture with science and technology, develop new cultural business models, and elevate the scale, intensity, and specialization of the cultural industry. Build and develop a modern communication system, enhancing communication capacity. Expand opening up in the cultural field, actively absorbing and drawing upon outstanding foreign cultural achievements.

We must adhere to the direction of advanced socialist culture, foster a high degree of cultural self-awareness and cultural confidence, and stride boldly toward the grand goal of building a socialist cultural power.

VII. Strengthen Social Development Through Improving People's Livelihood and Innovating Social Management

Strengthening social development provides a vital guarantee for social harmony and stability. We must, from the height of safeguarding the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people, accelerate the improvement of the basic public service system, strengthen and innovate social management, and push forward the building of a socialist harmonious society.

In strengthening social development, the focus must be placed on ensuring and improving the people's livelihood. Raising the people's material and cultural living standards is the fundamental purpose of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization. We must do more to benefit the people and relieve their worries, resolve the most direct, immediate, and practical interests of the public, continuously achieve new progress in ensuring that our people enjoy access to education, compensation for labor, medical care, old-age support, and housing, and strive to enable the people to lead a better life.

In strengthening social development, we must accelerate social structural reform. Centering on building a socialist social management system with Chinese characteristics, we must speed up the formation of a social management system characterized by Party committee leadership, government responsibility, social coordination, public participation, and rule-of-law guarantees; speed up the formation of a government-led, sustainable basic public service system covering both urban and rural areas; speed up the formation of a modern social organization system marked by separation of government and society, clear rights and responsibilities, and law-based self-governance; and speed up the formation of a social management mechanism combining source governance, dynamic management, and emergency response.

First, strive to run education to the people's satisfaction. Education is the cornerstone of national rejuvenation and social progress. We must prioritize education, comprehensively implement the Party's education policy, ensure that education serves socialist modernization and the people, take fostering virtue through education as its fundamental task, and cultivate socialist builders and successors with well-rounded moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic development. Comprehensively implement quality education, deepen comprehensive reform in education, focus on improving educational quality, and nurture students' innovative spirit. Run preschool education well, achieve balanced development of nine-year compulsory education, basically universalize senior secondary education, speed up modern vocational education, promote the connotative development of higher education, actively develop continuing education, and improve the lifelong education system. Vigorously promote educational fairness, allocate educational resources rationally, tilt support toward rural, remote, impoverished, and ethnic minority areas, support special education, raise financial assistance levels for economically disadvantaged students, and actively ensure that children of rural migrant workers enjoy equal access to education, enabling every child to become a useful talent. Encourage and guide social forces to establish schools. Strengthen the ranks of teachers.

Second, promote higher-quality employment. Employment is the foundation of the people's livelihood. We must implement the policy of workers finding jobs independently, market-regulated employment, government-promoted employment, and encouragement of entrepreneurship, and enforce the employment-first strategy and a more proactive employment policy. Encourage multi-channel and varied forms of employment, and promote entrepreneurship to drive employment. Intensify vocational skills training, enhance workers' capacities for employment and entrepreneurship, and improve employment stability. Sound the human resources market and refine the employment service system. Sound the labor standards system and labor relations coordination mechanisms, reinforce labor security supervision and dispute mediation and arbitration, and build harmonious labor relations.

Third, do everything possible to increase residents' income. To ensure development gains are shared by the people, we must deepen the income distribution system reform, strive to synchronize personal income growth with economic development and synchronize labor compensation growth with productivity gains, raise the share of personal income in national income distribution, and raise the share of labor compensation in primary distribution. Efficiency and fairness must be weighed in both primary distribution and redistribution, with redistribution paying greater attention to fairness. Increase residents' property income through multiple channels. Standardize the order of income distribution, protect lawful income, increase the income of low-income earners, regulate excessively high income, and ban illegal income.

Fourth, balance the development of the urban and rural social security systems. Social security is a basic system for securing people's livelihood and regulating social distribution. We must adhere to the principle of full coverage, basic security, multi-layered support, and sustainability, focus on enhancing fairness, adapting to mobility, and ensuring sustainability, and comprehensively build a social security system covering both urban and rural residents. Reform and improve social insurance systems for enterprises, government agencies, and public institutions, integrate basic pension insurance and basic medical insurance systems for urban and rural residents, and institute benefit determination and normal adjustment mechanisms covering all categories of personnel. Expand funding channels for the social security fund and establish investment and operational systems for social insurance funds to ensure safety and preserve and appreciate value. Improve the social assistance system and support the development of charity. Establish a housing system combining market allocation with government guarantees, and enhance the construction and management of affordable housing. Adhere to the basic state policy of gender equality, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of women and children. Vigorously develop undertakings and industries for elderly care. Sound the social security and service system for persons with disabilities. Sound the social security administrative system, establishing a more accessible and efficient service system.

Fifth, raise the people's health standards. Health is an inevitable requirement for promoting well-rounded human development. We must adhere to the orientation of serving the people's health, persist in giving priority to prevention, focusing on rural areas, and giving equal emphasis to traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and in line with requirements to guarantee basic needs, strengthen the grassroots, and build mechanisms, focus on comprehensive reforms in medical insurance, medical services, public health, medicine supply, and regulatory systems, improve national health policies, and provide safe, effective, convenient, and affordable public health and basic medical services to the masses. Sound the universal basic medical insurance system, establish serious disease insurance and assistance mechanisms, and improve emergency response mechanisms for public health emergencies and prevention and control mechanisms for major diseases. Consolidate the essential medicine system. Sound the three-tier medical and health service network in rural areas and the community health service system in cities, deepen the reform of public hospitals, and encourage non-governmental medical practices. Support the development of traditional Chinese medicine and ethnic minority medicines. Enhance the service capacity of medical and health personnel and improve medical ethics. Reform and improve the food and drug safety regulatory institutional mechanisms. Launch patriotic sanitation campaigns. Adhere to family planning as a basic state policy.

Sixth, strengthen and innovate social management. To raise the scientific level of social management, we must strengthen legal frameworks, institutions and mechanisms, capacities, personnel ranks, and IT application in social management. Improve government approaches to public service provision, strengthen primary-level social management and service systems, enhance community service functions in urban and rural areas, and fully leverage the foundational role of the public in social management. Improve and innovate management and services for migrant populations and special groups. Handle contradictions among the people properly, establish and sound mechanisms led by the Party and government to safeguard the public's rights and interests, and smooth and standardize channels for public demands, interest coordination, and rights protection. Establish and sound social stability risk assessment mechanisms for major decisions. Strengthen the public security system and foundational work for workplace safety in enterprises, curbing major and extraordinarily serious accidents. Deepen peaceful development initiatives, improve the multi-dimensional crime prevention and control system, bolster basic judicial safeguards, prevent and punish unlawful and criminal activities in accordance with the law, and safeguard the safety of people's lives and property. Improve the national security strategy and working mechanisms, maintain high vigilance against and resolutely forestall separatist, infiltration, and subversive activities by hostile forces, and ensure national security.

When the whole Party and the people across the nation take action, we will certainly be able to usher in a dynamic situation where social harmony is everyone's responsibility and a harmonious society is shared by all.

VIII. Vigorously Promote the Building of an Ecological Civilization

Building an ecological civilization is a long-term strategic plan concerning the people's well-being and the future of our nation. In the face of tight resource constraints, severe environmental pollution, and degrading ecosystems, we must embrace the ecological civilization concept of respecting, conforming to, and protecting nature, place ecological civilization development in a prominent position, integrate it into all aspects and the whole process of economic, political, cultural, and social development, and strive to build a beautiful China and realize the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.

We must adhere to the basic state policy of conserving resources and protecting the environment, stick to the guideline of giving priority to conservation, protection, and natural recovery, and make strenuous efforts to promote green, circular, and low-carbon development, shaping spatial layouts, industrial structures, production models, and lifestyles that conserve resources and protect the environment, reversing the worsening ecological trend from the source, creating a sound working and living environment for the people, and contributing to global ecological security.

First, optimize the spatial layout of national territory. In accordance with the principles of balancing population, resources, and the environment, and unifying economic, social, and ecological benefits, we must control development intensity, adjust spatial structure, facilitate intensive and efficient production space, habitable and moderate living space, and picturesque ecological space, leaving more room for nature to regenerate, preserving more fertile land for agriculture, and leaving a beautiful homeland with blue skies, green land, and clean water for future generations. Accelerate the implementation of the main functional area strategy, prompt all regions to pursue development strictly aligned with their functional positioning, and construct a scientific and rational urbanization pattern, agricultural development pattern, and ecological security pattern. Enhance marine resource exploitation capacity, resolutely defend national maritime rights and interests, and build China into a maritime power.

Second, comprehensively promote resource conservation. We must utilize resources economically and intensively, promote a fundamental shift in resource utilization patterns, strengthen conservation management throughout the entire process, drastically reduce energy, water, and land consumption intensity, and improve efficiency and benefits. Drive an energy production and consumption revolution, support energy-saving, low-carbon industries and new and renewable energy sources, and safeguard national energy security. Strengthen water source protection and total water consumption management, building a water-conserving society. Strictly guard the red line for arable land protection, and enforce strict land usage controls. Enhance mineral resource exploration, protection, and rational exploitation. Develop the circular economy, promoting minimization, reuse, and recycling in production, distribution, and consumption.

Third, intensify natural ecosystem and environmental protection. Implement major ecological restoration projects, augment the supply capacity of ecological products, and advance comprehensive treatment of desertification, stony desertification, and soil erosion. Accelerate water conservancy construction, and strengthen disaster prevention and mitigation systems. Persist in giving priority to prevention and comprehensive governance, focus on prominent environmental issues that harm the public's health, and intensify the prevention and control of water, air, and soil pollution. Uphold the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities, equity, and respective capabilities, actively addressing global climate change together with the international community.

Fourth, strengthen institutional development for ecological civilization. Incorporate resource consumption, environmental damage, and ecological benefits into the evaluation system of economic and social development, establishing target systems, assessment methods, and reward-and-punishment mechanisms that reflect the requirements of ecological civilization. Establish territorial space development and protection systems, and improve the most stringent systems for arable land protection, water resources management, and environmental protection. Deepen price, tax, and fee reforms for resource-based products, establishing mechanisms for paid resource use and ecological compensation that reflect market supply and demand, resource scarcity, ecological value, and intergenerational equity. Strengthen environmental regulation, improving accountability systems for ecological protection and compensation systems for environmental damage. Step up publicity and education on ecological civilization, enhancing universal awareness of conservation, environmental protection, and ecology, fostering social trends of sensible consumption, and cultivating a sound climate of caring for the ecological environment.

We must more conscientiously cherish nature, protect ecology more proactively, and strive to march toward a new era of socialist ecological civilization.

IX. Accelerate Modernization of National Defense and the Armed Forces

Building consolidated national defense and powerful armed forces that are commensurate with our international standing and correspond to our national security and development interests is a strategic task in China's modernization drive. Guided by core national security demands, we must coordinate economic development with defense construction, and in line with the "three-step" development strategy for national defense and armed forces modernization, step up efforts to accomplish the dual historic tasks of mechanization and IT application, striving to basically achieve mechanization and make major progress in IT application by 2020.

Modernization of national defense and the armed forces must be guided by Mao Zedong's military thinking, Deng Xiaoping's thinking on army building in the new period, Jiang Zemin's thinking on national defense and army building, and the Party's thinking on national defense and army building under new circumstances. We must adapt to new requirements of national development and security strategies, focus on comprehensively fulfilling the armed forces' historic missions in the new stage of the new century, implement the military strategic guideline of active defense for the new period, advance military strategic guidance with the times, pay close attention to maritime, space, and cyber security, actively plan the employment of military forces in peacetime, continuously expand and deepen preparations for military struggle, and enhance the capability to accomplish diversified military tasks, with the core being the capacity to win local wars under conditions of IT application.

We must take promoting the scientific development of national defense and the armed forces as the theme, take accelerating the transformation of combat power generation mode as the main line, and comprehensively strengthen the revolutionization, modernization, and standardization of the military. Unswervingly uphold the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces, persistently arm the whole military with the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and continuously cultivate the core values of contemporary revolutionary soldiers. Unswervingly take IT application as the direction of military modernization, accelerating its development. Strengthen high-tech weaponry and equipment, accelerate the comprehensive construction of modern logistics, cultivate large numbers of high-caliber new-type military talent, conduct in-depth military training under IT-application conditions, and enhance systemic combat capability based on information systems. Intensify efforts to run the military according to law and with strict discipline, advancing standardization to a higher stage.

Actively and prudently advance national defense and military reform, driving the in-depth development of military transformation with Chinese characteristics. Insist on taking innovative military theory as the guide, focus on raising independent innovation capabilities in defense science, technology, and industry, advance the modernization of the military organizational structure, and build a modern military force system with Chinese characteristics.

Adhere to the path of civil-military integration with Chinese characteristics, unify building a prosperous country with strengthening the military, and strengthen strategic planning, institutional building, and legal systems for civil-military integrated development. Speed up the development of modernized armed police forces. Improve the quality of national defense mobilization and reserve force building. Consolidate and develop unity between the military and government, and between the military and the people.

China pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. The goal of strengthening our national defense is to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and ensure China's peaceful development. The Chinese military has always been a steadfast force in safeguarding world peace, and will, as always, expand military cooperation, enhance mutual military trust, participate in regional and international security affairs, and play a positive role in international political and security fields.

X. Enrich the Practice of "One Country, Two Systems" and Advance National Reunification

Since their return to the motherland, Hong Kong and Macao have embarked on a broad path of complementary advantages and shared development with the mainland, and the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" has achieved globally recognized success. The fundamental objective of the principles and policies implemented by the central government concerning Hong Kong and Macao is to uphold national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao. To fully and accurately implement the principles of "One Country, Two Systems," "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong," "Macao people administering Macao," and a high degree of autonomy, we must organically integrate upholding the One China principle with respecting the differences of the Two Systems, maintaining the central authorities' power with safeguarding the special administrative regions' high degree of autonomy, and leveraging the mainland's role as a staunch supporter with enhancing the competitive edge of Hong Kong and Macao, without ever neglecting either side.

The central government will strictly act in accordance with the Basic Laws, improve systems and mechanisms related to their implementation, firmly support the Chief Executives and governments of the special administrative regions in law-based governance, lead people from all walks of life in Hong Kong and Macao to concentrate on developing the economy, effectively improve people's livelihoods, promote democracy in a step-by-step manner, foster harmony through mutual inclusion, deepen economic and trade relations between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, advance exchanges and cooperation in all fields, promote broad solidarity among Hong Kong and Macao compatriots under the banner of loving the motherland and loving Hong Kong/Macao, and forestall and curb interference by external forces in Hong Kong and Macao affairs.

We firmly believe that our compatriots in Hong Kong and Macao not only possess the wisdom, ability, and means to manage and build the special administrative regions well, but can certainly play an active role in national affairs, sharing in the dignity and glory of being Chinese together with the people of all ethnic groups across the country.

Peaceful reunification best serves the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, including our Taiwan compatriots. To achieve peaceful reunification, we must first ensure the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. We must adhere to the principle of "peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems," adhere to the eight-point proposal on developing cross-Strait relations and advancing peaceful reunification of the motherland, comprehensively implement the important thought on the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, consolidate and deepen the political, economic, cultural, and social foundations for peaceful cross-Strait development, and create more favorable conditions for peaceful reunification.

We must consistently adhere to the One China principle. Both sides across the Taiwan Strait should abide by the common stance of opposing "Taiwan independence" and upholding the "1992 Consensus," enhance common understanding on maintaining the framework of One China, and seek common ground while shelving differences on this basis. We are willing to engage in exchanges, dialogue, and cooperation with any political party in Taiwan, as long as it does not advocate "Taiwan independence" and recognizes One China.

We must steadily advance cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation. Deepen economic cooperation to foster shared interests. Expand cultural exchanges to strengthen national identity. Intensify people-to-people interactions to cement kinship feelings. Promote equal consultation to improve institutional building. We hope that both sides will make concerted efforts to explore cross-Strait political relations under the special circumstances where the country has not yet been reunified, and make sensible and reasonable arrangements; negotiate the establishment of a cross-Strait military security confidence-building mechanism to stabilize the situation across the Taiwan Strait; and reach a cross-Strait peace agreement through consultation, opening up a new prospect for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

We must strive to promote the solidarity and joint struggle of compatriots on both sides of the Strait. Compatriots on both sides belong to the Chinese nation and form a community of shared destiny connected by blood; they should care for and trust each other, jointly advance cross-Strait relations, and share in the fruits of development. We will make our utmost efforts to do anything that helps promote the common well-being of compatriots on both sides. We will earnestly protect the rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots, and unite with them to safeguard and build the shared home of the Chinese nation.

We resolutely oppose separatist schemes for "Taiwan independence." The Chinese people will never allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from the motherland in any way. Separatist activities for "Taiwan independence" impair the common interests of compatriots on both sides of the Strait, and are doomed to utter failure.

As long as all Chinese sons and daughters join hands, we will certainly accomplish the great cause of national reunification in the course of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with one heart.

XI. Continue to Promote the Noble Cause of Peace and Development for Mankind

The contemporary world is undergoing profound and complex changes, yet peace and development remain the themes of our era. World multipolarization and economic globalization are developing in depth, cultural diversity and social informatization are continuing to advance, the technological revolution is nurturing new breakthroughs, global cooperation is expanding across multiple tiers and in an all-around way, the overall strength of emerging market economies and developing nations is growing, the international balance of power is shifting in favor of world peace, and favorable conditions for maintaining overall international stability are increasing. At the same time, the world remains far from peaceful.

Mankind has only one Earth, and all countries cohabit one world. History shows us that the law of the jungle is not the way for human coexistence, and militarism cannot bring about a fine world. To seek peace rather than war, development rather than poverty, and cooperation rather than confrontation, and to advance the building of a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity represent the shared aspirations of the people of all nations. We advocate carrying forward the spirit of equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning, and win-win cooperation in international relations, and jointly safeguarding international fairness and justice.

China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and remain unswervingly committed to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.

China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development and steadfastly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace. We resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and will never yield to any external pressure. We decide our stance and policies based on the merits of each matter, uphold impartiality, and champion justice. China advocates peaceful resolution of international disputes and hotspot issues, opposes arbitrary recourse to the use or threat of force, opposes the subversion of lawful foreign governments, and opposes terrorism in all its forms. China opposes all forms of hegemonism and power politics, will never seek hegemony, and will never engage in expansion. China will persist in combining the interests of the Chinese people with the common interests of the people of all nations, participate in international affairs with a more proactive posture, play its role as a responsible major country, and jointly address global challenges.

China will unswervingly pursue an opening-up strategy of mutual benefit and win-win results, promoting strong, sustainable, and balanced growth of the world economy through deepening cooperation. China is committed to narrowing the North-South gap and supports developing countries in enhancing their capacity for self-development. China will strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination with major economies, properly resolving economic and trade frictions through consultation. China upholds a balance between rights and obligations, actively participates in global economic governance, promotes trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and opposes protectionism in all forms.

China adheres to comprehensively developing friendly cooperation with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. We will improve and develop relations with developed countries, widen cooperation fields, properly handle differences, and promote the building of a new model of major-country relationship characterized by long-term, stable, and sound development. We will continue to build friendships and partnerships with our neighbors, consolidate good-neighborliness, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and strive to ensure our own development delivers greater benefits to neighboring nations. We will strengthen solidarity and cooperation with developing countries, jointly protect their legitimate rights and interests, support expanding their representation and voice in international affairs, and forever remain a reliable friend and sincere partner of developing countries. We will take an active part in multilateral affairs, promoting the international order and system toward fair and equitable development. We will solidly advance public and cultural diplomacy, protecting China's lawful overseas rights and interests. We will conduct friendly exchanges with political parties and organizations of other nations, strengthen foreign exchanges of the people's congresses, CPPCC, local governments, and people's organizations, and consolidate the social foundation for the development of state-to-state relations.

The Chinese people love peace and aspire for development, and are willing to join hands with the people of all countries to make unremitting efforts for the noble cause of peace and development for mankind.

XII. Comprehensively Improve the Scientific Level of Party Building

Our Party shoulders the heavy responsibility of rallying and leading the people in completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, advancing socialist modernization, and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The evolution of the situation, the expansion of our cause, and the expectations of the people all demand that we advance the new great project of Party building with the spirit of reform and innovation, and comprehensively raise the scientific level of Party building.

The entire Party must bear in mind that only by taking root among the people and benefiting the people can the Party remain forever invincible; only by being mindful of danger in times of peace and having the courage to forge ahead can the Party always stand at the forefront of the times. The whole Party must enhance its sense of urgency and responsibility, firmly grasp the main thread of strengthening the Party's governance capacity, advanced nature, and purity, adhere to emancipating the mind and pursuing reform and innovation, insist that the Party must supervise its own conduct and enforce strict discipline, comprehensively strengthen the Party's ideological, organizational, conduct, anti-corruption, and institutional building, bolster our capacity to purify, perfect, reform, and improve ourselves, build a learning-oriented, service-oriented, and innovative Marxist governing party, and ensure that the Party remains the firm core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

First, firm up ideals and convictions, and adhere to communists' spiritual pursuits. Faith in Marxism and convictions in socialism and communism are the political soul of communists and the spiritual pillar enabling communists to withstand all tests. We must grasp ideological and theoretical building as the foundation, educating and guiding Party members and cadres to struggle unswervingly for the shared ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Grasp Party spirit education as the core, carrying forward the Party's fine traditions and style, and guiding Party members and cadres to firmly foster correct worldviews, outlooks on power, and career concepts, stand firm politically, and distinguish right from wrong on major issues. Grasp moral building as the basis, educating and guiding Party members and cadres to practice the socialist concept of honor and disgrace in an exemplary way, acting as demonstrators of socialist virtues, leaders of social integrity, and defenders of fairness and justice, demonstrating the moral strength of communists through concrete deeds.

Second, adhere to putting people first and governing for the people, maintaining the Party's flesh-and-blood ties with the people. Serving the people is the fundamental purpose of the Party, and putting people first and governing for the people is the supreme criterion testing all governance activities of the Party. We must place the people's interests above everything else at all times, share weal and woe and breathe the same air with the people, and rely on the people to push history forward. Centering on maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity, conduct in-depth educational activities on the Party's mass line across the entire Party, focusing on being for the people, pragmatic, and clean, tackle prominent issues that cause strong public complaints, and raise the capacity to conduct mass work under new conditions. Improve systems for Party members and cadres to contact the public directly. Inquire of the people about political administration, needs, and advice, drawing wisdom and strength from the people's great practices. Support mass organizations such as trade unions, the Communist Youth League, and women's federations in fully playing their role as bridges and links, better reflecting the voice of the masses, and safeguarding their lawful rights and interests.

Third, actively develop intra-Party democracy and enhance the Party's creative vitality. Intra-Party democracy is the lifeblood of the Party. We must adhere to democratic centralism, improve the institutional system of intra-Party democracy, and drive people's democracy through intra-Party democracy. Guarantee Party members' principal position, improve the system for protecting Party members' democratic rights, and implement Party members' right to know, right to participate, right to vote, and right to supervise. Improve the system of Party congresses, raise the proportion of worker and farmer delegates, and implement the system of proposals by delegates to Party congresses. Refine the intra-Party election system. Reinforce the decision-making and oversight roles of plenary sessions, improve the rules of deliberation and decision-making procedures of standing committees, and improve the voting system for local Party committees in discussing and deciding on major issues and appointing important cadres. Expand grassroots intra-Party democracy, enhancing principle and transparency in intra-Party life.

Fourth, deepen cadre and personnel system reform, building a high-caliber contingent of governing backbones. In upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, the key lies in building a contingent of governing backbones who are politically steadfast, highly capable, have a fine style of work, and are enterprising. We must adhere to the principle of the Party supervising cadres, appoint people on their merits regardless of their backgrounds, uphold both moral integrity and professional competence with priority given to integrity, lay stress on actual performance and public recognition, and deepen the reform of the cadre and personnel system, ensuring that outstanding cadres across all fields come forward, perform to their best, and have their talents fully utilized. Comprehensively and accurately carry out the principle of democracy, openness, competition, and merit-based selection, expand democracy in cadre work, raise the quality of democracy, and improve competitive cadre selection methods. Improve the cadre appraisal and evaluation mechanism, refining the cadre management system. Strengthen and improve cadre training, redouble efforts to cultivate and select outstanding young cadres, attach importance to cultivating and selecting female cadres and ethnic minority cadres, and encourage young cadres to temper themselves and grow at the grassroots and in difficult areas.

Fifth, uphold the principle of the Party supervising talent, pooling outstanding talent from all quarters into the cause of the Party and the state. Opening wide avenues for recruiting talent and gathering talent from around the world is the fundamental measure for ensuring the development of the cause of the Party and the people. We must respect labor, knowledge, talent, and creation, accelerate the establishment of a strategic layout giving priority to talent development, cultivate a massive, high-caliber talent contingent, and propel our country from a nation rich in human resources to a talent power. Accelerate the reform of institutional mechanisms and policy innovation for talent development, creating an institutional edge in talent that stimulates creative vitality and possesses international competitiveness, opening up a lively situation where everyone can become a talent and everyone can display their skills.

Sixth, innovate primary-level Party building work, consolidating the organizational foundation of the Party's governance. The Party's primary-level organizations are fighting bastions for rallying and leading the masses in implementing the Party's theories, line, principles, and policies, and fulfilling the Party's tasks. We must enforce the Party building responsibility system, comprehensively advance primary-level Party building across all fields, expand the coverage of Party organizations and Party work, and give full play to their roles in promoting development, serving the masses, pooling public support, and promoting harmony. Focusing on strengthening Party spirit and raising quality, improve the education and management of Party members, driving Party members to play vanguard and exemplary roles. Improve the quality of recruiting Party members, attach importance to recruiting Party members from among young workers, farmers, and intellectuals, and optimize the structure of the Party membership.

Seventh, unswervingly fight corruption and forever maintain communists' political integrity. Combating corruption and building a clean government is a distinct political stance the Party has consistently upheld, and a major political issue that draws high public attention. If we fail to handle this issue properly, it will inflict fatal injury upon the Party, and even cause the collapse of the Party and the fall of the state. Anti-corruption work and clean governance must be maintained unremittingly, and alarm bells against corruption must ring incessantly. We must adhere to the path of combating corruption and building a clean government with Chinese characteristics, stick to the policy of addressing both symptoms and root causes, pursuing comprehensive governance, combining punishment and prevention, and prioritizing prevention, comprehensively advance the building of a system for punishing and preventing corruption, and ensure that cadres are honest, government is clean, and political administration is upright. Strengthen anti-corruption education and integrity culture development, deepen reforms in key sectors and critical links, improve anti-corruption legal systems, and prevent and punish corruption in a more scientific and effective manner. Strictly enforce the responsibility system for improving Party conduct and building a clean government. Resolutely investigate and prosecute major and key cases, and focus on resolving corruption problems occurring right by the people. Whomever is involved, regardless of the magnitude of their power or the seniority of their position, anyone who violates Party discipline or state laws must be severely punished without leniency.

Eighth, enforce strict Party discipline and consciously safeguard the Party's centralized unity. The Party's centralized unity is where its strength lies, and the fundamental guarantee for achieving economic and social development, ethnic unity and progress, and long-term national peace and stability. Party organizations at all levels, Party members, and cadres—particularly principal leading cadres—must consciously abide by the Party Constitution, act in accordance with the Party's organizational principles and norms of intra-Party political life, and no one shall place themselves above the organization. Resolutely uphold the authority of the Central Committee, maintain a high degree of unity with the Party Central Committee ideologically, politically, and in action, and resolutely carry out the Party's theories, line, principles, and policies. Strengthen supervision and inspection, enforce Party discipline—especially political discipline—strictly, and forge a powerful force that acts in concert and forges ahead across the whole Party.

Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics carries the ideals and long-cherished wishes of countless people of lofty ideals and revolutionary martyrs. On the new journey, our responsibilities are heavier and our burdens greater. We must, with firmer convictions and more tenacious efforts, continue to accomplish the three major historic tasks of advancing modernization, realizing national reunification, and safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.

In the face of the people's trust and expectations, and in the face of new historical conditions and tests, the whole Party must enhance its awareness of potential risks, be modest, prudent, and free from arrogance and rashness, and always keep a clear head; must enhance its awareness of innovation, uphold truth, correct errors, and always maintain an enterprising spirit; must enhance its awareness of purpose, believe in the masses, rely on the masses, and always place the people in the highest position in our hearts; and must enhance its awareness of mission, be realistic and pragmatic, struggle arduously, and always preserve communists' political integrity.

The cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a future-oriented cause, which requires unremitting struggle by generations of aspiring youth. The whole Party must pay attention to youth, care for youth, and support youth, listen to their voices, encourage their growth, and support their entrepreneurship. The broad masses of young people must actively respond to the call of the Party, foster correct worldviews, outlooks on life, and values, forever love our great motherland, forever love our great people, and forever love our great Chinese nation, allowing their youth to radiate resplendent brilliance in devoting themselves to the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics requires the concerted will and united struggle of all Chinese sons and daughters. Unity is the overall interest; unity is strength. Comrades of the whole Party must guarantee unity with strong Party spirit, promote unity with our shared cause, consciously safeguard the unity and solidarity of the whole Party, consolidate the great solidarity of the people of all ethnic groups nationwide, strengthen the great solidarity of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, and promote the great solidarity between the Chinese people and the people of all nations across the world.

Let us hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, rally even more closely around the Party Central Committee, strive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, win new victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics continuously, and jointly create an even happier and brighter future for the Chinese people and the Chinese nation!