Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and other leaders attend the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, which concluded in Beijing on Thursday. SHEN HONG / XINHUA

Xi makes speech as governance capacity stressed

A key Party meeting concluded in Beijing on Thursday, reaffirming the significance and advantages of pursuing socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the country's system and capacity for governance in realizing national rejuvenation, setting the tone for the country's future development path.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivered an important speech at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which began on Monday in Beijing.

The session, presided over by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, was attended by 202 members of the CPC Central Committee and 169 alternate members. The members heard and discussed a work report delivered by Xi, entrusted with the task by the Political Bureau.

They also reviewed and adopted the CPC Central Committee's decisions, contained in a draft document, on some major issues on upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of China's system and capacity for governance.

A communique released after the session said the members fully recognized the work of the Political Bureau in the past year and agreed that, facing the rise of risks and challenges from both home and abroad, the Political Bureau has united and led the Party and the nation to work hard and achieve success in deepening institutional reform.

The celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China has greatly inspired the Party, the military and the people, and the celebration of the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up last year boosted the people's confidence in reform, the communique said.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics is a scientific social system that was formulated through long-term practices of the Party and people, and the work of governance was carried out in line with the socialist system, it said.

Since its beginning, the CPC has united and led the people to achieve revolutionary success, establish and improve socialism, formulate and develop policies in all areas, improve the country's governance system and produce historic achievements, the communique said.

After the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012, the CPC has united and led the nation to promote the improvement of socialism with Chinese characteristics and increase in the country's system and capacity for governance, it said.

The communique said socialism with Chinese characteristics and the country's governance system is guided by Marxism, rooted in China with the background of Chinese culture and welcomed by the Chinese people.

The governance system has promoted development of a nation with 1.4 billion people as well as national rejuvenation, it said.

The communique said advantages of China's governance system include upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party, following the Party's scientific theory, maintaining political stability and ensuring the country develops on the path of socialism.

These are the sources of the Party's firm confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, it said.

The session highlighted the importance of following the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, The Thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The communique said China will make outstanding progress in promoting the socialist system to become more mature and established in all aspects in 2021 — the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. The goal of modernizing China's socialist system and capacity for governance will be basically achieved in 2035 and completely fulfilled in 2049 — the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The Party exercises overall leadership over all areas of endeavor in every part of the country, it said. The Party will improve all policies to firmly maintain the CPC Central Committee's authority and its centralized and unified leadership.

The communique also reaffirmed other issues, including developing socialist democracy, increasing the Party's capacity in law-based governance, streamlining government structure, upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system, promoting high-quality growth, improving the system to develop socialist culture, meeting the people's aspirations for a better life, keeping national stability and safeguarding national security, building an ecological civilization, upholding the Party's absolute leadership over the military, upholding the principle of "one country, two systems", upholding independent diplomatic policies and enhancing supervision of the exercise of power.