20th CPC NATIONAL CONGRESS
Xi calls on Chinese to pull together with one mind to realize national rejuvenation
BEIJING: Xi Jinping on Monday called on all Chinese people to stay united as “a piece of hard steel” under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and pull together with one mind to power the giant ship of national rejuvenation through the wind and waves to reach its destination.
Xi made the remarks when he joined a group discussion with delegates from south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region who are attending the 20th CPC National Congress.
Xi said the report of the 19th CPC Central Committee to the 20th CPC National Congress further points out the direction for the development of the Party and the country’s cause, and serves as a political declaration and program of action for the Party to unite Chinese people to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Five delegates from Guangxi shared their views on the report delivered by Xi at the opening of the congress on Sunday.
They all agreed that the report, from a commanding height in considering both China’s national rejuvenation and the drastic changes in the world unseen in a century, scientifically lays out goals, tasks, and major policies for developing the cause of the Party and the country in the next five years or even longer period to come, putting forward a series of new approaches, strategies and measures.
They expressed unanimous endorsement of the report.
Xi joined the delegates in a lively discussion. After listening to their comments, Xi said he is pleased to participate in the discussion as a fellow delegate of the Guangxi delegation.
Hailing the tremendous changes Guangxi has undergone in the past decade, Xi said that such achievements are a vivid epitome of the great changes taking place in China in the first ten years of the new era.
The cause of the Party and the country has withstood potential dangers and overcome difficulties over the past decade, achieving a series of breakthroughs and yielding landmark results one after another, Xi said.
The major policies, principles, plans and decisions of the CPC Central Committee have proven to be in every way correct. The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is suited to China’s realities, reflects the will of the Chinese people, and responds to the call of the times, he said.
Xi called on CPC members to firm up confidence in history, exhibit greater historical initiative, and perform their duties well for history and the people on the road ahead.
To study and implement the Party’s innovative theories, one must understand and grasp their worldview and methodology, he said.
The report submitted to the 20th CPC National Congress stresses that the entire Party must put the people first, maintain self-confidence and stand on our own feet, uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, adopt a problem-oriented approach, apply systems thinking, and maintain a global vision.
Xi urged efforts to gain a good command of the above-mentioned six points and make good use of them while implementing the Party and the country’s work in various fields and throughout the process.
The CPC has succeeded in advancing and expanding Chinese modernization in the new era, Xi said, adding that the report to the Party congress expounds on the Chinese characteristics and essential requirements of Chinese modernization.
Chinese modernization is rooted in China and is suited to the country’s realities, Xi said.
He called for forging ahead with confidence, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and striving to open new chapters in building a modern socialist country in all respects.
The CPC Central Committee has made advances in exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance since the 18th CPC National Congress, waged a battle against corruption on a scale unprecedented in history, and rolled out a raft of policies and measures to push forward self-reform, Xi said.
The Party must persevere with self-reform to ensure that it will never change its nature, its conviction, or its character, and that it will remain the strong leadership core in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said.
Only in unity and through endeavors can we succeed. Currently, the most important task is to roll up sleeves and get down to work to ensure the solid implementation of major decisions and plans made during the 20th CPC National Congress, Xi said.
Xi called on Party committees and governments at all levels of Guangxi to bring together cadres and people of all ethnic groups and lead them in breaking new ground for Guangxi’s development in the new era. -Xinhua
Li Keqiang calls for forging ahead with concrete work toward building modern socialist China in all respects
BEIJING: Li Keqiang on Monday participated in a group discussion with delegates from northwest China’s Gansu Province who are attending the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Li said he gave his unequivocal support to the report delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee to the congress.
Li had in-depth exchanges with the delegates. He said impressive advances have been achieved in the cause of the Party and the country over the past decade. These were achieved through the concerted efforts of the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
Li said development is the Party’s top priority in governing and rejuvenating China. He called for effectively upgrading and appropriately expanding the country’s economy.
As the Chinese economy is on a recovering and upward trend, a basket of pro-growth policies should be fully implemented to maintain the economic performance within a reasonable range, Li said.
Reform and opening up must be firmly pushed forward, Li said, highlighting the importance of adhering to reforms to develop the socialist market economy, creating conditions to ensure fair market competition, promoting high-level opening up, among others.
Li stressed safeguarding people’s fundamental interests. He said the people’s well-being must be protected and improved in the course of pursuing development to see that the results of modernization are shared more fully and fairly by all the people.
He called for concrete work and a sense of responsibility to strive in unity to build a modern socialist country in all respects and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. -Xinhua
China Focus: China’s new journey a boon to world development
BEIJING: A report delivered on Sunday by Xi Jinping at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) struck Sean Slattery as “very forward-looking.”
Slattery was one of nine foreign experts invited to translate and polish the heavyweight report. All nine went out of their way to present the world with high-quality translated versions of the report in English, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, German, Japanese and Lao.
“The report shows great vision, but it’s very practical as well,” said the Irishman. “It’s going to have a big influence on China’s development going forward.”
CHINESE MODERNIZATION
“Chinese modernization” was deemed by most of the foreign experts to be one of the main messages that readers would get from Sunday’s report.
Describing Chinese modernization as “of great importance” to the world, Slattery said its special characteristics are distinctively different to the paths that other countries have chosen in the past when pursuing modernization. He said that achieving modernization for the country’s 1.4 billion people is a huge step forward for humanity.
“By pursuing its own path of modernization, China is underscoring the importance of every country pursuing modernization through a path that is suited to their own conditions and that their people will accept and support,” Slattery said.
“For other developing countries, Chinese modernization offers a new choice for achieving modernization, based on their own conditions and more international cooperation, rather than plunder, war and blood,” said Yahia Mustafa, 65, who was responsible for editing the Arabic version.
Peggy Cantave Fuyet has always wanted to know what the world’s largest socialist country looks like. The report offered her an insight.
“People,” “the environment” and “peace” were her key takeaways from the report.
For the French-language expert, the words indicate that Chinese modernization is a modernization that benefits everyone in the country instead of just a few, that China will honor its words in achieving the goals of peaking carbon emissions and gaining carbon neutrality, and that the path China has chosen is not imperialism, colonialism or hegemonism, but a path of peaceful development.
MILESTONE DECADE
The report to the 20th CPC National Congress summarizes the great achievements over the first 10 years of the new era in China. And the great shift has been witnessed by the foreign experts themselves.
Francisco J. Ayllon from Spain has been in China for 18 years, and he has marveled at China’s feat of eliminating poverty, which saw close to 100 million rural residents lifted out of poverty in under 10 years. “This is a significant contribution to global poverty reduction.”
Russian-language expert K. Angelina observed that Chinese people now enjoy bluer skies and purer water, and have more new energy vehicles on the roads.
For V. Menzel from Germany, who has lived in China for 11 years, mobile payments, shared bikes and online platforms have brought much surprise and convenience. She has also sensed the increasingly strong sense of cultural confidence in China.
Taguchi Nao from Japan was impressed by China’s social security system, the Healthy China Initiative, and measures to address population aging.
Pongtay Chaleunsouk from Laos recently watched a live space lecture on TV, featuring interactions between Chinese astronauts aboard China’s space station and children on the ground. He said it was unforgettable.
Although starting its space program much later, China has become a leader in the space industry and is ready to expand its sci-tech cooperation with other countries, he said.
The tremendous changes in the past decade are of milestone significance, which stem from the strong leadership of the CPC and the ceaseless endeavors of the Chinese people, he added.
UNDERSTANDING THE CPC
Understanding China entails a good understanding of the CPC as well as its history and governing logic. This was a shared view among the foreign experts involved in the translation of the report.
Phrases and sentences in the report that they said made a big impression on them include “The people’s support is of the utmost political importance,” “a people-centered development philosophy,” and “This country is its people; the people are the country.”
“Terms like these really underscore how much the Party values its close relationship with the people, being whole-heartedly committed to making their lives better and serving them,” Slattery said.
Mustafa remembers the first time he was involved in the translation of the congress report five years ago, when the CPC vowed at its 19th national congress to secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
As that goal has been achieved as scheduled, the CPC is now leading the country on a new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects, he said. “I believe the CPC will honor its promise again.”
The CPC, which celebrated its centenary last year, has grown from just over 50 members when it was founded to the world’s largest Marxist governing party, now boasting more than 96 million members.
Angelina, from Russia, found new content each time she translated an important CPC document. “I must keep enriching myself to deliver good translations.”
The CPC is a party with a strong capacity for research, action, innovation, and keeping pace with the times, said Cantave Fuyet, who obtained a doctorate in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context.
Chaleunsouk said that although many terms in the report are unique CPC expressions, such as “taking out tigers” and “hunting down foxes,” they are vivid and easy to understand, illustrating the CPC’s resolution to exercise full and rigorous Party self-governance and self-reform.
CHINA’S JOURNEY, WORLD’S OPPORTUNITY
To build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, the CPC has adopted a two-step strategic plan: basically realizing socialist modernization from 2020 through 2035, and building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful from 2035 through the middle of this century.
“Innovation” appeared many times in the report, Menzel said, noting that she is looking forward to more cooperation between China and Germany, both innovation-driven countries.
“China needs a peaceful world in order to develop, and at the same time it hopes to contribute to world peace with its development,” said Slattery, drawing this conclusion from the goals that the CPC is trying to achieve, which are specified in the congress report.
The report stresses China’s resolve in promoting a new type of international relations, building an open global economy, and upholding true multilateralism.
China has put forward the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and “it stands ready to work with the international community to put these two initiatives into action,” the report says.
The world is like a family that shares weal and woe, Cantave Fuyet said, noting that by promoting a community with a shared future for humanity, the CPC shows that it cares for the well-being of the whole world and that it is determined to make its great vision a reality.
Mustafa remembers that Beijing only had two subway lines more than 20 years ago, when he first came to China. Now, Beijing’s subway network extends in all directions, and the municipality has become the only city in the world to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. As the country has developed in leaps and bounds over recent decades, Mustafa said he is confident that China will achieve modernization.
“I hope to witness the great historic moment together with the Chinese people,” he said. -Xinhua
