The highly anticipated 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened on October 16 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Congress is a celebration of the country’s great achievements and a time to lay out a new blueprint for national rejuvenation and create new historic achievements.

On behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered to the Congress a report titled, “Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive in Unity to Build a Modern Socialist Country in All Respects”. Also serving as the conference’s theme, this was an unequivocal statement that China will not stop its great socialist march to prosperity for all.

Indeed, it also serves to remind critics of China’s socialist credentials that socialism is not a bad word, after all. Socialism is just as an illustrious model like capitalism, only that it is holistic development rather than individualised prosperity.

Xi pointed out that in the past five years since the 19th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee has pursued a strategy of national rejuvenation amid global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century and made major strategic plans for advancing the cause of the Party and the country.

The central committee has brought together the entire Party, the military, and the Chinese people and led them in effectively responding to grave, intricate international developments and a series of immense risks and challenges. With great effort and determination, the CPC has steadily advanced socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Xi noted that the CPC has achieved moderate prosperity, the millennia-old dream of the Chinese nation and developed well-conceived and complete strategic plans for advancing the cause of the Party and the country in the new era. The Party has also put forward and applied a new development philosophy, and comprehensively deepened reform with tremendous political courage, and pursued a more proactive strategy of opening up.

“We have kept to the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics, and established and upheld a foundational system for ensuring the guiding role of Marxism in the ideological domain. We have implemented a people-centered philosophy of development. We have acted on the idea that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. We have applied a holistic approach to national security. We have set the Party’s goal of building a strong military in the new era. We have fully and faithfully implemented the policy of One Country, Two Systems. We have pursued major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics on all fronts. We have made significant advances in exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance,” said Xi.

Referring to the missions and tasks of the CPC on the new journey of the new era, Xi pointed out that the central task of the CPC will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realise the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation.

He said that this calls for the firm adherence to the following major principles: upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership; following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics; applying a people-centered development philosophy; remaining committed to deepening reform and opening up; and carrying forward our fighting spirit.

China must continue seeing science and technology as the primary productive force, talent as the primary resource, and innovation as the primary driver of growth. The CPC will fully implement the strategy for invigorating China through science and education, the workforce development strategy, and the innovation-driven development strategy.

Xi urged efforts to open up new areas and new arenas in development and steadily foster new growth drivers and new strengths. High priority must be given to the development of education, build China’s self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and rely on talent to pioneer and propel development. China will also speed up work to build a strong educational system, greater scientific and technological strength, and a quality workforce.

On democracy, Xi said the CPC will uphold the unity between Party leadership, the running of the country by the people, and law-based governance. He stressed that China will continue to strengthen the institutions through which the people run the country, fully develop consultative democracy, actively develop democracy at the primary level, and consolidate and develop the broadest possible patriotic united front.