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Highlights of Xi's Speech at A Conference Celebrating 40 Years of Reform, Opening-up

2018-12-19 10:44:00 Source:Xinhua/chinadaily.com.cn Author:
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, on Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up in Beijing on Tuesday. Here are the highlights:

Reform and opening-up a great revolution

The reform and opening-up is a great revolution in the history of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, said Xi.

Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan attend a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

It is the great revolution that propelled a quantum leap forward in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said.

Xi also said the reform and opening-up is a great reawakening of the Communist Party of China, nurturing great creativity in both theory and practice for the CPC.

Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan walk into the conference hall to attend a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

Reform, opening-up 'milestone' in Chinese national rejuvenation

Xi called the pursuit of reform and opening-up and socialism with Chinese characteristics a milestone in realizing the Chinese nation's rejuvenation.

The founding of the Communist Party of China and the founding of the People's Republic of China were also the milestones on the way toward the great national rejuvenation in the modern times, Xi said.

They represented three historic events taking place after the May Fourth Movement in 1919, according to Xi.

China keeps improving people's well-being over past 40 years

China has lifted 740 million people out of poverty in the 40 years, reducing the poverty headcount ratio by 94.4 percentage points, Xi said.

The nation has built the world's largest social security system, with the basic old-age pension covering more than 900 million people and medical insurance covering over 1.3 billion people, Xi said.

China holds a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

The ratio of permanent urban residents in total population rose 40.6 percentage points to 58.52 percent during the period, he said.

"The country has maintained its social stability over a long period, making it one of the countries that provide the greatest sense of safety in the world," Xi said.

China has bid farewell to the problems that plagued its people for thousands of years, including hunger, shortage and poverty, Xi said.

China holds a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's development promotes world peace, development

China's development over the past 40 years has effectively served the cause of world peace and development, Xi said.

China's development has provided successful experience and offered a bright prospect for other developing countries as they strive for modernization, representing a great contribution of the Chinese nation to the progress of human civilization, Xi said.

Xi underscores Party leadership over all work

Xi stressed the Party's leadership over all work while calling for constantly enhancing and improving the Party's way of leadership.

The reform and opening-up in the past four decades has shown that leadership of the Party is the most essential attribute of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the greatest strength of this system, Xi said.

"It is by upholding the centralized, unified leadership of the Party that we have been able to achieve the historic transformation, usher in a new era of reform and opening-up, and embark on a new journey of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

On the question of ensuring leadership by the Party, a fundamental principle that bears on the future of the Party and the country, all Party members and all the people must maintain a high degree of self-consciousness in terms of thinking, political orientation, and actions, Xi said.

No success of reform and opening-up comes easily. In the years to come, risks and challenges of all sorts are inevitable, he said.

"The Party must guide the overall situation and coordinate the work of all sides, remain committed to practicing scientific, democratic, and law-based governance...and see that China's ship of reform and opening up will break waves and sail on the right course," Xi said.

Xi calls for continuous efforts to deliver on people's aspirations for better life

The people-oriented approach must be adhered to and efforts should be made to keep delivering on the people's aspirations for a better life, Xi said.

The practices over the past 40 years have shown that seeking happiness for the Chinese people and striving for rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the founding aspiration and mission of the Communist Party of China, and those of the reform and opening-up endeavor, Xi said.

"In considering and introducing a policy, we must first and foremost ensure the backing, approval and endorsement of the people," he said.

The wishes the people express, the best practices they create, the rights they are entitled to and the role they play must be respected, said Xi, who demanded efforts to fully stimulate and unlock the people's creativity.

What has been achieved in economic, political, cultural, social and ecological fields must be shared among all the people, Xi said, stressing it must be ensured that the people have a stronger sense of fulfillment and greater happiness, and feel safer and more secure in a more direct and tangible manner.

China holds a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi stresses upholding Marxism, advancing theories

The practices over the past 40 years have shown that innovation is the lifeline of reform and opening-up, Xi said.

Xi called for efforts to base the Party's theory on reality and "answer the questions of our times and of the people" in a timely manner.

"We must update and popularize Marxism in the context of a modern day China, and make new breakthroughs in developing Marxism," Xi said.

Xi urges enhancing China's composite strength

Xi on Tuesday called for continued efforts to take development as the top priority and enhance China's composite national strength.

Xi demands improving system of socialism with Chinese characteristics

Continued efforts should be made to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics to harness and enhance the advantages of China's system, Xi said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other Chinese leaders present the China reform friendship medals for the prize winners during a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

As the reform and opening-up in the past four decades has shown, the system is of fundamental and overarching significance for the long-term stability and development of all endeavors of the Party and the country, said Xi.

Xi also stressed that China should step up the building of a set of institutions that are well conceived, procedure-based and efficiently functioning to secure a more mature and established system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

China vows to open up wider to world

Xi underlined China's commitment to opening up wider to the world and promoting joint efforts to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

The practice of reform and opening-up over the past 40 years has shown that openness brings progress, while seclusion leads to backwardness, Xi said.

"China cannot develop itself in isolation from the world, and the world needs China for global prosperity," Xi said.

"Bearing in mind China's internal and international imperatives, we have stayed committed to the fundamental national policy of opening-up, followed a proactive approach to opening up, and entered a new stage of comprehensive, multi-level and wide-ranging opening-up, thus creating a sound international environment and broader development space for China," he said.

China holds a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi orders full, rigorous Party governance

Continued efforts should be made to exercise full and rigorous governance over the Communist Party of China to strengthen its capacity to innovate, power to unite, and energy to fight, said Xi.

Xi stresses adhering to path of socialism with Chinese characteristics

All the theories and practice of the Communist Party of China in the past 40 years of reform and opening-up are based on the theme of upholding and advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

There is no textbook of golden rules to follow for reform and development in China, a country with over 5,000 years of civilization and more than 1.3 billion people, Xi said.

"No one is in a position to dictate to the Chinese people what should or should not be done," he said.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics provides a broad pathway for China to advance with the times and steer the course of development today, Xi said.

"We will resolutely reform what should and can be reformed, and make no change where there should not and can not be any reform," he said.

Xi stresses striking balance between reform, development, stability

Xi on Tuesday stressed striking a balance between reform, development and stability by maintaining the worldview and methodology of dialectical and historical materialism.

Reform and opening-up remains norm throughout China's history: Xi

A review of the past several thousand years shows that reform and opening-up remains the norm throughout China's history, Xi said.

Since ancient times, China has seen numerous movements aimed at strengthening the nation through reform, and the Chinese nation has engaged in interactions and cultural exchanges with foreign nations in a confident and broad-minded manner, Xi said.

Such profound historical and cultural heritage has dictated that the Chinese nation will continue to embrace the future through reform and opening-up, according to Xi.

 

 China holds a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

Related:

China marks 40 years of reform and opening-up

China held a grand gathering Tuesday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up, a great revolution that has changed the destiny of the Chinese nation and also influenced the world.

President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders attended the event which began at around 10 am at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Reform and opening-up is a great revolution that has changed the destiny of the Chinese nation and also influenced the world.

Xi and other Chinese leaders attended the event which began at around 10 am at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Premier Li Keqiang presided over the meeting.

The celebration started with all participants rising to sing the national anthem.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, read a decision to award the personnel who have made outstanding contributions to the country's reform and opening-up.

The people are "the creators of the great wonder of reform and opening-up" and "the source of power" to drive the campaign started 40 years ago, Wang said.

According to the decision made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, 100 Chinese were awarded the medals of reform pioneers and 10 foreigners were honored with China reform friendship medals.

Chinese leaders presented the medals to the prize winners.

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