What Targets to Achieve
Every country and every ruling party has its targets to achieve.
For Chinese people, there are two centenary goals. The first is to build a moderately prosperous society by the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. The second is to make China a modern socialist country that is "prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious” by the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PRC.
Xi Jinping said that building a moderately prosperous society by 2020 is a promise that the CPC has made to its people and to history.
The promise has been included in the guidelines for China’s 13th Five Year Plan for its social and economic development, which set the following targets, including the promise that China will double its 2010 GDP and its per capita income of both urban and rural residents by 2020, and that China plans to lift all of its poor in rural area out of poverty by 2020, especially those who live in the nation's poorest areas, where poverty has become a regional issue.
On November 29, 2012, not long after Xi took office, the president visited the grand exhibition "Road to Revival" at the National Museum of China, where he pointed out that achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the greatest Chinese dream of modern times.
As Xi said, we can all feel that we are closer to this goal now than in any other period in history, and we now have more confidence and ability to achieve this goal than ever.
The previous CPC national congresses all made policies and action guidelines for the country’s development. The seven CPC national congresses since reform and opening up have gradually drawn a blueprint for the development of the socialism with Chinese characteristics, achieving victories one after another. In different historical periods, the CPC, proceeding from people’s willing and requirements of the development, puts forward practical targets and leads the people to strive towards achieving those goals. For example, the 16th, 17th and 18th CPC national congresses all set relevant requirements to promote the building of a moderately prosperous society in every respect.
Standing at a new starting point, the CPC reviews the past and looks to the future. Xi Jinping pointed out that after completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, China will set out on its journey of building a modern socialist country. This target will surely be highlighted at the upcoming 19th CPC National Congress.
LIU SHAOHUA is a reporter with People’s Daily (Overseas Edition).