People's Democracy

Resolution Of The 17th National Congress Of The Communist Party Of China

The following is the full text of Resolution of the Seventeenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China on the Report of its Sixteenth Central Committee adopted at the Seventeenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China on October 21, 2007:

THE Seventeenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has approved the report made by Comrade Hu Jintao on behalf of its Sixteenth Central Committee. Following the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and thoroughly applying the Scientific Outlook on Development, the report provides scientific answers to major questions for the Party at a crucial stage of China's reform and development, such as what banner it should hold, what path it should take, and in what morale and toward what objectives of development it should continue to march forward. The report contains overall arrangements for advancing reform, opening up and socialist modernisation and attaining the ambitious goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and has definite requirements for comprehensively carrying forward the great new undertaking to build the Party in a spirit of reform and innovation. It also has a grand blueprint for continuing to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and accelerating socialist modernisation in a new era, and points out the direction for progress in our continued efforts to advance the cause of the Party and the state. It is the crystallisation of the wisdom of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country. It is a political declaration and a program of action for the Party to rally and lead the people of all ethnic groups in unswervingly taking the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and continuing to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics from the new historical starting point. The report is a Marxist programmatic document.

The congress holds that the theme of the congress set forth in the report is of enormous significance to the Party leading the people in building on our past success and carrying forward our cause into the future in a pioneering spirit. The whole Party must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, continue to emancipate the mind, persist in reform and opening up, pursue development in a scientific way, promote social harmony and strive for new victories in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The congress stresses that the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the banner guiding development and progress in contemporary China and rallying the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country in our common endeavor. The whole Party must unswervingly hold high this great banner and lead the people in grasping and making the most of the important period of strategic opportunities, staying realistic and pragmatic, forging ahead with determination, continuing to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and accelerate socialist modernisation, and accomplishing the lofty mission bestowed by the times.

The congress highly appraises the work of the Sixteenth Central Committee. It holds that since the Sixteenth National Congress, in order to accomplish the arduous tasks of reform and development in a complicated and volatile international situation, the Party has led the people of all ethnic groups in holding high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, formulating and applying the Scientific Outlook on Development and other major strategic thoughts, overcoming difficulties and risks, scoring great new achievements in the work of the Party and the State, improving the standard of living significantly, creating a new situation in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and attaining a new realm in adapting Marxism to conditions in China. Facts have proved that the major policy decisions made by the Central Committee at and since the Sixteenth Congress are perfectly correct.

The congress approves the report's scientific analysis of the great historical course and the invaluable experience of reform and opening up. It holds that reform and opening up represent a great new revolution carried on by the people under the Party's leadership in the new era, accord with the aspirations of the Party membership and the people and keep up with the trend of the times. The successful practices since the reform and opening up policy was introduced 29 years ago have incontrovertibly proved that the decision to begin reform and opening up is vital to the destiny of contemporary China, that reform and opening up are the only way of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and bringing about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, that only socialism can save China and that only reform and opening up can develop China, socialism and Marxism. To sum up, the fundamental reason behind all our achievements and progress since the reform and opening up policy was introduced is that we have blazed a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and established a system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics. All Party members must cherish this path and this system, which the Party explored and created after going through all the hardships, keep to the path and uphold the system for a long time to come and constantly develop them. We must make bold changes and innovations, stay away from rigidity or stagnation, fear no risks, never be confused by any interference, broaden our path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and ensure that the truth of Marxism of contemporary China shines even more brightly.

STILL IN PRIMARY STAGE OF SOCIALISM

The congress stresses that China has scored achievements in development that have captured world attention since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, particularly since the introduction of the reform and opening up policy; nevertheless, the basic reality that the country is still in the primary stage of socialism and will remain so for a long time to come has not changed, nor has Chinese society's principal contradiction the one between the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people and the low level of social production. All Party members must always remain sober-minded, unswervingly follow the Party's basic line for the primary stage of socialism, continue to apply in its entirety the line of "one central task and two basic points " taking economic development as the central task and upholding the Four Cardinal Principles and the reform and opening up policy in their great endeavor to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, and never deviate from this line.

The congress emphasises the need to thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development. The outlook is a continuation and development of the important thoughts on development advanced by the previous three generations of central collective leadership of the CPC and a concentrated expression of the Marxist world outlook and methodology with regard to development. It is a scientific theory that is in the same line as Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and keeps up with the times. It is an important guiding principle for China's economic and social development and a major strategic thought that must be upheld and applied in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. All Party members must fully understand its content and grasp its essence and be more conscious and determined in applying it to every aspect of economic and social development.

The congress points out that we have made steady progress toward the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects set at the Sixteenth Congress. The following five years will be a crucial period for building such a society. We must enhance our confidence and work hard in accordance with the overall arrangements for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics to achieve sound and rapid economic development, better safeguard the people's rights and interests as well as social equity and justice, markedly increase the cultural and ethical quality of the whole nation, improve every aspect of the people's well-being, and promote a conservation culture, so that we will lay a more solid foundation for attaining our goal of building a moderately prosperous society of a higher level in all respects to the benefit of over one billion people and for making China a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious modern socialist country.

ACCELERATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The congress approves the arrangements made in the report for China's socialist economic, political, cultural and social development. It emphasises that in order to attain the objectives for economic development, it is essential to significantly accelerate the transformation of the economic development pattern and improve the socialist market economy, vigorously push forward strategic economic restructuring, and make greater efforts to improve China's capacity for independent innovation as well as energy and environmental conservation, and to enhance the overall quality of the economy and its international competitiveness. It is imperative to uphold and improve the basic economic system in which public ownership is dominant and different economic sectors develop side by side, introduce necessary institutions to give better play to the basic role of market forces in allocating resources and form a system of macroeconomic regulation conducive to scientific development. We must keep to the path of political development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, integrate the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country, and the rule of law, uphold and improve the system of people's congresses, the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and the system of self-governance at the primary level of society, promote continuous self-improvement and development of the socialist political system, and develop socialist political civilisation. We must keep to the orientation of advanced socialist culture, build up the system of socialist core values, bring about a new upsurge in socialist cultural development, stimulate the cultural creativity of the whole nation, enhance culture as part of the soft power of our country, and promote vigorous development and prosperity of culture more conscientiously and actively. We must accelerate social development with improving people's livelihood as the priority, ensure and improve people's livelihood, advance social restructuring, expand public services, improve social management, properly handle contradictions among the people, promote social equity and justice, and advance the building of a harmonious socialist society. The congress holds that bearing in mind the overall strategic interests of national security and development, we must take both economic and national defense development into consideration, and make our country prosperous and our armed forces powerful while building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The congress stresses that we must unswervingly implement the principle of "one country, two systems," under which Hong Kong people administer Hong Kong and Macao people administer Macao with a high degree of autonomy, act in strict accordance with the basic laws of the two special administrative regions, and promote long-term prosperity and stability in these regions. With a firm grasp of the theme of peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Straits, we will sincerely work for the well-being of our compatriots on both sides of the Straits and for peace in the Taiwan Straits region, vigorously advance the great cause of peaceful national reunification, resolutely oppose secessionist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence," and safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation.

INDEPENDENT FOREIGN POLICY OF PEACE

The congress approves the report's analysis of the international situation and its principles for external work, and stresses the need to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development and a win-win strategy of opening up, remain committed to developing friendship and cooperation with all other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, share with them opportunities for development, and rise together with them to challenges so as to build a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity and advance the noble cause of peace and development of humanity.

The congress stresses that the Party must improve itself in a spirit of reform and innovation so as to stand in the forefront of the times and lead the people in opening up new prospects for developing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. To achieve the main objectives of strengthening the Party's governance capability and vanguard nature, we must ensure that the Party exercises self-discipline and is strict with its members, and work to fulfill the requirement for serving the people and being pragmatic and incorruptible. We must comprehensively strengthen the Party ideologically, organisationally and institutionally, improve its style of work and enhance its capacity to fight corruption and uphold integrity. All this will enable the Party to remain a ruling Marxist party that is built for public interests and exercises governance for the people; a party that is realistic, pragmatic and committed to reform and innovation; a party that is hardworking, clean and full of vigor and enjoys solidarity and harmony; and a Party that stays as the firm core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The congress emphasises that resolutely punishing and effectively preventing corruption bears on the popular support for the Party and on its very survival, and is therefore a major political task the Party must attend to at all times. All Party members must be fully aware that fighting corruption will be a protracted, complicated and arduous battle, attach greater importance to combating corruption and upholding integrity and take a clear stand against corruption.

The congress stresses that all Party members must be keenly aware that it will take more than a decade of continued efforts to reach the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and decades more to realise modernisation by and large, and that it will require unremitting efforts by several, a dozen or even dozens of generations to consolidate and develop the socialist system. We must continue to dedicate ourselves to the historical mission of leading the Chinese people in pursuing a happy life and realising the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must stay prepared for adversities in times of peace, be mindful of potential dangers, guard against arrogance and rashness, preserve the style of plain living and hard struggle, study and work diligently, reinforce unity, bear the overall interests in mind and overcome all difficulties and obstacles to achieve new, greater victories in the cause of the Party and the people.

The congress calls on all Party members and the people of all ethnic groups to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, rally more closely around the Central Committee, conscientiously study and implement the guiding principles of the Seventeenth Congress, unite as one, forge ahead in a pioneering spirit, and work hard to achieve new victories in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and write a new chapter of happy life for the people.