Strengthen Overall CPC Leadership in Socialist Modernization

Strengthen Overall CPC Leadership in Socialist Modernization*

January 11, 2021

CPC leadership is the defining feature of Chinese socialism, in which the combinations of theoretical and practical innovation and of confidence in the system and culture feature most prominently. Together they evolve into strengths in politics, theory, system and culture that boost development. The implementation of decisions of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee should operate in parallel with those of the Fourth Plenary Session. In modernizing China’s governance system and capacity, we must unify the political strengths of overall Party leadership, the institutional strengths of Chinese socialism, and the theoretical strengths of our new development philosophy. While exercising the Party’s leadership in socialist modernization, we must make its division of functions more rational, reinforce its systems and mechanisms, and render its operations and management more efficient.

The implementation of the decisions of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee determines the overall development of the undertakings of the Party and the state in the coming five to 15 years and even longer. The Recommendations for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 adopted at the meeting is rich in content: It lays out guiding principles, strategic thoughts, overall plans, and specific requirements. It includes both strategies for implementation since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, and major new judgments and strategic measures. Without hard effort you will not gain a good grasp of this report, and without a good grasp you will miss the point and fail to enforce it effectively. Leading officials at all levels, particularly those in senior positions, must study the original text paragraph by paragraph, and have a good understanding of the key points and innovative proposals while bearing the overall picture in mind. You should carry forward the good tradition of combining theory with practice, consider both the current situation and long-term development, and increase enthusiasm, initiative and creativity in work.

I have emphasized on many occasions that high-ranking officials must make themselves into Marxist statesmen and stateswomen, and leading officials at all levels must take a clear political stance. Not long ago, I reiterated this at a meeting of criticism and self-criticism among members of the Political Bureau. Economic work has never been abstract or isolated; it is a network of specifics. Officials at all levels, and particularly those in senior positions, must consider the overarching goal of national rejuvenation in the context of change on a scale unseen in a century, improve their political acumen, understanding and capacity to deliver, and bear in mind matters of national significance. You must improve your political ability, strategic vision, and professionalism in understanding the new development stage, acting on the new development philosophy, and creating the new development dynamic. You should readily take on responsibilities, and fully implement decisions and plans of the Central Committee.

In leading this huge Eastern country with over one billion people towards socialist modernization, our Party must seek truth from facts, pursue progress while ensuring stability, advance our work in a coordinated manner, and intensify efforts in forward thinking, overall planning, strategic deployment, and comprehensive progress. Thus we can achieve rapid, efficient and safe development while maintaining quality, structure and scale. No region or ethnic group will be left behind when the whole country is working hard towards the goal of realizing all-round socialist modernization. At the same time, we must understand that regional disparities and imbalanced development make concurrent modernization impossible. So we should encourage the most capable regions to take the lead and support other regions to this end.

The Spring Festival is approaching. Local Party and government officials must pay more attention to Covid-19 prevention, and ensure security, stability, people’s wellbeing, and supply of goods. You should identify problems early, attend to details, make real efforts to neutralize risks, and create a peaceful and harmonious social environment. You must make Covid-19 prevention and control regular and consistent, fully and carefully implementing the necessary measures to bring sporadic cases under quick and effective control. You must undertake a full review of any social tension, increase your analytical capability, and avoid or mitigate all potential risk factors through a proactive approach. Supply of energy and other goods, and transport safety must be ensured during the Spring Festival. A sound prevention and control system must be put in place to combat all crimes endangering people’s lives and property and ensure social stability. Problems that might trigger incidents of social disturbance such as defaulting on payments to construction enterprises and delaying rural migrant workers’ wages must be settled quickly.

Comrades, a statement made by Deng Xiaoping in 1992 often rings in my ears: “If we can make China a moderately developed country within a hundred years from the founding of the People’s Republic, that will be an extraordinary achievement. The period from now to the middle of the next century will be crucial. We must immerse ourselves in hard work: We have difficult tasks to accomplish and bear a heavy responsibility.”

Now, the tasks and responsibilities fall on us. We must step forward to take on these responsibilities, unite the people, lead them to work diligently, and deliver results that live up to the expectations of the Party, the people and history. 

* Part of the speech at a study session on implementing the decisions of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, attended by principal officials at the provincial and ministerial level.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)