China is setting goals, tasks and policies for the country and the ruling Communist Party of China for the next five years and beyond, as the CPC opened its 20th National Congress on Sunday.
The CPC had secured historic achievements and historic changes in the cause of the Party and the country over the past decade, said the country’s President Xi Jinping, in a report to the congress on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee.
"The next five years will be crucial for getting the efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects off to a good start," he said.
'Historic feats' in the past decade
Looking back at the last 10 years, Xi said the country had achieved many "historic feats."
"We embraced the centenary of the Communist Party of China; we ushered in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and we eradicated absolute poverty and finished building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus completing the First Centenary Goal," he said, adding that these were "historic feats" that will be forever recorded in Chinese history, and profoundly influence the world.
Toward 'Chinese modernisation'
Expounding on the CPC's central task in the new journey ahead, Xi said the CPC will lead the Chinese people to realize the Second Centenary Goal and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through "a Chinese path to modernization."
Xi said, that the essential requirements of Chinese modernization were upholding the leadership of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics, pursuing high-quality development, developing a whole-process people's democracy, enriching the people's cultural lives, achieving common prosperity for all, promoting harmony between humanity and nature, building a human community with a shared future and creating a new form of human advancement.
"It contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context," he said.
To build a modern socialist country, he further stressed several major aspects, such as creating a new development pattern and pursuing high-quality development, invigorating China through science and education and improving the people's well-being.
"Our future is bright, but we still have a long way to go," Xi said, urging the Party to meet obstacles and difficulties head-on, ensure both development and security, and dig deep to surmount the difficulties and challenges on the road ahead.
* This article was originally published by CGTN.