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Note:
Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the Central Committee of
the Communist Party of China (CPC), delivered an important
speech before an assembly gathered in the Great Hall of the
People in Beijing July 1, 2001 to mark the 80th anniversary
of the founding of the Party. The following is the full text:
Comrades
and Friends,
We gather here today at this grand rally to celebrate the
80th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of
China together with the people of all ethnic groups across
the country, and look to the bright future of the development
of China and the rest of the world along with all people on
earth who love peace and pursue progress.
The Communist Party of China had only some 50 members at its
birth 80 years ago and what it faced was a calamity-ridden
old China. But today, 80 years later, our Party has become
a big party that has been in power for more than 50 years
and has more than 64 million members and what the Chinese
people see is a prosperous socialist motherland. This tremendous
change is a historic miracle in the development of the Chinese
nation.
Reviewing the course of struggle of the Party and the people
in the last century, we feel exultant and infinitely proud.
Looking into the great journey of the Party and the people
ahead in the new century, we are filled with strength and
confidence that we are bound to win.
I. Achievements and Basic Experience
of the Communist Party of China in
the 80-Year Struggle
Invariably, the people have kept exploring their road of advance
amidst the movement of social contradictions. They have also
continued, in the practice of historical activities and by
making comparisons, to seek, reveal and develop the truth
that guides their advance.
Eighty years ago, the Communist Party of China was founded
amidst the torrential anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle
of the people of all ethnic groups of China and in the tempestuous
movement of the proletarian revolution in the world. This
was the inevitable result of the development of social contradictions
and deepening struggle of the people in modern China.
After 1840, the invasion by Western powers gradually reduced
China to the status of semi-colonial and semi-feudal society
and subjected the Chinese people to two-fold repression by
imperialism and feudalism. The national crisis and social
crisis were unprecedentedly grave. From the Opium Wars, through
the Movement of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the 1898 Reform
Movement and the Yihetuan Movement, the Chinese people carried
out dauntless struggles, and numerous people with lofty ideals
were trying strenuously to explore a road to salvaging the
country and the nation. All the attempts ended in failure
one after another although each time they helped promote progress
in China under given historical conditions. The 1911 Revolution
led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, which overthrew the autocratic monarchy
that had ruled China for several thousand years, was of great
significance in promoting China's social progress. Yet, it
did not succeed in altering the semi-colonial and semi-feudal
nature of the Chinese society and the miserable fate of the
Chinese people.
Facts show that the self-improvement movements and reformism,
the old peasant wars and the democratic revolution led by
the revolutionaries of the bourgeoisie that did not touch
the foundation of feudalism or other solutions that copied
Western capitalism could not accomplish the mission of saving
the nation from subjugation and ensuring its survival and
the historical tasks against imperialism and feudalism. China
was then looking forward to a new social force that could
find advanced theories leading to a path of salvaging the
country and the nation.
It so happened that in 1917 and 1919, two major events took
place in Russia and China, that is, the October Revolution
of Russia and the May 4th Movement of China. The salvoes of
the October Revolution brought the advanced theory of Marxism-Leninism
to China. Starting from the May 4th Movement, the Chinese
working class began to cut a striking figure as an advanced
social force in the country. At the same time, a number of
advanced intellectuals held high the banner of democracy and
science and opened up a path for disseminating new ideas and
new theories in China. In 1921, the Communist Party of China
emerged just as the times required in the process of applying
Marxism-Leninism in the Chinese workers' movement.
From then on, the great historical mission of leading the
anti-imperialist and anti-feudal revolutionary struggle, winning
national independence and people's liberation and invigorating
the Chinese nation fell upon the shoulders of the Communist
Party of China. The Chinese revolution thus entered a brand-new
period of development.
From the Opium War (1840-1842) to the founding of the Communist
Party of China, and from the founding of the Party to the
present, China has experienced two completely different periods
of 80 years. In the first 80-year period, the feudal rulers
surrendered the country's sovereign rights under humiliating
terms, the society was thrown into wars and chaos, the country
became impoverished and weak and the people lived in hunger
and cold. In the second 80-year period, the Chinese people,
under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, have
got unprecedentedly united and organized, overcome numerous
difficulties and won one victory after another in their revolutionary
struggle. Since the founding of New China, the economy and
society have developed rapidly; the country has become increasingly
prosperous; the people's social status, living standards and
cultural and educational level have risen markedly. Through
the comparison of the two periods, the Chinese people and
all the patriotic forces in China have come to realize that
it is precisely the leadership of the Communist Party of China
that has enabled the country to materialize the great historical
transformation. China has thus come out of the most miserable
plight and is now heading for a bright future. Without the
Communist Party, there would have been no New China. With
the Communist Party, China has put on an entirely new look.
This is the fundamental and most important conclusion drawn
by the Chinese people from their long years of struggle.
The eventful days and glorious achievements of the 80 years
of struggle in which our Party led the people presented a
spectacular and colorful panorama before the people.
We fulfilled the task of the new-democratic revolution and
attained national independence and the liberation of the people.
We carried out the Northern Expedition (1926-1927), the Agrarian
Revolutionary War (1927-1937), the War of Resistance Against
Japanese Aggression (1937-1945) and China's War of Liberation
(1946-1949). We defeated the Japanese militarist aggression,
overthrew the Kuomintang reactionary rule and founded the
People's Republic of China. The Chinese have since stood up,
and the development of the Chinese nation has since ushered
in a new era.
We have established a socialist system and realized the most
extensive and most profound social transformation in Chinese
history. We have creatively materialized the transformation
from new democracy to socialism and established the basic
system of socialism in an all-round way, thus ushering in
a socialist society in this big oriental country with a population
of a quarter of the world's total. This is a big leap forward
in China's social change and historical progress, and also
serves as a powerful support and impetus to the cause of socialism
in the world.
We initiated the cause of building socialism with Chinese
characteristics and found a correct road to the great rejuvenation
of the Chinese nation. The Third Plenary Session of the 11th
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China marked the
beginning of a new period of development for the cause of
socialism in China. On the basis of building socialism over
the years and summing up both the internal and external historical
experience and making hard exploratory efforts, we introduced
new policies of reform and opening to the outside world and
formulated the basic theory, line and program of our Party
in the primary stage of socialism. In face of serious setbacks
to world socialism and drastic changes in the domestic and
foreign situations, our Party stood rock-firm in midstream.
Socialism in China has displayed its vigor and vitality.
We have established a state power of the people's democratic
dictatorship, with the Chinese people being masters of their
own destiny. China is an ancient civilization of more than
five thousand years. However, it is only after our Party came
to power that the people became real masters of their country,
their society and their own destiny. This represented a fundamental
change in the social and political status of the Chinese people.
It marked China's realization of a great leap from centuries-old
feudalistic autocracy to people's democracy.
We have built an independent and fairly complete national
economic system, with our economic strength and aggregate
national strength enhanced markedly. It has taken us just
a little more than half a century to put an end to the old
China's backward state of poverty and ignorance and also set
up a complete modern industrial system with all necessary
sectors. The annual gross domestic product (GDP) has increased
by 57 times since the founding of the People's Republic. The
strength of our economy, national defense and science and
technology has grown visibly. Our country has edged into the
advanced ranks in the world in many areas such as industry,
agriculture, national defense, science and technology. The
1.2 billion-plus Chinese people have not only got enough to
eat and wear but in general secured a relatively comfortable
life.
We have consistently developed socialist culture, and the
cultural life of the Chinese people is getting richer and
more colorful. Upholding Marxism as the guiding ideology,
we have educated the people in patriotism, collectivism and
socialism and done much to promote socialist ethical and cultural
progress. We have persistently carried forward the fine cultures
of all ethnic groups of the country and actively absorbed
what is advanced in other civilizations in order to make our
socialist culture increasingly flourish. The ideological and
ethical standards and the educational, scientific and cultural
qualities of the people have kept improving, displaying to
the world a new mental outlook of the Chinese nation.
We have put an end once for all to the disunity in the old
China and attained a high degree of national unification and
unparalleled unity of all ethnic groups. We have abrogated
the unequal treaties imposed on China by Western powers and
all the privileges of imperialism in the country. The feudal
separatist rule has gone forever on this land of China. The
56 ethnic groups share the same lot and have forged a socialist
ethnic relationship featuring equality, unity and mutual assistance.
All political parties and people's organizations unite as
one, help each other and share weal and woe. All socialist
laborers, patriots endorsing socialism and patriots supporting
national reunification have formed the broadest possible patriotic
united front for the reunification and prosperity of the motherland.
The successful return of Hong Kong and Macao to the motherland
has fulfilled the long-cherished wishes of the whole nation.
The exchanges between compatriots on the two sides of the
Taiwan Straits have been increasing. The question of Taiwan
will be ultimately resolved and the national reunification
achieved.
We have forged a people's army under the absolute leadership
of the Party and built a strong national defense. We started
a revolutionary course of encircling the cities from the rural
areas and seizing state power by armed force. With the people's
army as the backbone, we relied on the people and armed them.
We persisted in educating the officers and men in the Party's
theory and program and defeated the well-equipped ferocious
domestic and foreign enemies in the prolonged revolutionary
wars. The People's Liberation Army has always upheld the purpose
of serving the people wholeheartedly. It has played a major
role in consolidating national defense, resisting aggression,
safeguarding the socialist system and peaceful work of the
people and taking part in the country's socialist construction.
Our national defense has constantly been reinforced and steady
progress has been made in the drive to build a revolutionary,
modern and regular army. The People's Liberation Army led
by our Party is a staunch pillar of the people's democratic
dictatorship, a great wall of steel in defense of the motherland
and an important force in socialist construction.
We have adhered to an independent foreign policy of peace
and made important contributions to the lofty cause of world
peace and development. We have put an end once for all to
the history of diplomacy of humiliation in modern China and
effectively safeguarded state sovereignty, security and national
dignity. We have actively initiated and safeguarded the Five
Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, resolutely opposed the
hegemonies and power politics with the strong domineering
over the weak. We have upheld principle and justice, striving
to let justice prevail and safeguarding the legitimate rights
and interests of the vast number of developing countries,
and promoted the establishment of a just and reasonable new
international political and economic order. The international
standing and influence of socialist China are growing with
each passing day.
Facts have fully proved that the Communist Party of China
is indeed a great, glorious and correct Marxist political
party and the force at the core that leads the Chinese people
in the incessant efforts to break new ground.
The outstanding achievements in China's revolution, construction
and reform are the results of the concerted endeavor of the
people of all ethnic groups of the country, the results of
endless and unremitting efforts made in modern times by people
with lofty ideals, and also the results of the selfless devotion
of Chinese Communists of several generations.
We cherish dearly the memory of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu
Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yun and other late proletarian
revolutionaries of the older generation who made great contributions
to China's revolution, construction and reforms and to the
founding, consolidation and development of the Communist Party
of China. We cherish dearly the memory of the revolutionary
martyrs who sacrificed their lives heroically for the sake
of founding, defending and building New China. We cherish
dearly the memory of all the pioneers who fought for the independence
and liberation of the Chinese nation in modern times. The
meritorious feats they performed for the motherland have gone
down in history!
The people are the true makers of history. On behalf of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, I would
like to extend salute to the workers, peasants and intellectuals,
all democratic parties, people's organizations and patriotic
personages in all walks of life and to the People's Liberation
Army, the armed police and officers and men of the public
security forces throughout the country. My cordial greetings
go to our compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan
as well as all overseas Chinese and my heartfelt thanks to
the people and friends in all the countries who live on good
terms with us and care for and support China's revolution,
construction and reforms!
The 80 years of the Communist Party of China are a period
in which the Party has integrated Marxism-Leninism with China's
practice in constant pursuit of truth and innovation. They
are a period in which the Party has worked hard for the liberation
of the nation, prosperity of the country and happiness of
the people. They are also a period in which the Party has
withstood endless tests and grown in strength in the course
of accomplishing the historical missions.
The 80-year practice tells us that it is imperative to persist
in integrating the fundamental principles of Marxism with
the specific situation in China, persist in taking scientific
theories as the guide and unswervingly take our own road.
This is the most essential experience we have drawn from the
summing up of our Party's history. Marxism is a powerful ideological
weapon for understanding and transforming the world. It serves
as a guide to action in our revolution, construction and reforms.
Marxism is not a dogma. Only by being correctly applied and
constantly developed in practice, does it exhibit great vitality.
Guided by the collective leadership of the Party Central Committee
of the first and second generations with Comrades Mao Zedong
and Deng Xiaoping at the core respectively, our Party persisted
in closely combining the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism
with China's realities. As a result, Mao Zedong Thought and
Deng Xiaoping Theory came into being. The two great theories
constitute Chinese Marxism which embodies the basic principles
of Marxism-Leninism and the fine philosophy of the Chinese
nation and the practical experience of the Chinese Communists.
It is exactly because we have had the guidance of Marxism-Leninism,
Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory that our Party
has been able to lead the people in overcoming all hardships
and setbacks and winning one victory after another. As the
great crystallization of the practical experience and collective
wisdom of the Party and people, Deng Xiaoping Theory is the
best continuation and creative development of Mao Zedong Thought
under the new historical conditions. It has made major contributions
to creating a completely new situation in China's cause of
socialism. Holding high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping
Theory, all the comrades in the Party are continuing to study
new situations and solve new problems, working to promote
creatively and in an all-round manner the great cause of building
socialism with Chinese characteristics. To uphold Marxism-Leninism
and Mao Zedong Thought in the new historical period, it is
vital to use Deng Xiaoping Theory to observe the present-day
world and contemporary China, sum up practical experience,
come up with new theories and march forward in a pioneering
spirit.
The 80-year practice tells us that it is essential to always
rely firmly on the people, work sincerely for their interests
and draw inexhaustible strength from them on the road of advance.
Flesh-and-blood ties with the people are a fundamental guarantee
for overcoming difficulties and risks and making continuous
success in our cause. We should never change the stand of
sharing a common lot with the people, forget the purpose of
serving the people wholeheartedly, and give up the conviction
of historical materialism that the people are the real heroes.
The Party must always represent the will and interests of
the people, which should be the point of departure and objective
of all the work we do. It must always rely on the wisdom and
strength of the people, which should be the basic line of
work in carrying forward our cause.
The 80-year practice also teaches us that we must always consciously
strengthen and improve Party building, continuously enhance
the creativity, rallying power and combat capability of the
Party, and always maintain its vigor and vitality. The key
to the success in handling China's affairs well lies in our
Party. We must continue to strengthen Party building in light
of the development of the situation and in connection with
the Party's central tasks. We must be good at summing up experience,
uphold the truth, correct mistakes and be modest and prudent.
We must have the courage to face up to the problems existing
in the ranks of Party members and cadres and resolve them
by relying on all Party members and the people. This is where
the vigor and vitality of the Party lies. We must continue
to press ahead with the new great project of all-round Party
building, focusing on the basic issue of what kind of a party
to build and how to build it under the new historical conditions
so as to address the two major historic subjects of enhancing
the Party's ability of exercising state power and art of leadership
and resisting corruption and warding off risks.
Reviewing the course of struggle and the basic experience
over the past 80 years and looking ahead to the arduous tasks
and bright future in the new century, our Party should continue
to stand in the forefront of the times and lead the people
in marching toward victory. In a word, the Party must always
represent the requirements of the development of China's advanced
productive forces, the orientation of the development of China's
advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming
majority of the people in China (hereinafter referred to as
the "Three Represent's"-Tr.).
II. Correctly Understand and Comprehensively Fulfill the Requirements
of the "Three Represent's"
In the new century, the great historical tasks for our Party
are to continue with the modernization drive, accomplish the
great cause of national reunification, safeguard world peace
and promote common development. In face of the profound changes
in the domestic and international situations, our Party should
follow closely the progressive trends of the world and unite
and lead the people of all ethnic groups of the country in
seizing opportunities and taking up challenges and accomplishing
the three major historical tasks successfully. To this end,
we must unswervingly fulfil the requirements of the "Three
Represent's". The "Three Represent's" are the
foundation for building the Party, the cornerstone for its
exercise of state power and a source of its strength. They
are also the fundamental requirements for us to push Party
building in an all-round way in the new century, constantly
bring forth new ideas in theories, institutions and science
and technology, and win fresh victories in building socialism
with Chinese characteristics.
In order to always represent the requirements of the development
of China's advanced productive forces, it is necessary to
bring the Party's theory, line, program, principles, policies
and all endeavors of work into line with the law governing
the development of the productive forces, give expression
to what is required in promoting the release and development
of social productive forces, especially in the development
of advanced productive forces so that the living standards
of the people improve steadily through the development of
the productive forces.
The productive forces are the most dynamic and revolutionary
factor. They are the ultimate decisive force of social development.
The contradictions between the productive forces and the relations
of production and between the economic base and the superstructure
constitute the basic social contradiction. The movement of
this basic contradiction determines the direction of the changes
in the nature of society and the direction of social, economic,
political and cultural development. The fundamental difference
between socialism and capitalism lies in the difference between
their relations of production and superstructures. The establishment
and constant improvement of the socialist system has opened
up a broad road to the release and development of our country's
social productive forces. All relations of production and
superstructures, irrespective of their nature, develop with
the development of the productive forces. If they fail to
keep up with the requirement of the development of the productive
forces and thus become obstacles to the development of the
productive forces and social progress, readjustments and changes
are sure to take place.
We must have a profound understanding of the development trend
and requirements of our country's social productive forces,
focus on economic development and formulate and implement
a correct line, principles and policies and take effective
steps to promote the constant development of the advanced
productive forces. Only by doing so can we really ensure that
our Party always stand in the forefront of the times and maintain
its advanced nature.
As the vanguard of the working class, our Party emerged in
the historical arena as the representative of China's advanced
productive forces at its very inception. The purpose of the
new-democratic revolution led by our Party was to revoke the
privileges of imperialists in China, eliminate exploitation
and oppression by the landlord class and the bureaucrat-capitalist
class, change the comprador and feudal relations of production
and the rotten political superstructure built on such an economic
base, put in place a new political superstructure based on
the people's democratic dictatorship and smash the shackles
that fettered the productive forces. After the founding of
New China, we carried out the socialist transformation of
agriculture, handicraft industry and the capitalist industry
and commerce in order to establish the socialist relations
of production, and, on that economic base, bring the socialist
superstructure to perfection so as to further release and
expand the productive forces. It is for the same purpose that
we have since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Party
Central Committee implemented the reform and opening-up policies
to adjust and reform the part of the socialist relations of
production that is incompatible with the demand of the development
of the productive forces, and that of the socialist superstructure
that is incompatible with the economic base. Over the past
twenty-plus years, we have, through bold explorations and
practice, pushed forward reforms in the economic and political
structures and other areas, which has greatly released and
developed the country's social productive forces, bringing
about tremendous changes in the national economic development
and social progress.
The fundamental task of socialism is to develop the productive
forces, increase the overall national strength of our socialist
country and improve the people's living standards so as to
reflect the superiority of socialism over capitalism. In all
historical stages of the socialist society, the socialist
system needs to improve and develop itself through reforms
in response to the demand of the economic and social development.
This is the only way to make the socialist system viable and
dynamic. All comrades in the Party should firmly uphold the
basic concepts about the socialist reform and development
and conscientiously participate in them.
The development of human society is a historical process in
which the advanced productive forces replace the backward
ones. Socialist modernization must be built on the developed
productive forces. The purpose of our efforts for modernization
is, in the final analysis, to ensure that our productive forces
be developed through reforms and development. All comrades
in the Party, no matter what posts they are in, should check
and review their work regularly to see whether it conforms
to the requirements of the development of the advanced productive
forces. If it does, keep working like that. If it does not,
correct it where necessary. Only by doing so can the Communists
give full expression to their advanced nature and to the spirit
of the times.
Man is the most decisive factor in the productive forces.
The Chinese working class, including intellectuals, is the
basic force for the expansion of the advanced productive forces
in China. The peasant class and other laboring people, closely
united with the working class, constitute an important force
for the development of the country's social productive forces.
To raise the ideological and ethical standards and scientific
and cultural levels of the workers, peasants, intellectuals
and other laboring people and those of the entire population,
upgrade their labor skills, increase their capacity for innovations
and give full scope to their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity-these
should remain the tasks of primary importance that our Party
should perform in representing the requirements of the development
of China's advanced productive forces.
Science and technology are the primary productive forces.
They are a crystallization and a principal hallmark of the
advanced productive forces. The rapid progress in science
and technology has given a powerful shove-ahead to the productive
forces of the world and the economic and social development
of humanity. The future development of science and technology
will produce new great leap-forwards. We must be sensitive
to this objective trend. We must give full play to the superiority
of China's socialist system on the one hand and master, apply
and develop advanced science and technology on the other.
We must vigorously promote progress in science and technology
and innovation and use advanced science and technology to
transform and uplift the national economy so as to achieve
a leapfrog expansion of our productive forces. This, too,
is an important duty our Party should perform in representing
the requirements of the development of the productive forces.
Although we have made tremendous achievements in socialist
modernization, the productive forces have generally remained
underdeveloped in China which is still at the primary stage
of socialism with a large population, a weak foundation and
uneven economic and cultural development. To release and develop
our productive forces will remain our central task for a long
period of time to come. We must develop the advanced productive
forces without letup. There still exist some backward modes
of production that do not meet the requirements of the development
of the advanced productive forces and those of the times.
We should neither repel them summarily and unrealistically,
nor be content with and protect them. Instead, we should base
ourselves on the reality and create conditions for transforming,
improving and upgrading these backward modes and, through
long-time efforts, gradually make them advanced and viable.
We must, under the guidance of the Party's basic theories,
basic line and basic program, stick to and improve the basic
economic system with the public ownership playing a dominant
role and all forms of ownerships developing side by side;
the socialist market system; the diversified forms of distribution
with the distribution according to work as the main modality;
the opening-up program; the people's democratic dictatorship
led by the working class and based on the worker-peasant alliance;
the people's congress system and multi-party cooperation and
political consultation led by the Communist Party and the
system of regional autonomy of ethnic minorities. We should
at the same time actively and steadily promote the reform
of the political structure to further expand socialist democracy,
run the country according to law and build a socialist state
under the rule of law. We will make unremitting efforts to
constantly improve the socialist relations of production and
superstructure and open up a broader thoroughfare for the
release and development of the productive forces.
To ensure that our Party forever represent the orientation
of the development of China's advanced culture, it is imperative
that the Party's theories, line, program, principles, policies
and all its work should orient toward modernization, the world
and the future, reflect the requirements of developing a national,
scientific and popular socialist culture, serve to upgrade
the ideological and ethical standards and scientific and cultural
levels of the whole nation and provide spiritual and intellectual
support for the economic development and social progress.
Socialist society is one of all-round development and progress.
The socialist modernization cause features a mutually supplementary
and coordinated development of both material and spiritual
civilizations. All comrades in the Party must have a comprehensive
mastery of the dialectical relationship between the two civilizations
and energetically promote socialist spiritual civilization
while advancing material civilization. In contemporary China,
to develop an advanced culture means to develop a socialist
culture with distinctive Chinese characteristics and build
socialist spiritual civilization.
We should have a firm grip on the development trend and requirements
of China's advanced culture. We must never deviate from the
guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng
Xiaoping Theory. We should base ourselves on the practice
of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, have our
eyes on the frontline of the world science and culture, and
develop a healthy, progressive, rich and colorful socialist
culture with Chinese styles and characteristics to meet the
growing spiritual and cultural needs of the people, and guide
people to arming themselves with correct thinking and ideas
so as to improve their mental outlook. That is also the fundamental
expression and requirement for our Party to remain in the
forefront of the times and maintain its advanced nature.
The kind of cultural orientation a political party follows
and the kind of culture it promotes constitute its ideological
and spiritual banner. Over the past 80 years, our Party has
held high the banner of China's advanced culture in its march
forward, worked hard to build and carry forward the new culture
that reflects the requirements of revolution, development
and reform, and cleaned up the old decadent and dying culture
which was left over from the old society or infiltrated into
China from abroad. As a result, the cadres and masses have
been emancipated and greatly encouraged ideologically and
mentally, and the Party and the people have a correct guiding
ideology and a common ideal which have a great rallying force
and reflect unity of will.
The fundamental task of developing a socialist culture is
to turn people from generation to generation into citizens
with lofty ideals, moral integrity, better education and a
good sense of discipline. We should persevere in arming the
people with scientific theories, guiding them with correct
public opinions, shaping their outlook with noble ideas, and
inspiring them with good cultural works. We must uphold and
consolidate the status of Marxism as a guiding ideology, help
people acquire a correct world outlook, philosophy of life
and values, strengthen their belief in Marxism and socialism,
build up their confidence in the reform, opening-up and modernization
drive, increase their trust in the Party and the Government,
and instill into people's mind such ideas as self-reliance,
competition, efficiency, democracy, the legal system, and
the pioneering and innovative spirit. We should continue to
implement the strategy of invigorating the country through
science and education, make education available to more people,
improve the quality of education and the educational level
of the whole country, and make greater efforts to develop
the scientific and cultural undertakings. We should double
our efforts for a publicity campaign on scientific knowledge,
scientific approaches, scientific thinking and scientific
spirit. A vital principle we must follow in developing China's
advanced culture is to emphasize the central theme of the
socialist culture, persevere in serving the people and socialism,
and let a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of
thought contend. We should master and develop all kinds of
modern means of communication and promote the spreading of
the advanced culture.
To promote the socialist ideological and ethical standards
constitutes an essential component of and a key link in developing
China's advanced culture. We must realize that we would lose
the common objective of struggle and reject the accepted code
of conduct if we only value material gains and money without
thinking of ideals and moral standards. We should combine
the rule of law with the rule of virtue in order to lay a
lofty ideological and ethical foundation for a good public
order and a healthy environment. We should advocate patriotism,
collectivism and socialism among all people, combat and resist
money worship, hedonism, ultra-egoism and other decadent ideas,
enhance the Chinese people's national self-esteem, self-confidence,
and the sense of pride, and inspire them to work unremittingly
for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
The socialist culture has become dominant in China. Because
of the past and present reasons, however, there still exist
some backward cultural phenomena in China such as superstition,
ignorance, decadence and vulgarity, or even decadent cultural
phenomena that corrode people's mind and jeopardize the socialist
cause. We should try to eliminate backward culture, prevent
and resolutely resist the corrosion by the decadent culture
and erroneous ideas, and gradually reduce and remove the soil
breeding the culture and ideas, through better policies, systems,
education and management, and by changing prevailing customs
and habits.
In developing the socialist culture, we must carry on and
develop all the fine cultures, fully reflect the spirit of
the times and creativity, and have the world perspective in
a bid to enhance our inspiring capacity. We must inherit and
develop the fine cultural traditions of the Chinese nation,
the revolutionary cultural traditions the Party and the people
have nurtured since the May 4th Movement (1919), and all the
advanced civilization achievements mankind has ever created.
With regard to the rich cultural legacies left over from China's
history of several thousand years, we should discard the dross,
keep the essence, and carry forward and develop it in the
spirit of the times in order to make the past serve the present.
At the same time, we must, in light of the new practices and
requirements of the times and to satisfy people's needs for
spiritual and cultural life, promote cultural innovations,
flourish the advanced culture and get hundreds of millions
of people closely around the great banner of the socialist
culture with Chinese characteristics.
To ensure that our party always represent the fundamental
interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people,
our Party must, in all its work, theories, line, program,
principles and policies, always take the fundamental interests
of the people as the starting point and purpose, bring into
full play the people's enthusiasm, initiative and creativity,
and ensure the people continued tangible economic, political
and cultural benefits on the basis of steady social development
and progress.
Our Party serves the people heart and soul, works for the
public and assumes power for the people. This is the fundamental
difference between our Party and all political parties of
the exploiting classes. We must at all times respect both
the law of social development and the people's status as the
principal part in history, encourage efforts both for lofty
ideals and for the fundamental interests of the overwhelming
majority of the people, and stress both accomplishing the
Party's tasks and serving the people's interests.
All the endeavors our Party has made over the past 80 years
are, in the final analysis, for the interests of the overwhelming
majority of the people. During the revolutionary wartime,
our Party called on all its members to fight bravely, fear
no sacrifice, and advance wave upon wave for the victory of
revolution. After New China was founded, the Party exhorted
all its members to remain modest and prudent, guard against
conceit and impetuosity, and forever carry forward the hard-working
revolutionary spirit. In the new historical era, the Party
demands that all its members withstand the test of reform,
opening-up and being in power, and lead the people in working
hard for the realization of socialist modernization. All this
is aimed at materializing, safeguarding and developing the
interests of the overwhelming majority of the people and furthermore
enabling the Party to maintain its blood-and-flesh contacts
with the people.
The overall interests of the people are always composed of
specific interests of the people from different quarters.
All of our policies, measures and work should correctly reflect
the relationships of various interests and help properly handle
them. We should take into consideration and look after the
interests of the people from different social strata and circles.
However, to satisfy the interests and demands of the overwhelming
majority of the people is the most important and should be
given top priority. This has always been vital to the overall
interests of keeping the Party in power, the country's economic,
political and cultural development, the unity among the people
of different ethnic groups and social stability. The interests
of the overwhelming majority of the people are the vital and
most decisive factor. This is a fundamental viewpoint of Marxism
and leading organs and cadres at different levels must fully
realize it and earnestly put it into practice.
Our party has always adhered to the principle of putting the
interests of the people above everything else. Apart from
the interests of the overwhelming majority of the people,
the Party does not have any special interests of its own.
All the Party's work must take the fundamental interests of
the overwhelming majority of the people as the supreme criteria.
All comrades in the Party should always uphold the basic viewpoint
that they should do everything for the people and by relying
on the people. We should adhere to the mass line of the Party
by going down to the people at the grass-roots level to hear
their views, reflect their will and pool their wisdom, so
that all our policy decisions thus made and our work may conform
to the reality and the demands of the masses. All cadres who
are Party members must properly assume and exercise the power
truly on behalf of the people, and in no way should they be
allowed to abuse power for personal gains or form any vested
interest groups. In the process of attaining the common prosperity
of the people across the country, cadres who are Party members
must correctly handle the relationships between becoming well-off
early and late, and between personal prosperity and common
prosperity. All leading Party cadres should be concerned about
the country and the people before anything else; should be
the first to bear hardships and the last to enjoy themselves;
should support and help others first instead of only thinking
about how to get rich themselves. The last thing they should
do is to abuse power for unlawful interests. Leading cadres
at all levels should always keep in mind the security and
well-being of the people, show concern for their sufferings,
and try hard to do useful and good things for them. Leading
organs and leading cadres at all levels should pay particular
attention to those who have encountered temporary difficulties
in their work and life, put their problems on the top of the
agenda for special consideration and solution and make proper
arrangements for their employment and daily life. Only by
taking good care of and serving the masses well, can we maintain
the blood-and-flesh links with the people and remain invincible.
Representing the requirements of the development of China's
advanced productive forces, representing the orientation of
the development of China's advanced culture and representing
the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of
the Chinese people are interrelated and mutually supportive.
They thus constitute an integral whole. To develop the advanced
productive forces is a basic condition for developing an advanced
culture and ensuring the people their fundamental interests.
The people are the main force for creating the advanced productive
forces and culture and the fundamental force for realizing
their own interests. To ceaselessly develop the advanced productive
forces and culture is, in the final analysis, aimed at meeting
the growing material and cultural needs of the people and
continuously realizing the fundamental interests of the people.
The requirements of the "Three Represent's" are
essential if our Party wishes to maintain its advanced nature
and always remain the strong leading core in building socialism
with Chinese characteristics. These requirements are consistent
with the need of the Party to uphold Marxism-Leninism, Mao
Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory, and adhere to its
nature of being the vanguard of the working class and its
purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly. All comrades
in the Party must unswervingly and comprehensively implement
the requirements of the "Three Represent's" in every
aspect of the Party building and in the entire process of
the Party leading the people in the reform, opening-up and
socialist modernization.
III. Strengthen and Improve the Party
Building in Accordance with the Requirements of the "Three
Represent's"
To rally the 1.2 billion and more people behind the socialist
modernization drive in a large and multi-ethnic developing
country like China, it is a must to have the strong leadership
of the Communist Party of China. Otherwise, the country will
fall into a mess and break up. It will not only fail to realize
its modernization but also sink into a chaotic abyss. This
is a conclusion drawn by reviewing the modern history of China's
development and after analyzing the experiences and lessons
of many countries in their development course.
To uphold the Party's leadership calls for improving its leadership.
We must follow the basic theory and line of the Party, and
strengthen and improve Party building in an overall and profound
manner and in accordance with the requirements of the "Three
Represent's". This will enable our Party always to be
in the forefront of the times in the historical process in
which profound changes are taking place in the international
situation, to maintain its role as the mainstay of the people
of the whole country in the historical process of facing up
to all kinds of risks and tests at home and abroad, and to
remain the strong leading core in the historical process of
building socialism with Chinese characteristics.
After 80 years of development, great changes have taken place
in membership, status, environment and tasks of the Party.
Our Party has evolved from one that led the people in the
fight for seizing the power nationwide to one that has led
the people in exercising the state power and to a party in
power for a long period of time. It has developed from one
that led the national reconstruction under external blockade
to one going for all-round reform and opening-up. The number
of new Party members has increased by a big margin, while
cadres of a younger generation have been replacing the older
ones, and a large number of young cadres have taken leading
positions. This has injected new vitality in and given new
challenges, as well, to the growth of the Party.
All comrades in the Party should proceed from the new realities
and, in the spirit of reform, study and solve major theoretical
and practical issues in Party building, so as to enable it
to retain its progressiveness and purity, and be full of creativity,
cohesiveness and fighting power.
To meet the requirements of the "Three Represent's",
we must uphold the Party's ideological line of emancipating
our minds and seeking truth from facts. We must carry forward
and promote the truth-seeking, realistic and innovative spirit.
We must go about all the work of the Party and the state creatively
and keep enriching and developing Marxism in practice.
Marxism is the fundamental guiding principle for the consolidation
of the Party and the development of the country. It also constitutes
the common theoretical foundation of the concerted efforts
of the people of all ethnic groups. The fundamental tenets
of Marxism must never be abandoned, otherwise we would get
lost or come to failure in the pursuit of our cause due to
a lack of a correct theoretical basis and ideological soul.
That explains why we must always uphold the basic tenets of
Marxism. In terms of theory, Marxism develops with the advance
of the times. If we dogmatically cling to some individual
theses and specific programs of action formulated for a special
situation by authors of Marxist classics under the specific
historical conditions in spite of the changes in historical
conditions and present realities, we will have difficulty
in forging ahead smoothly and we may even make mistakes because
our thinking is divorced from reality. That is one reason
why we have remained opposed to dogmatism toward the theory
of Marxism. Our Party made mistakes and even suffered serious
setbacks in some historical periods. The most important cause
for that was the fact that the guiding ideology of the Party
was divorced from Chinese reality at the time. It was after
our Party restored and upheld the ideological line of emancipating
the mind and seeking truth from facts that the Party corrected
its mistakes, overcame its setbacks and forged ahead triumphantly
by relying on the strengths of itself and the people. The
experience and lessons our Party has in this regard have been
reviewed systematically in its Resolution on Certain Questions
in the History of Our Party and Resolution on Certain Questions
in the History of Our Party Since the Founding of the People's
Republic of China. These are something that we must never
forget. All comrades in the Party must uphold the scientific
principles and spirit of Marxism, put changes in the right
perspective and sum up fresh experience that people have gained
from practice, so as to constantly enrich and develop the
theory of Marxism.
Marx, Engels, Lenin and Comrades Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping
were all shining examples of integrating theory with practice
and of making theoretical innovations. Marx and Engels carried
out extensive studies of the theoretical literature of their
predecessors, critically assimilated their theoretical achievements
and came up with their own theories far better than those
of their predecessors. They had thus created a scientific
thinking system for the liberation movement of the proletariat
and mankind as a whole. Lenin shed light on the law concerning
the imbalance in the economic and political development in
the capitalist world. He came to the conclusion that the socialist
revolution could succeed first in one or several countries
and he led the October Revolution to victory. Integrating
the fundamental tenets of Marxism-Leninism with the specific
conditions of the Chinese revolution, Comrade Mao Zedong originated
the theory of the new-democratic revolution with which he
guided the Chinese revolution toward victory and led the Chinese
people onto the road to socialism. Comrade Deng Xiaoping reviewed
the negative and positive experience in the development of
socialism in China and abroad, and formulated the theory of
building socialism with Chinese characteristics, which has
ushered China into a new period of vigorous development of
the socialist cause.
The history of Marxism fully shows that emancipating the mind
and seeking truth from facts are the powerful driving force
behind great social progress. As social practice is a continuous
process, we should keep renewing our ideas and be courageous
in and good at making innovations in light of practical needs.
We should take practice as the sole criterion for testing
truth, subject ourselves to the guidance of the Party's basic
theory, proceed from reality in everything we do and free
ourselves on our own from outdated notions, practices and
systems, from the erroneous and dogmatic interpretations of
Marxism and from the shackles of subjectivism and metaphysics.
We should adopt a scientific approach and make bold explorations
in order that we think and act more in line with the objective
reality, China's conditions in the primary stage of socialism,
and the development of the times.
Our Party has a history of 80 years. It has had the great
practice of creating and developing Mao Zedong Thought and
Deng Xiaoping Theory. It has historical experience, both positive
and negative and both Chinese and foreign, in developing socialism.
We will be able to make fresh contributions to enriching and
developing Marxism as long as we remain in the forefront of
the times, base ourselves on new practice, try to understand
the characteristics of the times, study major issues of immediate
importance in accordance with the basic theory of Marxism,
deepen our understanding of the laws governing the rule of
the country by the Communist Party and the development of
socialism and human society, and draw upon all scientific
and new experience, thoughts and achievements.
To meet the requirements of the "Three Represent's",
we must uphold the Party's nature of being the vanguard of
the working class and make sure it remain advanced. At the
same time, in light of economic development and social progress,
we must constantly consolidate the class foundation of the
Party, expand its popular support and increase its social
influence.
The Chinese working class is a product of China's social development,
particularly the expansion of large-scale, socialized production
since modern times. It has a strong sense of organization
and discipline and is staunch and thoroughgoing in revolution.
The Communist Party of China has identified itself as a political
party of the Chinese working class ever since its founding
and has remained the vanguard of the working class, which
has laid a solid class foundation for maintaining its advanced
nature.
With the development of reform, opening-up and moderniza-tion,
the working class in China has expanded steadily. The qualities
of the working class have improved markedly in terms of their
political awareness, moral standards, and scientific, technical
and educational level. It has become more progressive. All
this has made the Party's class basis more solid. With intellectuals
being part of the working class, the scientific, technical
and educational level of the working class has been raised
considerably. Now we have adopted the basic economic system
under which public ownership plays a dominant role in the
national economy while other forms of ownership develop side
by side. We are shaping a socialist market economy and introducing
strategic readjustments to the economic structure. Consequently
some workers have changed their jobs. But this has not changed
the status of the Chinese working class. On the contrary,
this will serve to improve the overall quality of the working
class and give play to its advantages as a group in the long
run. The Chinese working class has always been the basic force
for promoting the advanced productive forces in China. Our
Party must remain the vanguard of the working class and unswervingly
and wholeheartedly rely on the working class.
The main criterion to judge the nature of a political party
is its theory and program. If it is Marxist and represents
the correct orientation of social development and the fundamental
interests of the overwhelming majority of the people, the
party is an advanced one and the vanguard of the working class.
Our Party is a product of integration of Marxism-Leninism
with the Chinese workers' movement. The emergence of the working
class is an essential condition for founding the Party. During
the period of democratic revolution, given the social conditions
then, most of our Party members came from peasants and other
laborers, quite a few from intellectuals and some from other
revolutionaries of non-laborers' background. But the theory
and program of our Party were Marxist and represented the
correct orientation of China's social development. Our Party
attached great importance to building up the Party ideologically
and persisted in educating and arming all Party members with
Marxist theory. It required Party members to join the Party
not just organizationally, but first of all ideologically.
It gave them guidance as to how to achieve the Party's program
and tasks. All these enabled the Party to keep its nature
of being the vanguard of the working class.
Since China adopted the policy of reform and opening up, the
composition of China's social strata has changed to some extent.
There are, among others, entrepreneurs and technical personnel
employed by scientific and technical enterprises of the non-public
sector, managerial and technical staff employed by foreign-funded
enterprises, the self-employed, private entrepreneurs, employees
in intermediaries and free-lance professionals. Moreover,
many people frequently move from one ownership, sector or
place to another, changing their jobs or capacity from time
to time. This trend of developments will continue. Under the
guidance of the Party's line, principles and policies, most
of these people in the new social strata have contributed
to the development of productive forces and other undertakings
in the socialist society through honest labor and work or
lawful business operations. They join workers, farmers, intellectuals,
cadres and PLA officers and men in an effort to build socialism
with Chinese characteristics. They, too, have made contributions
to this cause.
To build socialism with Chinese characteristics is a great
and arduous cause. It calls for the worthy people from all
sectors who are loyal to the motherland and socialism to take
action and lead other people in pushing forward this cause.
The main criteria to admit a person into the Party are whether
he or she works hard wholeheartedly for the implementation
of the Party's line and program and meets the requirements
for the Party membership. The basic components and backbone
of the Party are those from workers, farmers, intellectuals,
servicemen and cadres. At the same time, it is also necessary
to accept those outstanding elements from other sectors of
the society who have subscribed to the Party's program and
Constitution, worked for the Party's line and program wholeheartedly,
and proved to meet the requirements for the Party membership
through a long period of tests. We should enhance the ethical
standards and political awareness of our Party members through
Party education. This will greatly increase the influence
and cohesiveness of the Party in the society at large.
The theory on labor and labor value in a capitalist society
advanced by authors of Marxist classics brings to light the
operational features of the capitalist mode of production
and its basic contradictions at that time. At present, we
are putting in place a socialist market economy. But the conditions
we are faced with are quite different from those the founders
of Marxism faced and studied. In light of the new conditions,
we should make a thorough study of the theory on labor and
labor value in a socialist society with a view to achieving
a better understanding of this theory. It is our fundamental
objective of building socialism to ensure our people their
prosperity and well-being. With economic development, our
people will live a better life and their personal property
will increase gradually. In view of this, it is not advisable
to judge a person's political orientation simply by whether
he or she owns property or how much property he or she owns.
But rather, we should judge him or her mainly by his or her
political awareness, moral integrity and performance, by how
he or she has acquired the property, and how it has been disposed
of and used, and by his or her actual contribution to the
cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.
To meet the requirements of the "Three Represent's",
we must adhere to democratic centralism, establish and improve
the scientific leadership system and working mechanism, give
full scope to inner-Party democracy, resolutely safeguard
the centralism and unity of the Party, and maintain and continue
to enhance its vitality.
Democratic centralism is our Party's fundamental system of
organization and leadership. Our basic requirement and objectives
of upholding and improving democratic centralism are to create
a political situation in which there are both centralism and
democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will
and personal ease of mind and liveliness in the Party.
It is imperative to promote inner-Party democracy and give
full play to the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of
the Party members and Party organizations at all levels. This
is an important guarantee for the success of the Party cause.
We should take effective measures to ensure Party members
their democratic rights, broaden channels for inner-Party
democracy and increase their knowledge of and involvement
in Party affairs. All major issues in relation to the Party
work must be addressed through discussions among Party members
and after hearing their views fully. Effective mechanisms
should be set up to make sure that all ideas and suggestions
of Party members at the grass-roots level or in Party organizations
at a lower level can promptly reach those at a higher level.
The Party organizations at a higher level should fully enlist
the views of Party members and Party organizations at a lower
level so as to ensure that their decisions be made through
a more scientific and democratic process. In accordance with
the principles of collective leadership, democratic centralism,
case-specific consultations, and decision through meetings,
we should improve the internal deliberation and decision-making
mechanism of Party committees, give play to the role of plenary
sessions of Party committees, and improve the decision-making
procedures of standing committees of Party committees. All
the major policy decisions of a Party committee must be made
through discussions by the committee and nobody should be
allowed to have the final say alone. We should improve the
system of division of work and individual responsibility under
the collective leadership by Party committees for greater
efficiency. Neither collective leadership nor individual responsibility
should be overemphasized at the expense of the other. We should
vigorously promote people's democracy through the development
of inner-Party democracy.
We should strengthen and improve the leadership system of
the Party and come up with better leadership and governance
modalities in accordance with the principles of stressing
the overall interests while coordinating those of all quarters
concerned. The purpose is to ensure the role of Party committees
as the core of leadership while giving full scope to the functions
of the people's congresses, central and local governments,
the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC),
non-governmental organizations and others. Party committees
should strengthen their leadership over the people's congresses,
governments, the CPPCC and non-governmental organizations
through rational, standardized and institutionalized mechanisms.
Meanwhile, the Party leading groups and Party members who
hold leading positions in these institutions and organizations
must implement, without any hesitation, the line, principles
and policies of the Party and the decisions of Party committees
while performing their duties in accordance with law. Leading
officials at all levels must firmly put into practice the
guiding principles and arrangements of the Party Central Committee.
All Party members should enhance their awareness of the principle
of democratic centralism and implement the principle to the
letter, and at the same time improve their ability to do so.
It is important to learn leadership skills, ways and means
that are called for in fulfilling the new tasks under the
new situation, and combine the adherence to the Party's leadership
with the promotion of people's democracy, performance of duties
strictly in keeping with law and respect for objective law.
Institution of better systems is vital as it bears on the
overall and long-term interests and defies constant changes.
It is essential to improve the systems underlying democratic
centralism, and ameliorate the leadership systems and working
mechanisms of the Party so as to provide institutional safeguards
for the correct implementation of the principle of democratic
centralism. We must resolutely resist the impact of Western
political models such as the multi-party system or separation
of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches.
We should firmly avoid making arbitrary decisions and taking
peremptory actions in violation of democratic centralism on
the one hand, and weak and incompetent leadership on the other.
With progress in the reform, opening-up and development of
a socialist market economy, the social fabrics, economic composition,
forms of organization, means of employment, interests of different
sectors, and modalities of distribution have increasingly
diversified. We should be sober-minded about this and pay
attention to the trend. Otherwise, our country would be deprived
of cohesiveness. Thus it is vital to uphold the centralized
leadership and unity of the Party and the state and safeguard
the authority of the Party Central Committee. The guiding
principles, development goals, major policies, legal system
and important work arrangements, among others, of the Party
and the state must be consistent and centralized. No localities,
departments and institutions should go their own way. The
grass-roots organizations of the Party, which underpin the
work of the Party and its effectiveness, should constantly
work on their self-improvement in response to the new situation
and new tasks.
To meet the requirements of the "Three Represent's",
we should implement, in an all-round manner, the principle
of fostering a contingent of more revolutionary, younger,
better educated and professionally more competent cadres and
that of giving equal importance to both professional competence
and political integrity. We should deepen the reform of personnel
system so as to produce a contingent of high-caliber officials
who are capable of assuming important responsibilities and
withstanding the test of trials and tribulations.
Cadres are a decisive factor, once a political line is decided
upon. It is all the more important to bring forth leading
officials who are more politically-minded and good at leading
the Party and ruling the country and who pay attention to
overall interests. A large number of high-caliber leading
officials hold the key to the consolidation and development
of China's socialism and its continued prosperity amidst the
fierce international competition.
We should adhere to the principle of the Party assuming the
responsibility for cadres' affairs, improve personnel management,
accelerate the reform of personnel system and manage our human
resources in a more scientific, democratic and systematic
manner. We should make our human resources management more
transparent and ensure people their access to information
about cadre selection and appointment, and their right to
participate in and monitor the process. In this regard, the
principle of appointment and promotion through open and fair
competition on the basis of merits should be upheld, and measures
to this effect should be adopted so as to encourage officials
to work harder and get them prepared for both promotion and
demotion. We should improve the supervision of appointment
and promotion of officials, and the system and methods for
their performance assessment. Resolute measures should be
taken to prevent and redress malpractice in the appointment
and promotion of officials.
The training of young cadres is a strategic task that will
ensure the long-term stability of the Party and the state.
In order to assume leadership responsibilities, young officials
must increase their understanding of Marxism, enhance their
political integrity, and improve their capacity for serving
the people. They must be good at making a correct judgment
of the situation and the overall interests from a political
perspective, and must know how to work under complicated conditions.
Party committees at all levels should help and encourage young
leaders to temper themselves in harsh conditions or in the
forefront of important tasks, and make arrangements for this
accordingly.
The advance of our times and development of our undertakings
determine that the Party and the state need more and more
talented people of various kinds. We must lose no time in
training professionals of all kinds, providing them with incentives
and giving full play to their capabilities. Further efforts
should be made to create in the whole Party and society a
favorable atmosphere where there is respect for knowledge
and talent, and where outstanding people can easily come to
the fore. Leading officials should have the insight to spot
talents, the resolve to use them, the passion to love them
and the ways to attract them, and should know how to bring
out the best in their subordinates and how to call people
of talent to the service of the Party and the state. They
should, with lofty ideals and spirit, guide and inspire various
talented people to render meritorious service to the state
and the people. At the same time, leading officials should
care for and trust people of talent and do their best to create
good working conditions for these people. It is necessary
to expedite the establishment of an income distribution mechanism
which is designed to keep the talented and bring out the best
in them so as to put in place a system which guarantees that
their rewards are commensurate with their endeavors and contributions.
We should, through our work on all fronts, create a climate
in which people of talent will come forward in large numbers.
To meet the requirements of the "Three Represent's",
we must adhere to the principle that the Party must handle
Party affairs well and must enforce strict discipline. Party
organizations at all levels must be strict with their Party
members who are cadres in respect of requirements, education,
administration and supervision and be firm in rooting out
the negative phenomena and corruption existing within the
Party.
Adherence to this principle is an important guarantee for
the maintenance of the Party's progressiveness and purity
and for the consolidation of its status as the ruling party.
Without good Party building, there will be no successful governance.
So we must be strict in Party discipline. We should have a
deeper understanding of the loss of political power by some
Communist Parties in the world that had long been ruling parties
and learn a lesson from them. The longer the Party is in power,
the more necessary it is for the Party to strengthen self-improvement,
and the stricter it should be with its members and cadres.
The principle of being strict with Party members must be implemented
in Party building in ideological, political and organizational
fields as well as work style and must be truly reflected in
all the aspects of education, management and supervision of
Party organizations at all levels, all the Party members and
cadres. All the Party organizations and members should act
in strict compliance with the Party Constitution and other
regulations of the Party and observe Party discipline to the
letter. Leading cadres at all levels should maintain a high
degree of self-discipline, self-examination, self-caution
and self-motivation, and should always attach importance to
study, political awareness and integrity. They should often
use criticism and self-criticism as a weapon in waging active
ideological struggles and adhere to truth while rectifying
mistakes. Party organizations at all levels should strengthen
their capability of dissolving their own contradictions, face
up to and settle existing problems and never avoid or whitewash
them.
The Party's work style bears on the image of the Party, the
trend of popular support and the survival of the Party. It
is essential to strengthen in an all-round way the development
of the Party's ideological style, study style, work style,
leadership style and the cadres' life style. In light of the
new realities, it is necessary to carry forward the Party's
fine style, namely, integration of theory with practice, close
link with the people and criticism and self-criticism. In
the meantime, it is necessary to foster a new style on the
basis of summing up new and practical experiences. All practices
that run counter to the requirement of the development of
the Party's cause or the interests of the people should be
resolutely eliminated. At present, special attention should
be paid to overcoming the state of lethargy and of seeking
no progress, doing away with the grave alienation from the
people and standing firmly against the unhealthy tendency
of formalism and bureaucracy. Cadres at all levels must be
results-oriented in their work at all times and, on all occasions,
work creatively, think and worry about what the people think
and worry about, and work faithfully for the good of the people.
All comrades in the Party must fully realize that to combat
corruption and build a clean government are vital for the
survival of our Party. We must carry to the end the development
of the Party's working style, the building of a clean government
and the fight against corruption. In this connection, it is
essential to have a profound understanding of the long-term,
arduous and complex nature of the work against corruption.
Not only is it necessary to be prepared for protracted battles,
but also intensify our efforts to address the current issues.
We should adhere to the integrated approach in combating corruption,
addressing both its symptoms and root cause and build a solid
protective dam ideologically against corruption and its erosion.
At the same time, we should strive to remove the soil and
conditions breeding corruption through creative institutional
measures and work harder to prevent and address corruption
at its root. The power in our hands is given by the people.
Cadres at all levels are public servants of the people and
must be subjected to the supervision by the people and the
law. We should, through enhanced supervision within the Party,
by the law and by the people, establish and improve mechanisms
that will restrict and supervise the exercise of power in
accordance with law. It is imperative to strengthen the supervision
over leading cadres and ensure that they exercise their power
appropriately. All the Party members, leading cadres in particular,
must always be clean and honest and have a strong moral integrity.
They must be able to withstand the test of reform, opening-up
and being in power, as well as the test of power, money and
badger games. They will by no means be allowed to abuse power
for personal gains, take bribes or bend the law. Party organizations
and leading cadres at all levels must take a clear stand to
oppose corruption. All cases of corruption must be brought
to light and all corrupt elements brought to justice without
tolerance or lenience. The Party is no safe haven for corrupt
elements within the Party. We must win the people's confidence
with tangible achievements in the building of the Party's
style and of a clean government.
All in all, in view of the heavy historical responsibility
upon our shoulder and given the impact of international and
domestic complexities as well as the test of various risks,
it is imperative to constantly strengthen and improve the
Party building and temper all Party members into firm Communists.
This will enable our Party to forever remain the vanguard
of the Chinese working class and that of the Chinese people
and the Chinese nation as well, faithfully represent the requirements
of the development of China's advanced productive forces,
the orientation of the development of China's advanced culture,
and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority
of the Chinese people, and serve as the leadership core for
the Chinese socialist cause.
IV. Continue to Strive for the Fulfillment
of the Basic Line and Historic
Mission of the Party
China has entered a new development stage of building a well-to-do
society in the whole country and accelerating the socialist
modernization drive. All comrades in the Party must be mindful
of danger and stay prepared for adversities in times of peace,
guard against conceit and impetuosity, continue to push for
overall progress in reform, opening-up and the modernization
drive and make vigorous efforts to roughly achieve socialist
modernization by the middle of this century.
The program of a political party is a banner. In every historical
stage, be it one of revolution, reconstruction or reform,
our Party has never failed to have both a basic program for
a given stage, namely, the minimum program, and the maximum
program of long-term objectives. We believe in the unity of
the minimum and maximum programs.
We firmly believe in the basic Marxist tenet that human society
will inevitably move toward communism. Communism can only
be realized on the basis of a fully developed and highly advanced
socialist society. In the communist society, there will be
abundant material wealth, and people will have a very high
realm of thought and be able to develop themselves freely
and in an all-round way. It must be pointed out, though, that
the realization of communism will be an extremely protracted
historical process. In the past, our understanding of this
issue was quite superficial and simplistic. As a result of
so many years of practice, our understanding of the issue
today is much more comprehensive and profound. We may make
scientific predictions about the direction in which human
society may evolve in the future. But as for how things will
develop specifically, the answer to this question should come
from practice. We must never deviate from the correct course
of progress, but it is neither possible nor necessary to envisage
or describe in great details the development course in the
distant future. The past experience has fully proved that
it will easily lead to fantastic illusion. This is something
that everyone ought to know full well.
All comrades in the Party should set up a lofty communist
ideal, fortify their conviction and spur themselves on by
holding to high ideological and moral standards. More importantly,
they should make unremitting efforts in a down-to-earth manner
to realize the Party's basic program for the current stage
and put their heart into each single piece of work now. To
care about the immediate interests only while forgetting the
lofty ideal will result in the loss of the direction of progress.
But to talk big about the lofty ideal without doing any practical
work will get one divorced from reality.
China is now in the primary stage of socialism and will remain
so for a long time to come. This is the initial stage of the
long historical process of building socialism with Chinese
characteristics. Along with economic development and all-round
social progress, the building of socialism in China will enter
a higher stage of development when conditions are ripe. All
comrades must unswervingly implement the Party's basic line
for the primary stage of socialism, consistently concentrate
on economic development, stick to the Four Cardinal Principles
(adherence to the socialist road, the people's democratic
dictatorship, the leadership of the Communist Party, and Marxism-Leninism
and Mao Zedong Thought - Tr.), press ahead with reform and
opening-up, strive for the realization of the basic program
of the Party for the present stage and constantly advance
the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics
into the future.
In keeping with the economic, political and cultural requirements
of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, all comrades
in the Party and all people in the country should strive to
achieve the development goals set for the Tenth Five-Year
Plan. We should focus on development through economic restructuring
and by relying on reform, opening-up and scientific and technological
progress with a view to improving people's living standards
and constantly pushing for economic growth and social progress.
Efforts should be made to properly balance the relations among
reform, development and stability, correctly understand and
handle the contradictions among the people and always maintain
social stability and unity.
All undertakings to build socialism with Chinese characteristics,
and in fact, everything that we do should aim not just at
meeting people's immediate material and cultural needs, but
also at improving the qualities of the people or achieving
their all-round development. This is the essential requirement
of Marxism regarding the building of a new socialist society.
We will constantly advance the all-round development of human
beings based on a higher level of the material and spiritual
civilization of the socialist society.
Efforts must be made to enable all people across the country
to lead a well-to-do life as soon as possible and to continue
to uplift their living standards. The Party's policy to get
the population rich must be adhered to. On the basis of economic
growth, efforts should be made to increase income for urban
and rural residents, constantly improve their living conditions,
including food, clothing, housing, transport and daily necessities,
improve the social security system, and medical and health
facilities, with a view to bettering their life. When some
people and some regions get rich first, others will be brought
along and through this process, common prosperity of the entire
population will be gradually achieved.
It is essential to give full play to the initiative and great
creativity of the general public and ensure that they properly
manage their affairs according to law and realize their aspirations
and interests. It is necessary to continue to press ahead
with the political restructuring, develop socialist democracy,
improve the socialist legal system and ensure the full exercise
by the people of their rights to democratic election, decision-making,
administration and supervision.
Efforts should be made to upgrade the ideological and ethical
standards of the entire people, improve their cultural and
scientific levels and bring about an all-round development
of their ideology and cultural life. We should conduct effective
political education, develop education, science and technology,
enliven socialist culture and ensure each and every individual
full access to education and cultural achievements so as to
enrich their spiritual ethos and diversify their cultural
life.
It is necessary to enhance balance and harmony between man
and nature so that people can work and live in a sound and
beautiful ecological environment. We will adhere to the strategy
of sustainable development and correctly handle the relations
between economic development on the one hand and population,
resources and the environment on the other, improve the eco-system
and beautify the living environment, and improve public and
social welfare facilities. We will try to pioneer a path of
civilized development featuring a thriving economy, an affluent
life and a sound eco-system.
To advance an all-round development of man is the precondition
for and the basis of boosting economic and cultural development
and improving the material life of the people, and vice versa.
The more comprehensively people develop, the more material
and cultural wealth they will create for society and the better
their life will be. Conversely, the more adequate the material
and cultural life is, the better man will achieve his all-round
development. The development of social productive forces,
the economy and culture is a historical process of gradual
and endless progress. All-round human development, too, is
a historical process of gradual and endless progress. The
two processes should interact and help each other forward.
Given the new situation, we must continue, on the basis of
economic development, to press ahead with the modernization
of our national defense and armed forces, and build up defense
capability with a view to safeguarding state security and
national unity. It is essential to adhere to the fundamental
principle of the Party's absolute leadership over the army.
We should meet the general requirements of building armed
forces that are "qualified politically and competent
militarily and that have a fine style of work, strict discipline
and adequate logistic support", and follow the military
strategy for the new era as our overriding guideline. We should
stress the quality of army-building and strengthen our armed
forces by relying on science and technology and run the army
according to law in an effort to build the People's Liberation
Army (PLA) into a strong, modern and revolutionary regular
army. We should strengthen the building of national defense
reserves, develop the science, technology and industry of
national defense and improve the system of national defense
mobilization. We should also continue to consolidate and reinforce
the unity between the army and the government, and that between
the army and the people.
Comrades and Friends,
Ever since its founding, the Chinese Communist Party has all
along held high the great banner of patriotism and waged an
epic struggle for the unity and rejuvenation of the country.
Since New China came into being, the Chinese Communists of
several generations have all made unremitting efforts toward
the complete reunification of our motherland. Under the principle
of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems",
we have successfully resolved the questions of Hong Kong and
Macao, both left over from history, and are working hard to
seek an early solution to the question of Taiwan and to accomplish
the great cause of national reunification. The status of Taiwan
as a part of China shall in no way be allowed to change. The
Chinese Communists are rock firm in their resolve to safeguard
state sovereignty and territorial integrity. While we do have
the greatest sincerity to work for a peaceful reunification,
we cannot and will not undertake to renounce the use of force.
We are fully capable of checking any attempt to split China
by seeking Taiwan's "independence". It is the bounden
duty of the Chinese Communists to end the state of separation
between Taiwan and China's mainland and achieve the complete
reunification of China. Here I appeal to all our compatriots
on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and to those overseas:
Let's unite and fight against separatism and continue to bring
forward the cross-Straits relations and the process of peaceful
reunification of the motherland. The complete national reunification
represents the aspirations of the people and is a historical
trend that no one and no force can stop.
Comrades and Friends,
The world needs peace. The people want cooperation. Nations
aspire for development. Society seeks progress. This is the
trend of our times. In the last century, mankind underwent
the scourge of two world wars and endured the hardships of
the Cold War and confrontation, thus paying a heavy price.
Nobody in China or in any other country wishes to see any
new hot war or cold war or turmoil break out in any part of
the world, pursuit of neo-hegemonism and power politics by
any country or group of countries and widening of the development
gap between North and South or the gap between the rich and
the poor. The people of China and the rest of the world all
long for a lasting world peace and for a stable and peaceful
life. They aspire for a new international political and economic
order and for democracy in international relations. They yearn
for common development and prosperity for all and are willing
to work together for a better future.
Peace and development are the themes of our times. World multi-polarization
and economic globalization are developing despite twists and
turns. Science and technology are advancing rapidly. Competition
in terms of overall national strength is becoming increasingly
fierce. New and profound changes are taking place in the world
alignment of forces and the distribution of interests. Up
to now, both questions of peace and development remain to
be resolved. The world we live in is still far from tranquil.
Peace and development complement each other. World peace is
the precondition for enhanced common development of all countries
whereas such common development is an important basis for
the preservation of world peace. The questions of peace and
development are in essence the question of North and South.
If developed countries can effectively support and assist
developing countries in their economic and cultural development
under the principle of equality, fairness, reciprocity and
mutual benefit and help the latter shake off poverty and backwardness
as soon as possible, there will be an important foundation
for achieving peace and development.
Along with all the peace- and freedom-loving people in the
world, the Communist Party and people of China have always
worked for the lofty cause of promoting world peace and development.
In the world's great struggle against Fascism, in the sacred
cause of the Asian, African and Latin American people fighting
for national independence and liberation, and in the tireless
efforts to promote the establishment of a fair and rational
new international order, we have always stood on the side
of justice and worked in unity with the people of all countries
and all the progressive forces in the world.
In the new century, the Communist Party and Government of
China stand ready to join hands with all countries and peoples
who love peace and crave for development and progress so as
to secure an international environment of lasting peace in
a common endeavor to push forward the wheel of history toward
the magnificent goal.
The purposes of China's foreign policy are to safeguard world
peace and promote common development. We adhere to an independent
foreign policy of peace. We have carried out friendly exchanges
and mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries and
treated one another as equals on the basis of the Five Principles
of Peaceful Coexistence in a ceaseless effort to advance the
cause of human progress. The Chinese Communist Party will,
under the principles of independence, complete equality, mutual
respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs,
conduct extensive exchanges and strengthen cooperation with
all political parties and organizations in the world and further
promote friendship between the peoples and development of
relations between states.
We have all along maintained that countries should abide by
the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the universally
recognized basic norms governing international relations,
that the affairs of a country should be decided by the government
and people of that country and that matters in the world should
be handled by the governments and people of all countries
through consultations on the basis of equality. We oppose
hegemonism and power politics of all forms. The international
community needs to set up a new security concept with mutual
trust, mutual benefit, equality and collaboration at its core
and work to create a peaceful international environment of
long-term stability and security. Countries should step up
their economic and technical exchanges and cooperation and
gradually transform the inequitable and irrational international
economic order so that all will win and coexist as a result
of economic globalization.
Our world is diversified and colorful. The diversity of civilizations
is the basic feature of human society and also the driving
force behind the progress of human civilization. Respect should
be given to the history, culture, social system and model
of development of each individual country. Diversity of the
world is a reality that should be recognized. Different civilizations
and social systems should enjoy long-term coexistence and
draw upon and benefit from each other in the process of competition
and comparison and achieve common development while seeking
common ground and shelving differences. We will continue to
work with the people of all countries for a world of lasting
peace and universal prosperity.
Comrades and Friends!
Every struggle that the Chinese people fought during the one
hundred years from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century was
for the sake of achieving independence of our country and
liberation of our nation and putting an end to the history
of national humiliation once and for all. This great historic
cause has already been accomplished. All endeavors by the
Chinese people for the one hundred years from the mid-20th
to the mid-21st century are for the purpose of making our
motherland strong, the people prosperous and the nation immensely
rejuvenated. Our Party has led the entire Chinese people in
carrying forward this historic cause for fifty years and made
tremendous progress, and it will successfully attain the objective
through hard work in the coming fifty years.
The young people of all ethnic groups in China represent the
future of our country and nation and the hope for prosperity
and development of our cause. It calls for your efforts, young
people, to accomplish the grand cause of socialist modernization
and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The Party
and people have ardent expectations of you. It is hoped that
you love your country and your people, stand tall and aim
far, broaden your vision and give full play to your intelligence
and wisdom on the broad arena of reform, opening-up and the
modernization drive. You will demonstrate the value of your
life and work hard to achieve feats that will live up to the
expectations of the people and the times.
All that we have achieved has gone down in the annals of history.
There is still a long way to go. The realization of truth
is a process of continued progress, so is the changing of
the world. We shall work unremittingly in pursuit of truth
and fight for truth. Under no circumstances should comrades
of the Party stand still and refuse to move forward, nor should
they fear hardship and difficulties. All comrades must closely
unite with the people of all ethnic groups in China and strive
to build our great motherland into a strong, prosperous, democratic
and culturally advanced modern socialist country so as to
make new and even greater contributions to humanity.
Long live our great motherland!
Long live the great Chinese people!
Long live the great Communist Party of China!
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