19th CPC National Congress: Highlights of Chinese President Xi’s Speech

The 19th National Congress of Communist Party of China (CPC) opened in Beijing on 18 October with a speech of Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Party and President of the country. He presented a review report of the Party and government activities since the last Congress in 2012 on behalf of the 18th Central Committee of CPC.

The twice-a-decade event is a week-long conclave that will culminate with a plan for the next five years and election of a new leadership.

In his speech Xi announced a two-stage development plan for the period from 2020 to the middle of the 21st century to develop China into a "great modern socialist country.”

The two stage development will involve the CPC building on the foundation created by the moderately prosperous society with a further 15 years of hard work to see that socialist modernisation is basically realised. This will be from 2020 to 2035.

The second stage which will span from 2035 to the middle of the 21st century, the party will develop the country into a great modern socialist country that is “prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful”.

Preservation of environment ‘will be the epicentre of this modernisation’ with the slogan of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, Xi stressed.

The primary contradiction facing Chinese society “has evolved to be that between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life”, Xi said.

Xi emphasised that despite China being a change maker in the global order, the country will “never seek to become an hegemony o engage in expansion.”

Continuing his anti-graft campaign, Xi stressed the greatest threat the party is facing is corruption. And that there is the need to increase the momentum in the fight against corruption, and go behind “tigers and flies” (referring to high and low ranking party members”.

Xi defined components of the ‘Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’ – a phrase from his report’s title - as a "guide to action" that must be adhered to and steadily developed on a long-term basis for all Party members and all Chinese people in their efforts to achieve national rejuvenation, according to reports. “National rejuvenation” is a slogan closely associated with Jiang Zemin's leadership generation from the late 1980s. Jiang Zemin himself was present in the Congress and warmly applauded.

“The Thought builds on and further enriches Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development,” said Xi in his three hour long speech.

Xi stressed upon the need for China for supporting the state capital in “becoming stronger, doing better, and growing bigger, and turning Chinese enterprises into world-class, globally competitive firms.” He further added that “China will only become more and more open, and will protect the legitimate rights of foreign investors.”