CPC Central Committee plenum makes full preparation for key congress

The four-day Seventh Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded in Beijing on Saturday with a communique issued.

Entrusted by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a work report at the meeting.

It was decided that the 19th CPC National Congress, a five-yearly event, will be convened from Oct. 18 in Beijing, according to the communique.

A report to be made by the 18th CPC Central Committee to the 19th CPC National Congress, a work report of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) to the congress, as well as an amendment to the CPC Constitution were discussed and approved.

It was decided that the three documents will be submitted to the upcoming congress for examination and deliberation.

The amendment to the CPC Constitution must include the key theories and strategic thought presented by the report to be delivered at the 19th CPC National Congress, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Sept. 18.

The amended constitution must fully represent the latest sinicization of Marxism, new governance concepts, thoughts and strategies of the CPC Central Committee since the 18th CPC National Congress, as well as new experience in adhering to and strengthening Party leadership and in strict Party governance, it said.

The plenum was presided over by the Political Bureau.

Xi gave an explanation on the draft report to the 19th CPC National Congress, and Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, gave an explanation of the draft amendment to the CPC Constitution.

Altogether 191 members and 141 alternate members of the CPC Central Committee attended the meeting, with members of the CCDI and leading officials of related departments present as non-voting delegates.

Eleven new full members, who had been alternate members of the 18th CPC Central Committee, were admitted to the Central Committee during the plenum.

'Four Greats'

The plenary session comprehensively analyzed the current situation and tasks and conducted in-depth discussion on several important issues which focus on "Four Greats," making full preparation for the 19th CPC National Congress.

The issues under discussion include "engaging in the great battle with many new historical features, embarking on the new great project in Party building, advancing the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and realizing the great dream of revival of the Chinese nation under new situations," read the communique.

The plenum fully affirmed the work of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee since the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee held a year ago.

The meeting reached consensus that the Political Bureau has held high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and thoroughly implemented the spirits of the 18th CPC National Congress and ensuing plenums of the Central Committee.

The Political Bureau has followed the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development, and thoroughly carried out the essence of Xi's series of important remarks and new governance concepts, thoughts and strategies, according to the communique.

The Political Bureau has united and led the entire nation to continue seeking progress while maintaining stability for its economic work, keep in mind both the domestic and international situations, continue to adopt an overall approach to promote economic, political, cultural, social and ecological progress, as well as to advance coordinated development of the "Four Comprehensives."

It has been firm in implementing new development concepts, advancing difficult reforms, building a clean CPC and fighting against corruption, effectively dealing with various risks and challenges, and innovating and improving macro control.

It has also managed to coordinate work for stabilizing growth, promoting reform, adjusting economic structure, improving people's wellbeing, and preventing risks.

It has deepened military reform and construction, taken initiative in handling well the work involving the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan, carried forward a big country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in an all-round way.

It strengthened Party discipline comprehensively, maintained stable and healthy economic development as well as social harmony and stability, according to the communique.

Loyalty to Party

Senior officials should remain loyal to the Party and willingly safeguard the authority of the Party's central leadership and the unity of the Party, said the communique issued after the key plenum.

The Party's leading position should be ensured in all aspects and its role of overseeing all work and coordinating all parties should be guaranteed.

The Party principles should be upheld and its policies implemented, the document stressed.

All local authorities and departments should carry out the decisions of the CPC Central Committee in the first instance, it said.

Senior cadres should set an example for all Party members to keep the Party and the people at heart and be keenly aware of what should and should not be done.

They should display strong political and moral integrity, obedience to Party disciplines and resistance to corruption, the document said.

Being a party of more than 89 million members and the ruling party leading more than 1.3 billion people in the drive for reform and modernization, without the authority and centralized leadership of the CPC Central Committee and without strict political disciplines, rules and a clean political environment, the CPC would compromise its creativity, cohesion and effectiveness, weaken the foundation and ability of its governance and fail its mission, the document said.

The document called on all Party members to firmly safeguard the authority of the Party leadership, follow its lead and stay in accordance with the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core.

'Crushing momentum' condolidated

China has gained and consolidated "crushing momentum" in its fight against corruption, read the communique, adjusting previous judgement made late last year at a Political Bureau meeting, which only stated that the fight "has gained crushing momentum."

Participants at the session looked back on the work of the 18th CCDI over the past five years, and agreed that discipline inspection commissions at all levels have fulfilled the duties endowed by the Party Constitution, and have comprehensively pushed forward the strict governance of the Party.

The discipline inspection commissions have been working hard to build a clean Party and fight against corruption, firmly upholding the eight-point frugality code, according to the communique.

The communique also stated that the commissions have made full use of their inspections, prioritizing discipline, and have deepened the reform of discipline inspection and the country's supervisory system.

Moreover, the commissions have built groups of cadres in discipline inspection and supervision that both the Party and the people can trust, while consistently improving the accountability system, uncompromisingly containing the spreading of corruption and purifying the political ecology within the CPC, the communique said.

The plenum endorsed a decision made by the Political Bureau to expel Sun Zhengcai and eleven other senior Party officials from the CPC.

'Profound, fundamental' changes

Summarizing progress made by the CPC over the past five years, the communique said China has witnessed profound and fundamental changes during the period, while its achievements are comprehensive and groundbreaking.

These historic changes and achievements indicate that China's development stands at a new historical starting point, which is of great and far-reaching significance for the cause of the Party and the country, according to the communique.

The plenary session summarized the work of the past five years since the 18th CPC National Congress and held that the five years was an "extraordinary" period.

China has made historic achievements in reform and opening up, as well as socialist modernization, it said.

Over the past five years, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core raised a series of new concepts, thoughts and strategies, formulated a string of important guidelines and policies and rolled out many significant measures, it said.

Many deep-rooted problems and issues that were too difficult to be resolved before have been addressed during that period, which promoted the historic changes for the cause of the Party and the country, according to the document.

"The country also saw major achievements in economic development and major breakthroughs in comprehensively deepening reform. Democratic and legal system construction has taken great steps. Ideological and cultural construction has made important progress. People's living standards have constantly improved," it said.

"The ecological environment has been remarkably improved. The building of a strong army has made new headway. New progress was made in work related to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan," it said.