Party General Secretary Hu Jintao in his important speech of June 25 delivered at the Party School of the Communist Party of Central Committee (CPC) in Beijing has enunciated in an in-depth, penetrating way the overall arrangements of the socialism with Chinese characteristics and set forth crucial demands for China's economic, political, cultural and social development. We should study it conscientiously for a clear understanding of its guidelines and keep firmly to them in an all-round way.

Socialist society is a society with an all-round development and all-round progress. In the course of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, the economic construction provides a material basis, the political construction provides a political guarantee, the cultural construction provides a spiritual driving force and an intellectual backing, and the social construction provides a favorable social environment and conditions. We must persevere in taking Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the "three representatives" (see Note) as the guidance, implement the scientific outlook on development in a penetrating way and push forward the country's comprehensive economical, political, cultural and social development.

To effect the good and rapid growth of national economy, the crux of matter is to make significant progress in the transfer of the mode of economic growth and improvement of the structure of socialist market economy and also to set forth major strategies in line with specific conditions in China's present economic development. It is imperative to map out vital, important policies based on the specific reality of China's economic development.

Meanwhile, it is imperative to master what has been guiding the country's economic growth, to make a still greater resolve and take still more forceful measures to raise the quality and efficiency for economic development. It is imperative to carry out the strategy of developing the country by relying on science and education, speed up the strategic readjustment of the economic set-up, effectively strengthen the fundamental role of agriculture, practically do a good job with the development of resources-saving and the environment-friendly society, and go on implementing the regional economy development strategy.

It is imperative to adhere to and improve the basic economic system of developing multi-forms of ownership while consolidating the public ownership as the main body, and reinforce and unswervingly develop the public ownership, and encourage, support and guide the growth of the non-public sector economy. It is imperative to deepen taxation, finance and planning system reforms so as to shape the macro-economic control mechanism favorable for scientific development. And it is imperative to upgrade the opening-type economic level in a comprehensive way and evoke new advantages in the involvement in international economic cooperation and competitions under the conditions of economic globalization.

The development of socialist democratic politics represents the consistent fighting objective of the CPC. Reform in China's political system must adhere to the correct orientation and go on advancing along with its economic and social development, and strive to keep up with the growing enthusiasm of the people in their participation in politics. It is imperative to keep to the intrinsic unity of Party leadership, people assuming as masters of their own destiny and the managing of state affairs according to law, and to keep spurring the self-improvement and development of the socialist political system. Moreover, it is imperative to expand the participation of citizens in politics in an orderly way, improve the democratic system, enrich the forms of democracy and broaden democratic channels; it is imperative to make decision-making more scientific and democratic, and improve a support system relating to decision-making information and intellectual power; it is imperative to develop the grassroot-level democracy and ensure people to exercise their democratic rights according to law directly; it is imperative to implement the grand design of governing the country by law, carry forward the spirit of "the rule of law", safeguard the social fairness and justice; and it is imperative to accelerate the reform in the administrative set-up and strengthen the government's social administrative and public service functions.

The enhancement of socialist cultural development constitutes a demand of the masses of people to constantly meet their daily-increasing spiritual and cultural needs as well as the requirements for implementing the development strategy of the Party and the state, and so it is vital to spur the great cultural development and prosperity in a more conscious, attentive way and to protect the cultural rights and interests of the people better still.

It is imperative to go in for the construction of a socialist essential value system and enhance the common ideological basis for the united struggles of the whole Party and the people of all ethnicities nationwide; it is imperative to work hard to foster civic virtues and unfold widespread socialist culture and ethics and to advance cultural innovation vigorously and the reform with regard to the nation's set-up comprehensively, so as to fire maximally the enthusiasm of cultural workers for innovation, and to release the creativeness of whole society and go on bringing forth new achievements in cultural innovations fully. In so doing, the contemporary Chinese culture will become more enchanting, attractive and appealing.

Furthermore, social development is related closely to the personal interests of the masses of people, and so it has to be placed at a still more prominent status. To enhance social development, it is imperative to prioritize the most concerned, direct and practical issues of interest to the people and enable the outcome of economic growth to materialize in the improvement of people's livelihood.

Prior attention should be particularly given to education, the development strategy of expanding employment should be carried out, and a reform in the income distribution system be further deepened; a social security system covering both the urban and rural residents should basically be set up, and a rudimentary medical care system be shaped in the main to form the basic medical and health networks, increase the health standards of all people nationwide, improve social management and safeguard social stability and unity.

The socialism with Chinese characteristics represents a banner of contemporary China for development and progress, and a banner for the united struggles of the whole Party and people of all ethnicities across the country. The adherence to and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics calls for the all-round implementation of a series of major strategies of the CPC Central Committee on China's economic, political, cultural and social construction and for doing work in all spheres in real earnest, so as to strive to score new victories in the comprehensive construction of a better-off society and to open up a new situation in the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

(Note: By the "Three Representatives", it is meant that the CPC must always represent the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of China's advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people in China.)

(People's Daily Online July 19, 2007)