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UPDATED: January 13, 2008 NO.3 JAN.17, 2008
What the 2020 Plan Really Means
The Scientific Outlook on Development is a crucial guiding principle for China's economic and social development
 
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The Communist Party of China convened its 17th National Congress in October 2007. In his keynote report, General Secretary Hu Jintao outlined an overall roadmap for the country to build a moderately prosperous society by 2020. According to Zheng Xinli, deputy head of the Policy Research Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the report can also serve as a guide for foreigners hoping to better understand China. Excerpts of his analysis follow.

The Scientific Outlook on Development is a crucial guiding principle for China's economic and social development. The report delivered by General Secretary Hu Jintao of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to the Party's 17th National Congress gave a profound explanation of the theory. In order to effectively carry out scientific development, it is necessary to pay attention to the following four aspects:

First, development should be given top priority, as it holds the key for China to solve all its challenges on the way toward modernization. Only development can help to support the Chinese people's standard of living, ensure China to take its due responsibility in international affairs, and make it possible for the country to contribute more to the development of the world economy.

Second, we must always put people first. Serving the people is the fundamental purpose of the Party, and its every endeavor is for the well being of the people. We must always make sure that the aim and outcome of all the work of the Party and the state is to realize, safeguard and expand the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people. We must respect the principal position of the people in the country's political life, foster their creativity, protect their rights and interests, build prosperity for all and promote their overall development, to ensure that development is for the people, by the people and with the people.

Third, China must pursue comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development. In accordance with the overall arrangements of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we will promote economic, political, cultural and social development, coordinate all links and aspects within our modernization drive, and balance the relationship between production with the productive forces and the superstructure with the economic base. We must adopt an enlightened approach to development that results in expanded production, a better life and sound ecological and environmental conditions, and build a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society that coordinates its growth rate with the economic structure, quality and efficiency, and harmonizes economic growth with population, resources and the environment, so that our people will live and work under sound ecological and environmental conditions and our economy and society will develop in a sustainable way.

Fourth, we must persist in overall consideration of the current social situation. We need to correctly understand and handle the major relationships in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and balance urban and rural development, development among regions, economic and social development, relations between man and nature, and domestic development and opening to the outside world. We must take into overall consideration the relationships between the central and local authorities, between personal and collective interests, between interests of the part and those of the whole, and between immediate and long-term interests, so as to fully arouse the initiative of all sides. We must take both the domestic and international situations into consideration, develop a global and strategic perspective, be good at seizing opportunities for development and coping with risks and challenges in a changing world, and work for a favorable international environment. While planning our work with an overall perspective, we need to work hard to make breakthroughs on the key issues that affect the overall situation and on the major problems that affect public interests.

The 17th National Congress has put forward new development goals. We will quadruple per-capita gross domestic product by 2020 through optimizing the economic structure and improving economic returns while reducing the consumption of resources and protecting the environment. The socialist market economy will be improved. We will greatly enhance our capacity for independent innovation, enabling scientific and technological advancement to contribute much more to economic growth and making China an innovative country.

We will try to expand socialist democracy and better safeguard the people's rights and interests as well as social equity and justice. Participation by the citizenry in political affairs will expand in an orderly way. We'll also make efforts to promote cultural development and notably enhance the cultural and ethical quality of the whole nation. We'll accelerate the development of social programs and improve every aspect of the people's well being. The modern system of national education will be further improved, employment will be further expanded, and a basic system of social security will cover both urban and rural residents so that everyone is assured of basic living standards. A reasonable and orderly pattern of income distribution will be basically in place, with middle-income people making up the majority and absolute poverty basically eliminated. Everyone will have access to basic medical and health services. China will also try to build up a conservation culture by bringing the discharge of major pollutants under effective control.

By 2020, China will have basically accomplished industrialization, with its overall strength significantly increased and its domestic market ranking as one of the largest in the world. It will be a country whose people are better off and enjoy markedly improved quality of life and a good environment. Its citizens will have more extensive democratic rights, show higher ethical standards and look forward to greater cultural achievements. China will have better institutions in all areas and Chinese society will have greater vitality coupled with stability and unity. The country will be more open and friendly to the outside world and make greater contributions to human civilization.

The 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has once again shown to the world China's determination to follow a peaceful road of development. This is a strategic choice the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people have made and also a solemn commitment to the whole world.

It is an inevitable choice based on its national conditions, its historical and cultural traditions and the present world development trend that China persists unswervingly in taking the road of peaceful development. The Chinese nation has always been a peace-loving one. Chinese culture is pacific in nature. The spirit of the Chinese people has always featured their longing for peace and pursuit of harmony.

The essence of China's road of peaceful development can be summarized as follows:

--Striving for a peaceful international environment to develop itself, and promoting world peace through its own development;

--Achieving development by relying on itself, together with reform and innovation, while persisting in the policy of opening-up;

-Conforming to the trend of economic globalization, and striving to achieve mutually beneficial common development with other countries; and

--Sticking to peace, development and cooperation, and, together with all other countries, devoting itself to building a harmonious world marked by sustained peace and common prosperity.

Sharing opportunities for development and rising to challenges together so as to further the noble cause of peace and development of humanity bear on the fundamental interests of the people of all countries and meet their common aspirations. We maintain that the people of all countries should join hands and strive to build a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity. To this end, all countries should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, observe international law and universally recognized norms of international relations, and promote democracy, harmony, collaboration and win-win solutions in international relations. Politically, all countries should respect each other and conduct consultations on an equal footing in a common endeavor to promote democracy in international relations. Economically, they should cooperate with each other, draw on each other's strengths and work together to advance economic globalization in the direction of balanced development, shared benefits and win-win progress. Culturally, they should learn from each other in the spirit of seeking common ground while shelving differences, respect the diversity of the world, and make joint efforts to advance human civilization. In the area of security, they should trust each other, strengthen cooperation, settle international disputes by peaceful means rather than by war, and work together to safeguard peace and stability in the world. On environmental issues, they should assist and cooperate with each other in conservation efforts to take good care of the earth, our only home.



 
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