Editor’s Note: China held a grand gathering on December 18 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, addressed the meeting.  The following is an edited excerpt of his speech: 

By reform and opening up, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has undergone a great reawakening, which has led to great creativity in both theory and practice for the CPC. 

The reform and opening up is a great revolution in the history of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. It is the great revolution that propelled a quantum leap forward in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. 

The founding of the CPC and the People's Republic of China, as well as the pursuit of reform and opening up and socialism with Chinese characteristics were the three milestones on the country’s way toward the great national rejuvenation in the modern times. 

China has lifted 740 million people out of poverty in the 40 years, reducing the poverty headcount ratio by 94.4 percentage points. 

China has also maintained its social stability over a long period, and has the distinction of being one of the safest and most secure countries in the world.  

The problems that once afflicted China on a widespread basis for thousands of years - hunger, shortage, and poverty - is now a thing of the past. 

China has made decisive strides on the journey of growing rich and becoming strong. 

China has significantly raised its cultural soft power and the international influence of Chinese culture. 

China has significantly strengthened ecological governance to counter environmental issues. 

The national identity and cultural identity of Chinese both at home and overseas have been significantly strengthened.

As China moves close to the center stage of the world, we will continue to uphold our principles regarding world peace, contribution to global development and the importance of international order. 

We believe that China's developmental model, which has overseen its economic rise, can be used to offer a bright prospect for other developing countries in their pursuit of modernization. China's model has greatly contributed to the progress of human civilization. 

Leadership of the Party is the most essential attribute of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and is the greatest strength of this system. 

It is by upholding the centralized, unified leadership of the Party that we have been able to achieve the historic transformation, usher in a new era of reform and opening up, and embark on a new journey of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. 

The CPC is committed to adopting a people-orientated approach, one that will consider and deliver on the people's aspirations for a better life. 

Seeking happiness for the Chinese people and striving for rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the original aspiration and mission of the CPC, and those of the reform and opening-up endeavor. 

Continued efforts should be made to exercise full and rigorous governance over the CPC to strengthen its capacity to innovate, power to unite, and energy to fight. 

All the theories and practice of the CPC in the past 40 years of reform and opening up are based on the theme of upholding and advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics.  

Innovation is the lifeline of reform and opening up. 

Openness brings progress, while seclusion leads to backwardness. 

A review of the past several thousand years shows that reform and opening up remains the norm throughout China's history. 

There is no textbook of golden rules to follow for reform and development in China, a country with over 5,000 years of civilization and more than 1.3 billion people. No one else is in a position to dictate to the Chinese people what should or should not be done.