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E-mail China.org.cn, November 16, 2012
II. Main Revisions to the General Program
1. The Scientific Outlook on Development is incorporated into the guiding ideology of the Party.
The Scientific Outlook on Development was created by integrating Marxism with the reality of contemporary China and with the underlying features of the times. It consists of closely interconnected new ideas and viewpoints, and it has enriched and developed the Marxist theory of development and raised to a new level our understanding of the laws of socialism with Chinese characteristics. When their opinions were solicited on the Eighteenth Party Congress, Party organizations in all localities and government departments unanimously proposed that, along with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development be made a part of the Party’s guiding ideology; and the Party Constitution has been revised accordingly. This will help apply the Scientific Outlook on Development throughout China’s socialist modernization drive and in all aspects of Party building.
2. The theoretical innovations made by the Party since its Sixteenth National Congress, the Scientific Outlook on Development in particular, are further elaborated on.
On the basis of a review of experience and a new understanding of the Scientific Outlook on Development, Paragraph 7 of the General Program has been revised to read:
Since the Party’s Sixteenth National Congress, the Chinese Communists with Comrade Hu Jintao as their chief representative, following the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, have gained a deep understanding of major questions such as what kind of development China should achieve under new conditions and how it should achieve it to meet new requirements for development and answered these questions, and thus developed the Scientific Outlook on Development that puts people first and calls for comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development. The Scientific Outlook on Development is a scientific theory that is both in keeping with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and is in step with the times. It fully embodies the Marxist worldview on and methodology for development and represents the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to China’s conditions. It is the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Communist Party of China and a guiding ideology that must be upheld and applied in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.
This elaboration will help the whole Party apply the Scientific Outlook on Development more consciously and with greater determination and bring our thinking and action in line with the need to pursue development in a scientific way.
3. The statement on establishing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is incorporated.
The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics – these are the fundamental accomplishments achieved and accumulated by the Party rallying and leading the people in the course of protracted and arduous struggle. In Paragraph 8, along with the blazing of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the formulation of the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the establishment of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is added as a fundamental cause for all of China’s achievements and progress since the policy of reform and opening up was adopted. It is also stressed in this paragraph that the whole Party must cherish the path, the theories and the socialist system, keep to them all the time and continue to enrich them. This addition will help all of us in the Party deepen our understanding of socialism with Chinese characteristics, fully grasp its scientific nature, further strengthen our confidence in the path, the theories and the socialist system, and enable us to unswervingly advance the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
4. The overall plan for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics is elaborated on.
As China’s economic and social development deepens, the position and role of promoting ecological progress have become increasingly important, and we have gained an increasingly deep understanding of the need to promote ecological progress. The political report to the Party’s Eighteenth National Congress lists promoting ecological progress as one of the five goals set in the overall plan for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In Paragraph 9, “ecological progress” is added to form the statement, “The Party must promote all-around economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress in accordance with the overall plan for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” This revision augments the overall plan for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, further defines the strategic importance of ecological progress, and will help advance this cause across the board.
5. The need to carry out reform and opening up is further stressed.
Reform and opening up, the path to a stronger China, are the salient feature of the new period in China. It is by carrying out reform and opening up that China has achieved rapid development in the past 30-plus years, and it is reform and opening up that will ensure its future development. The following statement is therefore added to Paragraph 13: “Only reform and opening up can enable China, socialism and Marxism to develop themselves.” This addition will help the whole Party acquire a deeper understanding of the significance of continuing to carry out reform and opening up and thus pursue this endeavor more consciously and greater determination.
6. The need to develop the socialist market economy is further elaborated on.
To complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, we must adapt to the new trend in global economic and social development and quicken the pace of establishing a new growth model and adjusting the economic structure. Promoting industrialization, IT application, urbanization and agricultural modernization in a coordinated way is a major task China faces in pursuing economic and social development and an important strategic step for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. A new statement on promoting harmonized development of industrialization, IT application, urbanization and agricultural modernization is added to Paragraph 14. This addition will help the whole Party gain a fuller understanding of these key tasks of reform and opening up and socialist modernization in the current new stage in the new century and further promote comprehensive, balanced and sustainable economic and social development.
7. The need to develop socialist democracy is stressed.
People’s democracy is a shining banner that has always been held high by our Party, and the rule of law is the basic way of governing the country. Our Party is committed to promoting socialist democracy and has endeavored to improve the system of democracy, diversify its forms and strengthen the socialist legal system to better ensure that the people control their own destiny. On the basis of a review of the experience gained over recent years, new statements on making people’s democracy more extensive, fuller in scope and sounder in practice and on improving the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics are added to Paragraph 15. Guided by these additions, we will keep to the socialist path of pursuing political development with Chinese characteristics, carry out political structural reform both actively and prudently, steadily develop socialist democracy, promote law-based governance across the board, and build a socialist country based on the rule of law.
8. The need to develop an advanced socialist culture is highlighted.
The Seventeenth Party Central Committee made a comprehensive decision at its Sixth Plenary Session to advance the reform and development of China’s cultural sector, in which it set the goal of developing a strong socialist culture in China and called for strengthening core socialist values. This decision has received enthusiastic support of the whole Party and people across the country. Implementing steps for developing a strong socialist culture in China are listed in the political report to the Party’s Eighteenth National Congress. Added to Paragraph 16 are statements on developing a strong socialist culture in China and strengthening core socialist values. These additions will guide all Party members to adhere to the goal of advancing socialist culture, deepen their awareness of and confidence in Chinese culture, vigorously develop cultural programs and industries, strengthen the country’s cultural soft power, and promote the great development and enrichment of socialist culture.
9. Statements on building a harmonious socialist society are added.
We should ensure that all the people enjoy their rights to education, employment, medical and old-age care, and housing and promote social harmony in accordance with the general requirements for advancing democracy and the rule of law, fairness and justice, honesty and fraternity, vigor and vitality, stability and order, and harmony between man and nature. To meet this goal it is imperative for us to work harder to promote social fairness and justice, ensure and improve the people’s wellbeing, and strengthen and make innovations in social management. Added to Paragraph 17 are statements on enabling all our people to share in more fruits of development in a more equitable way and strengthening and making innovations in social management. In addition, the statement on improving people’s lives is revised to read: “the Party focuses its efforts on ensuring and improving the people’s wellbeing.” These additions will help better ensure and improve the people’s wellbeing, and fire them with enthusiasm, initiative and creativity in advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The additions will also help improve social management and establish a socialist system of social management with Chinese characteristics in response to changing conditions, and foster a dynamic environment in which everyone contributes to social harmony and benefits from a harmonious society.
10. A new paragraph on promoting socialist ecological progress is added.
In keeping with the overall plan for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics laid out in the political report to the Party’s Eighteenth National Congress, a new paragraph on promoting ecological progress is added after Paragraph 17. This new paragraph reads：
The Communist Party of China leads the people in promoting socialist ecological progress. It raises its ecological awareness of the need to respect, accommodate to and protect nature; follows the basic state policy of conserving resources and protecting the environment and the principle of giving high priority to conserving resources, protecting the environment and promoting its natural restoration; and pursues sound development that leads to increased production, affluence and a good ecosystem. The Party strives to build a resource-conserving, environmentally friendly society; and preserves China’s geographical space and improves its industrial structure and mode of production and the Chinese way of life in the interest of conserving resources and protecting the environment. All this is aimed at creating a good working and living environment for the people and ensuring lasting and sustainable development of the Chinese nation.
This paragraph sets out both the general requirements and guiding principles for promoting socialist ecological progress and the main priorities of the efforts in this regard. This will help ensure that ecological progress is pursued in all areas and the entire process of China’s endeavor to promote economic, political, cultural, and social progress.
11. The general requirements for improving Party building are elaborated on.
Thanks to progress made in Party building since its Seventeenth National Congress, our Party has deepened its understanding of the laws of building a Marxist governing party, met tests and risks head-on, and comprehensively pressed ahead with the great new undertaking of Party building. The Party has attached great importance to maintaining its purity and stressed the need to make Party building more scientific. To enable the Party to accomplish the tasks of rallying and leading the people in completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and carrying out socialist modernization so as to achieve the great renewal of the Chinese nation, new requirements are set out in the political report to the Party’s Eighteenth National Congress for building the Party into a learning, service-oriented and innovative Marxist governing party. Revisions are made to the statements on the general requirements for Party building. Statements are added to Paragraph 23 on preserving the Party’s purity; on making all-around efforts to strengthen the Party ideologically and organizationally, improve its conduct, combat corruption and uphold Party integrity, and improve Party rules and regulations; on making Party building more scientific in all respects; and on building the Party into an innovative, service-oriented and learning Marxist governing party. In addition, the second sentence in Paragraph 24 is revised to read: “The whole Party must achieve unity in thinking and action with Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and the Party’s basic line.” The statement on being realistic and pragmatic in Paragraph 25 is moved into the first sentence of the paragraph. Statements on respecting the principal position of Party members and tightening oversight of principal leading cadres are added to Paragraph 27.
