Xi Jinping and former and incumbent leaders of the Communist Party of China participate in the opening session of the 20th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Editor's note: In key report to the congress, Xi Jinping presents broad, ambitious and hopeful agenda for China. Below are highlights.

Accelerating the creation of a new development pattern and pursuing high-quality development

To build a modern socialist country in all respects, we must, first and foremost, pursue high-quality development. We must fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy, promote high-standard opening-up and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows.

We must uphold and improve China's basic socialist economic system. We must unswervingly consolidate and develop the public sector and unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of the nonpublic sector. We will work to see the market plays the decisive role in resource allocation and that the government better plays its role.

In pursuing economic growth, we must continue to focus on the real economy. We will advance new industrialization and move faster to boost China's strength in manufacturing, product quality, aerospace, transportation, cyberspace and digital development.

We will continue to put agricultural and rural development first. We will move faster to build up China's strength in agriculture and steadily promote the revitalization of businesses, talent, culture, ecosystems and organizations in the countryside.

We will thoroughly implement the coordinated regional development strategy, major regional strategies, the functional zoning strategy and the new urbanization strategy. We will improve the distribution of the major productive forces and develop a regional economic layout and a territorial space system that complement each other's strengths and promote high-quality development.

We will steadily expand institutional opening-up with regard to rules, regulations, management and standards.

Advancing whole-process people's democracy and ensuring that the people run the country

China is a socialist country of people's democratic dictatorship under the leadership of the working class based on an alliance of workers and farmers; all power of the state in China belongs to the people. People's democracy is the lifeblood of socialism, and it is integral to our efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects. Whole-process people's democracy is the defining feature of socialist democracy; it is democracy in its broadest, most genuine and most effective form.

We must firmly stay on the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics, uphold the unity between Party leadership, the running of the country by the people, and law-based governance, and ensure the principal position of the people, so as to give full expression to their will, protect their rights and interests, and spark their creativity.

We will improve the system of institutions through which the people run the country. We will encourage the people's orderly participation in political affairs and guarantee their ability to engage in democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management and oversight in accordance with the law. We will inspire the people's motivation, initiative and creativity, so as to consolidate and develop a lively, stable and united political atmosphere.

・ Strengthening the institutions through which the people run the country

・ Fully developing consultative democracy

・ Actively developing democracy at the primary level

・ Consolidating and developing the broadest possible patriotic united front

We will remain committed to the principle that religions in China must be Chinese in orientation and provide active guidance to religions so that they can adapt to socialist society.

Building cultural confidence and strength and securing new successes in developing socialist culture

To build a modern socialist country in all respects, we must develop a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics and be more confident in our culture. In our efforts to turn China into a country with a strong socialist culture, we will focus on upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics, rallying public support, fostering a new generation of young people, developing Chinese culture and better presenting China to the world.

We should uphold the foundational system for ensuring the guiding role of Marxism in the ideological domain. We will ensure that culture serves the people and serves socialism. We will follow the principle of letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend, and we will encourage creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese culture. Guided by the core socialist values, we will develop advanced socialist culture, promote revolutionary culture and carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture.

・ Developing a socialist ideology that has the power to unite and inspire the people

We must ensure that the Party firmly exercises leadership over this work and that the responsibility system for it is fully implemented.

・ Enhancing civility throughout society

We will continue the civic morality campaign, carry forward traditional Chinese virtues, foster stronger family ties, values and traditions, and raise the intellectual and moral standards of minors.

・ Developing cultural programs and the cultural sector

We will encourage people-centered cultural creation and production of more outstanding works that inspire the people.

・ Extending the reach and appeal of Chinese civilization

We will stay firmly rooted in Chinese culture. We will accelerate the development of China's discourse and narrative systems, better tell China's stories, make China's voice heard and present a China that is credible, appealing and respectable.

Improving the people's well-being and raising quality of life

This country is its people; the people are the country. As the Communist Party of China has led the people in fighting to establish and develop the People's Republic, it has really been fighting for their support. Bringing benefit to the people is the fundamental principle of governance. Working for the people's wellbeing is an essential part of the Party's commitment to serving the public good and exercising governance for the people. We must ensure and improve the people's well-being in the course of pursuing development and encourage everyone to work hard together to meet the people's aspirations for a better life.

We must strive to realize, safeguard, and advance the fundamental interests of all our people. To this end, we must do everything within our capacity to resolve the most practical problems that are of the greatest and most direct concern to the people. We will stay engaged with our people and their communities, adopt more measures that deliver real benefits to the people and win their approval, and work hard to resolve the pressing difficulties and problems that concern them most. We will improve the basic public services system to raise public services standards and make public services more balanced and accessible, so as to achieve solid progress in promoting common prosperity.

・ Improving the system of income distribution

The system of income distribution is the foundational system for promoting common prosperity. We will keep distribution according to work as the mainstay with multiple forms of distribution existing alongside it. We will promote equality of opportunity, increase the incomes of low-income earners and expand the size of the middle-income group.

We will improve the policy system for distribution based on factors of production, explore multiple avenues to enable the low- and middle-income groups to earn more from production factors, and increase the property income of urban and rural residents through more channels.

・ Improving the social security system

We will remain committed to the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protect the lawful rights and interests of women and children.

・ Advancing the Healthy China Initiative

We will improve the population development strategy, establish a policy system to boost birth rates.

Pursuing green development and promoting harmony between humanity and nature

Respecting, adapting to and protecting nature is essential for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects. We must remember to maintain harmony between humanity and nature when planning our development.

We will carry out coordinated industrial restructuring, pollution control, ecological conservation and climate response, and we will promote concerted efforts to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, expand green development and pursue economic growth.

・ Accelerating the transition to a model of green development

We will implement a comprehensive conservation strategy, boost green and low-carbon industries, encourage green consumption and promote green and low-carbon ways of production and life.

・ Intensifying pollution prevention and control

We will basically eliminate serious air pollution, generally eliminate black, malodorous water bodies in cities and strengthen prevention and control of soil contamination at the source. The environmental infrastructure will be upgraded and living environments in both urban and rural areas will be improved.

・ Enhance diversity, stability and sustainability in our ecosystems

Major projects for preserving and restoring key ecosystems and protecting biodiversity will be carried out. We will promote the natural regeneration of grasslands, forests, rivers, lakes and wetlands, enforce the 10-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River, and improve the system of fallowing and crop rotation.

・ Working actively and prudently toward the goals of reaching peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality

Based on China's energy and resources endowment, we will advance initiatives to reach peak carbon emissions in a well-planned and phased way in line with the principle of building the new before discarding the old. We will use coal in a cleaner and more efficient way and speed up the planning and development of a system for new energy resources.

Exercising law-based governance on all fronts and advancing the rule of law in China

The comprehensive advancement of law-based governance has been a profound revolution in China's governance. Law-based governance is important for the Party's success in governing and rejuvenating the country, for the well-being of the people, and for the long-term stability of the Party and the country. We must give better play to the role of the rule of law in consolidating foundations, ensuring stable expectations, and delivering long-term benefits, and we must strive to build a modern socialist country in all respects under the rule of law.

We must follow a path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, develop a Chinese system of socialist rule of law and establish China as a socialist country under the rule of law. We must, with a focus on protecting and promoting social fairness and justice, pursue coordinated progress in law-based governance, law-based exercise of State power and law-based government administration and take integrated steps to build a country, government and society based on the rule of law. We will make all-around efforts to ensure sound legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial administration of justice and society-wide observance of the law and see that all work of the State is carried out under the rule of law.

・ Improving the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics with the Constitution at its core

We will step up legislation in key, emerging and foreign-related fields and advance the rule of law in domestic and foreign-related affairs in a coordinated manner.

・ Steadily advancing law-based government administration

・ Ensuring strict and impartial administration of justice

・ Stepping up efforts to establish the rule of law throughout society

Invigorating China through science and education and developing a strong workforce for the modernization drive

Education, science and technology, and human resources are the foundational and strategic pillars for building a modern socialist country in all respects. We must regard science and technology as our primary productive force, talent as our primary resource and innovation as our primary driver of growth. We will fully implement the strategy for invigorating China through science and education, the workforce development strategy and the innovation-driven development strategy. We will open up new areas and new arenas in development and steadily foster new growth drivers and new strengths.

We will continue to give high priority to the development of education, build China's self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and rely on talent to pioneer and to propel development. We will speed up work to build a strong educational system, greater scientific and technological strength, and a quality workforce. We will continue efforts to cultivate talent for the Party and the country and comprehensively improve our ability to nurture talent at home. All this will see us producing first-class innovators and attracting the brightest minds from all over.

・ Developing education that meets the people's expectations

We will continue to follow a people-centered approach to developing education, move faster to build a high-quality educational system, advance students' well-rounded development and promote fairness in education.

・ Improving systems for scientific and technological innovation

・ Accelerating the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy

・ Implementing the workforce development strategy

We will move faster to build world hubs for talent and innovation, promote better distribution and balanced development of talent across regions, and strive to build up our comparative strengths in global competition for talent.

Modernizing China's national security system and capacity and safeguarding national security and social stability

National security is the bedrock of national rejuvenation, and social stability is a prerequisite for building a strong and prosperous China. We must resolutely pursue a holistic approach to national security and promote national security in all areas and stages of the work of the Party and the country, so as to ensure national security and social stability.

We must take the people's security as our ultimate goal, political security as our fundamental task, economic security as our foundation, military, technological, cultural, and social security as important pillars, and international security as a support. We will take coordinated steps to ensure external and internal security, homeland and public security, traditional and non-traditional security, and our own security and common security. We will both uphold national security and create the conditions for ensuring it.

・ Improving the national security system

Improvements will be made in the legal, strategy, and policy systems for national security as well as the risk monitoring and early warning systems and the national emergency management system.

・ Strengthening our capacity for safeguarding national security

We will resolutely safeguard the security of China's state power, systems, and ideology. We will ensure the security of food, energy, and resources as well as key industrial and supply chains.

・ Enhancing public safety governance

We will follow the principles of putting safety first and placing emphasis on prevention, and we will establish an overall safety and emergency response framework.

・ Improving the social governance system

We will improve the social governance system based on collaboration, participation, and shared benefits, so as to make social governance more effective.

Promoting world peace and development and building a human community with a shared future

China has always been committed to its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development, and it is dedicated to promoting a human community with a shared future.

China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace. It has always decided its position and policy on issues based on their own merits, and it has strived to uphold the basic norms governing international relations and safeguard international fairness and justice.

China stands firmly against all forms of hegemonism and power politics, the Cold War mentality, interference in other countries' internal affairs and double standards.

No matter what stage of development it reaches, China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansionism.

It is committed to promoting a new type of international relations, deepening and expanding global partnerships based on equality, openness, and cooperation, and broadening the convergence of interests with other countries.

China is committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world and pursues a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. It strives to create new opportunities for the world with its own development and to contribute its share to building an open global economy that delivers greater benefits to all peoples.

China plays an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system. It upholds true multilateralism, promotes greater democracy in international relations, and works to make global governance fairer and more equitable.

China has put forward the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and it stands ready to work with the international community to put these two initiatives into action.

Achieving the centenary goal of the People's Liberation Army and further modernizing national defense and the military

Achieving the goals for the centenary of the People's Liberation Army in 2027 and more quickly elevating our people's armed forces to world-class standards are strategic tasks for building a modern socialist country in all respects.

We will continue to enhance political loyalty in the military, strengthen the military through reform, science and technology, and personnel training, and run the military in accordance with the law.

We will continue integrated development of the military through mechanization, informatization, and the application of smart technologies and work faster to modernize military theory, organizational forms, personnel, and weaponry and equipment.

We will intensify troop training and enhance combat preparedness across the board to see that our people's armed forces can fight and win. We will study and gain a good grasp of the characteristics of informatized and intelligent warfare and the laws that govern it, provide new military strategic guidance, and develop strategies and tactics for a people's war.

We will establish a strong system of strategic deterrence, increase the proportion of new-domain forces with new combat capabilities, speed up the development of unmanned, intelligent combat capabilities, and promote coordinated development and application of the network information system.

We will improve the command system for joint operations and enhance our systems and capacity for reconnaissance and early warning, joint strikes, battlefield support, and integrated logistics support.

We will intensify military training under combat conditions, laying emphasis on joint training, force-on-force training, and high-tech training.

In fulfilling major tasks for national defense and military development, we will coordinate our operations, capacity building, and combat preparedness.

Upholding and improving the policy of One Country, Two Systems and promoting national reunification

The policy of One Country, Two Systems is a great innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It has proven to be the best institutional arrangement for ensuring sustained prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao after their return to the motherland. This policy must be adhered to over the long term.

We will ensure that the capitalist system and way of life remain unchanged in Hong Kong and Macao in the long run and work to promote long-term prosperity and stability in the two regions.

We will continue to develop the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating themselves into China's overall development and playing a greater role in realizing national rejuvenation.

We will implement our Party's overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, and unswervingly advance the cause of national reunification.

Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese, a matter that must be resolved by the Chinese. We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort, but we will never promise to renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary. This is directed solely at interference by outside forces and the few separatists seeking "Taiwan independence" and their separatist activities; it is by no means targeted at our Taiwan compatriots.

The wheels of history are rolling on toward China's reunification and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Complete reunification of our country must be realized, and it can, without doubt, be realized!

Exercising full and rigorous self-governance and advancing the great new project of Party building in the New Era

Our Party has a pivotal role in building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and in advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. As the largest Marxist governing party in the world, we must always stay alert and determined to tackle the special challenges that a large party like ours faces, so as to maintain the people's support and consolidate our position as the long-term governing party.

All of us in the Party must bear in mind that full and rigorous self-governance is an unceasing endeavor and that self-reform is a journey to which there is no end. We must never slacken our efforts and never allow ourselves to become weary or beaten. We must persevere with full and rigorous self-governance, continue to advance the great new project of Party building in the new era, and use our own transformation to steer social transformation.

We must meet the overall requirements for Party building in the new era, improve the systems for exercising full and rigorous self-governance, and comprehensively advance our efforts to purify, improve, renew, and excel ourselves. This will enable our Party to stay true to its original aspiration and founding mission and remain the strong leadership core in building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

・ Upholding and strengthening the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee

・ Enhancing cohesion and forging the Party's soul with the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

・ Improving the systems and regulations for the Party's self-reform

・ Cultivating officials capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation

・ Enhancing the political and organizational functions of Party organizations

・ Taking strict steps to improve Party conduct and enforce Party discipline

・ Winning the tough and protracted battle against corruption