New thinking meets needs of the times

The keynote speech Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivered at a high-level workshop on July 26 offers a glimpse into the themes of the 19th CPC National Congress scheduled for the fall, and lays an important political, ideological and theoretical foundation for its success.

Xi shared five points with senior Party officials. To begin with, he said the 19th Party Congress is of key importance to the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics and building a moderately well-off society in an all-round way. The Party must hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and feel more confident about the road, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said. It should also contribute to people's pursuit of better livelihoods, and devise new strategies and take new measures to help realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Second, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new development stage, Xi said. Having experienced tribulations and hardships in modern times, the Chinese nation fought hard to "stand up" after the First Opium War in 1840 to establish the People's Republic of China in 1949. In the years since, China has made a historic leap from "standing up" to becoming the world's second-largest economy and gaining in national strength while developing the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics.