The Report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC as Declaration of China’s Future Path

Zheng Bijian

The 18th National Congress of the CPC has been in the spotlight of national attention and has also been followed closely by the international community. According to the report delivered at the Congress, we are to steadfastly forge ahead on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics and endeavor to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively by emancipating the mind, carrying out reform and opening up, pooling strength, and tackling challenges and difficulties; we are to do so by holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and being guided by Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. 

In order to acquire a better understanding of the above underlying theme, or spirit, of the Congress, Wenhui Daily had an interview with Zheng Bijian, Chairman of China Institute for Innovation & Development Strategy and former Executive Vice President of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. 

Zheng Bijian has participated in the drafting of a series of important documents of the CPC Central Committee, including “Resolution on Certain Historical Issues of the Party since the Founding of the P. R. C.”, “Decision on Reform of the Economic System”, “Decision on Reform of the Educational System”, and “Resolution on Building Socialist Spiritual Civilization”. He was one of the drafters of the report for the 12th National Congress of the CPC and continued to serve in this role for the reports of all subsequent national congresses. Mr. Gong Yuzhi, Vice-President of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee from 1993 to 1998, once said, “Of all the CPC theorists, I guess Zheng Bijian has been involved in the preparation of the largest number of reports for national congresses and documents for the Central Committee. 

Zheng Bijian pointed out that the report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC answers four fundamental questions regarding the overall work of the party and the country in the decisive stage of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively. These include what banner to hold, what path to follow, what mentality to have, and what goals to strive for. The report does so based on incisive analyses and assessment of the present domestic and international situations and the situation of the party as well as on a careful review and summary of the party and people’s practice over the years. It echoes the wishes and expectations of the people of all ethnic groups and is also a resounding declaration to the international community of the path China will traverse in the second decade of the 21st century and even a long period of time to come after that.  

Four Fundamental Questions Regarding the Overall Work of the Party and the Country

Wenhui Daily: The 18th National Congress of the CPC opened in Beijing on November 8, 2012. Under the theme of the Congress, we are to steadfastly forge ahead on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics and endeavor to build a moderately prosperous society comprehensively by emancipating the mind, carrying out reform and opening up, pooling strength, and tackling challenges and difficulties; we are to do so under the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and being guided by Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. We identified two notable differences between this theme and that of the 17th National Congress of the CPC. For that Congress, we were to continue to implement the Scientific Outlook on Development under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the Three Represents, and we were to build a moderately prosperous society comprehensively. What would these differences imply or suggest? 

Zheng Bijian: The report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC unequivocally expressed, at the outset, the theme of the Congress. It was the heart and soul of the Congress. Acquiring a profound understanding and firm grasp of the theme is the most crucial for carrying out the spirit of the Congress. By doing so, we will be able to have the overall situation in command and the goals and objectives firmly in mind so that we can act strategically in our efforts to achieve these in the first decade of the 21st century and thus push the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new height.

When it comes to the importance of the theme, I think Comrade Xi Jinping made this crystal clear in his remarks when he met with Shanghai representatives to the Congress on the afternoon of November 8. He emphasized that the theme of the Congress was put forward based on a thorough analysis of the domestic and international situations and the situation of the party as well as on the new requirements for our country’s development and the people’s new expectations. It declared to our party, the nation, and the outside world what banner to hold, what path to follow, what mentality to have, and what goals to strive for on our way forward. These four fundamental questions concern the overall work of the party and the country. It is highly important that we proposed and established the theme as we unify and lead the people of all ethnic groups in moving forward on our journey. In doing so, we keep abreast of the times while building on past achievements. Understanding the theme accurately and deeply is critical for implementing the spirit of the Congress.

We will, holding high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, continue unswervingly to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively by carrying out reform and opening up. We will do so by emancipating our mind and pooling our strength. We will make determined, unremitting efforts in overcoming all difficulties and challenges that lie ahead.

“We are to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and be guided by Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development.” Thus the theme explicitly defines the banner we are to hold in the decisive stage of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively.

 “We are to steadfastly forge ahead on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Thus the theme explicitly defines the path we are to follow in the decisive stage of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively.

 “We are to carry out reform and opening up by emancipating the mind, pooling strength, and overcoming all difficulties and challenges.” Thus the theme explicitly defines the mentality we are to have in the decisive stage of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively.

“We are to strive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively.” Thus the theme explicitly defines the ultimate goal the party is to accomplish in the next five to ten years.

The theme addresses these four fundamental questions based on incisive analyses and assessment of the present domestic and international situations and the situation of the party as well as on a careful review and summary of the party and people’s practice over the years. It echoes the wishes and expectations of the people of all ethnic groups and is also a resounding declaration to the international community of the path China will traverse in the second decade of the 21st century and even a long period of time to come after that.  

Completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively as scheduled by focusing our neigong, or “internal exercises”, in three areas 

Wenhui Daily: We also noted that the report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC referred to “important strategic opportunities” at four places. In reviewing the work over the past ten years, Comrade Hu Jintao pointed out, “We have seized and made the most of the important period of strategic opportunities for China's development, successfully met a series of major challenges, and hence advanced socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new level.” Elaborating on the continuous explorations in reform and opening up over the past thirty years and more, Comrade Hu Jintao said, “In this new stage in the new century, the Party Central Committee has seized this important period of strategic opportunities and promoted innovation in practice, theory, and institutional building in the course of building a moderately prosperous society comprehensively. We have emphasized the need to put people first and to pursue comprehensive, balanced, and sustainable development; we have called for building a harmonious socialist society and speeding up building of the ecological system, and we have adopted overall steps for advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We have strived to ensure and improve the people's wellbeing, promoted social equity and justice, worked to build a harmonious world, and strengthened both the governance capabilities and the advanced nature of the party. We have thus upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics from a new historical starting point.” In putting forward the goals for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively and for deepening reform and opening up comprehensively, Comrade Hu Jintao pointed out, “An examination of the present international and domestic environments shows that China continues to be in an important period of strategic opportunities for development, a period in which much can be accomplished. We need to have a correct understanding of the changing nature and conditions of this period, seize all opportunities, cope with challenges calmly, and gain initiative and advantages to win the future and meet the goal of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively by 2020.”

The Central Committee emphasized that we are still in a period of significant strategic opportunities and wanted us to seize and make the most out of these opportunities. These words clearly bespeak the importance the Central Committee attaches to these opportunities and its eager expectation that we will make full use of them. How can we best put these strategic opportunities into perspective and fully understand them?

Zheng Bijian: In order to help us better understand the statement in the report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC that under the new historical situation China is still in an important period of strategic opportunities, in which much can be accomplished, I would like to make the following points. In doing so, I refer to the successful practice of the party and the country over the years.

A review of the first decade of the 21st century shows that almost every major strategic breakthrough during this period was achieved through the transformation of a crisis into opportunities for development. In 1997 China successfully coped with the Asian financial crisis, making itself an engine for East Asian economies. In 2001 China broke the deadlock and acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO), embarking on fully integrating itself in the global market system. After the September 11 attacks, China and the United States started to build new convergences of strategic interests. In 2008 the rocky cross-Strait relations stabilized and the mainland and Taiwan entered a new era of peaceful development. After 2008 China successfully coped with the severe impacts of the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis, catapulting itself into the center of the international system and the global economy. The list could go on. As we can see, crises can indeed be translated into opportunities. For much of the time, if we can make the best of an unfavorable situation, we will be able to turn tough challenges into rare opportunities. This is a lesson we have learned from our history. 

Also, we need to take China’s future development into full consideration. While we assess our strategic opportunities based on a comprehensive grasp of the domestic and international situations, we need to be fully aware that China’s development is a more and more important factor influencing the international situation. That is, China is increasingly a heavyweight both in the global economy and in international relations. It performs a balancing act in global economic and political affairs. In the second decade of the 21st century and for a long period of time to come after that, we will be under increasing pressure both at home and abroad and will be faced with numerous difficulties, many of them unpredictable. However, China is developing rapidly and will continue to develop rapidly. This underlies the important strategic opportunities we will be blessed with in the second decade of the 21st century and for a long period of time beyond that.

In line with these strategic opportunities and the lofty goal of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively by 2020, the report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC set forth a series of new requirements for addressing the difficulties in the present era of social and economic development as well as a series of specific polices and guidelines for meeting these requirements. All these constitute a new strategic blueprint.

It is crucial that we endeavor to advance China’s productive forces to a historically new height by unswervingly concentrating on development as the overriding task. At the same time, the report explicitly requires that we promote reform and development in a series of important areas. Specifically, we need to focus on neigong, or “internal exercises”, in three areas. First, we need to accelerate reform of the economic system and industrial restructuring so as to transform the mode of economic development. Second, we need to accelerate reform and development of the science and technology, education, and cultural industries because a well-educated workforce, with a large talent pool, and innovation are vital to China’s future. Third, we need to improve social governance in order to ensure that the society is vibrant, orderly, and harmonious based on democracy and rule of law.

Wenhui Daily: At a symposium back in March 2010, you said, “Social governance is a basic, indispensable neigong that is essential for national security, because we, especially those who work in frontline positions, deal with the following on a day-to-day basis: new requirements for reform and development that keep coming up; and the various social problems due to intensifying social contradictions, including the “incidents” and “cases” big and small.”

Zheng Bijian: Social governance is, in the final analysis, the governance of people. This is critical for a big country with 1.3 billion people (expected to reach 1.5 billion in a number of years) and in the historical process of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively. China is undergoing major social changes, including population flows, as industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization intensify. Then it is necessary that we more effectively strengthen social governance in the process of building a harmonious society. It might be appropriate to divide social governance over the years since the founding of New China into two periods based on overall planning and strategies. Comrade Mao had called on the nation to “get organized”[1], and the nation did get organized (in extreme directions in certain areas of work toward the end of the period). Deng Xiaoping had wanted to invigorate China (through reform and opening up)[2], and he successfully did so. Since then, China has kept invigorating itself although there have been various episodes of social conflicts and disharmony along the way. The Third Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee initiated the task of building a harmonious socialist society. Our vision for social governance is that by the year 2020, when the population is expected to exceed 1.4 billion, the society will have reached the stage of being more vibrant, orderly, and harmonious. While continuing to concentrate on economic development, we are promoting sustainable development in a coordinated manner and by putting people in the first place, as we are engaging in projects of the largest scale since the founding of New China both for improving the people’ wellbeing and for social development. This is undoubtedly a rare opportunity for us to strengthen social governance systematically.    

By devoting ourselves to the three neigong, or “internal exercises”, in the decisive period of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively in the spirit of the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we will be able to speed up reform of the economic system and industrial restructuring, expedite reform and development of science and technology, education, and cultural industries, and further social governance. It is expected that by the year 2020 we will have completed, as scheduled, the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively. At that time China will have achieved modernization by and large, with substantially strengthened national power. Being both the “world’s factory” and an integral part of the world market, it will be one of the leading countries in terms of the size of the domestic market. In general, the people will be leading more affluent lives, with the quality of life being significantly improved, and will have advanced levels of spiritual civilization and moral pursuits. Also, the society will be more vibrant, stable, and unified. 

We must be prepared for a great struggle with many new historical characteristics

Wenhui Daily: Each of the national congresses of the CPC has spelt out specific requirements for the mentality of party members and cadres in the course of reform and opening up and the socialist modernization drive. As you mentioned earlier, the report of the 18th National Congress requires that party members and cadres “carry out reform and opening up by liberating the mind, pooling strength, and overcoming difficulties and challenges”. Clearly, the theme of this national congress gives more prominence to the importance of pooling strength in an effort to overcome difficulties and challenges than did the themes of the previous two national congresses. Is there any reason for this?

Zheng Bijian: The importance of the mentality of the party can never be overstated. We are a big party with more than 80 million members and also an old party with a history of more than 90 years. Although our achievements are phenomenal and have caught world-wide attention, we have been faced with four major tests (i.e., the tests of governance, reform and opening up, the market economy, and the external environment) and four major risks (i.e., lack of motivation and drive, incompetence, alienation from the people, and passivity and corruption).

In its history of more than 90 years, the CPC has been tempered by untold trials and tribulations and has become stronger and stronger. We attribute this to our three weapons: a correct line, upright conduct, and steadfast drive and an indefatigable spirit. We will always bear firmly these in mind, which have guided us from victory to victory in history. We will especially bear these in mind in the present crucial period of striving for greater success in our cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.  

Therefore, the report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC soberly reminds the whole party, “We must be prepared for engaging in a great struggle with many new historical characteristics.” This solemn statement is made not only in the context of the domestic situation (i.e., China is now in the decisive stage of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively) but also in the context of the international situation (i.e., the world is undergoing complex, profound changes). 

Domestically, despite our splendid achievements, we have a lot to be desired in our work and are far from living up to the people’s expectations. Also, an array of difficulties and problems lie ahead of us, which have come about because of the unique stage we are experiencing in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. If these are handled appropriately, we will be able to move forward on the road. Otherwise, our challenges will magnify and likely give rise to economic stagnation and social unrest.

Internationally, peace and development remain the themes of the times. The balance of power is such that it is conducive to maintaining overall stability of the international situation. The international economic order has undergone profound changes and reform, and so has the international political landscape. As old and new forces rebalance each other, old and new contradictions are intertwined, and conventional and nonconventional security threats multiply, destabilizing factors in international political, economic, and social spheres are on the rise.

We need to be soberly aware of the domestic and international situations and bear firmly in mind the call for us to be prepared for a great struggle with many new historical characteristics. Only by doing so can we more profoundly understand what underlies the aforementioned requirements as part of the theme of the 18th National Congress of the CPC regarding the mentality of party members and cadres. In particular, the requirement that we pool strength and overcome challenges and difficulties is thought-provoking.  

We need to understand “pooling strength” in the context of the socialist market economy, which entails diversified interests and thoughts, and China’s deepening participation in economic globalization. Essentially, it requires that party members, including cadres in leadership positions at various levels, think and act in unison in undertaking the following: implementing the party’s theories, policies, and guidelines adopted since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC; integrating the spirit of reform and innovation in all aspects of governance; steadfastly promoting reform and opening up, institutional building, and innovations; and cracking down on corruption and building up a clean government. Also, it requires that we unify all forces possible within and outside of the party and mobilize all relevant positive factors both at home and abroad. Accomplishing these is undoubtedly a daunting historical test for us.

On the other hand, the party members, including cadres in leadership positions at various levels, need to be fully prepared for the complexity of the challenges and difficulties in the second decade of the 21st century and a long period of time to come after that.

Here, it is important that we proceed from the basic national condition that China is in the primary stage of socialism. Recognizing, in a humble way, that China is in the primary stage of socialism (which means that it is a developing country), we will be soberly prepared for the complexity of the various tasks and a series of “dual missions” for the first decade of the 21st century and a long period of time to come after that. 

One such dual mission we are faced with is as follows: on the one hand, we need to liberate and develop productive forces by adhering to the orientation toward a socialist market economy and through reform of the economic system aimed at developing various forms of ownership with public ownership as the mainstay; on the other hand, we need to promote social equity and justice and common prosperity. Here is another dual mission: as we endeavor to complete conventional industrialization which had long been completed in the developed countries, we need to follow the emerging tidal wave of scientific and technological revolution that came under way in the 1970s by promoting the development of information industries as a driving force for industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization.   

The complex nature of the first dual mission is obvious. In essence, liberating productive forces and stimulating social vitality and efficiency, including energetically encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship, are consistent with promoting social equity and justice and common prosperity. However, on certain specific issues the two may deviate from or even contradict each other. On the other hand, while they are consistent over the long term, they may deviate from or even contradict each other in a given stage of development. Therefore, we need to have long-term, comprehensive planning while concentrating on our present tasks, with all factors being taken into consideration. We should never attempt to accomplish everything at one stroke. Also, we need to avoid going to extremes. In addition, while addressing the problems we face, we need to have the people understand that they are complex and it takes time to find solutions to them. Simply put, for a country with a population of 13 billion (expected to grow to 1.5 billion in the years ahead), steadfastly liberating and developing productive forces is essential for ensuring accomplishment of the dual mission.   

The latter dual mission is also complex. In the process of promoting reform and opening up and socialist modernization, we will confront dual historical challenges over the long term. On the one hand, there is the challenge for industrial development characterized by the use of big machinery and electrical engineering that the capitalist nations had engaged in from the mid-18th century to mid-20th century. On the other hand, there is the challenge posed by the new industrial revolution started in the 1970s, which is characterized by the use of information technologies, biological engineering, new materials, and new energy. This means that we should not simply replicate the old methods of production by relying on steel and iron production and machinery. Also, we should not retread the path of relying on massive investments in capital and technologies at the cost of employment and the environment. Rather, we need to relentlessly go for innovation and entrepreneurship, which is essential for sustainable development and for achieving sufficient employment for a population of 1.3 billion and more. 

To conclude, although the party has made epochal achievements in the course of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, we still have a long way to go, with more grand, arduous tasks lying ahead. Supposing that we have completed the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively by the year 2020, China will remain in the primary stage of socialism at that time and for a rather long period of time to come after that. As a result, the various tasks will continue to be complex and assume a dual nature, which we should be consistently aware of. As stated in the report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC, as long as we do not belittle ourselves and refrain from complacency, remain true to our ideal, are firm in our conviction, never vacillate in or relax our efforts or act recklessly, and forge ahead with resolve and tenacity, we will surely accomplish the following: completing the building of a moderately prosperous society comprehensively by the time the CPC celebrates its centenary; turning China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious when the People's Republic of China celebrates its centennial.

The article was published in the November 26, 2012 issue of Wenhui Daily.