Accelerate Reform, Opening-Up and Modernization and Achieve Greater Success in Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

Contained in the Selected Works of Jiang Zemin Vol. 1. Jiang Zemin's report at the 14th National Congress of the CPC on behalf of the 13th Central Committee on October 12, 1992. The report points out that “the 13th Central Committee has conducted an overall analysis of the current situation. It has unanimously agreed that domestic conditions are ripe for faster development, that the international environment is favorable, and that while the present moment poses challenges, it also presents even more opportunities for us to accelerate our advance. The tasks of this congress are to review the practical experience of the 14 years since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee and to formulate a strategic plan for the next period under the guidance of Comrade Deng's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is also the task of this congress to mobilize all members of the Party and the people of all our ethnic groups to achieve still greater success in building socialism with Chinese characteristics by further emancipating their minds and seizing this opportune moment to quicken the pace of Reform, Opening-up and modernization.”

The full report is divided into four parts:

(1) General summary of the great practice of the last 14 years.The report points out “but in general the whole Party and the entire country agree that in these 14 years we have genuinely concentrated on socialist modernization, raised the people 's standard of living more rapidly than in any other comparable period, ushered in a new period of history, and made achievements that have attracted world attention. This has won the Party the support of the masses.” The fundamental reason our Party was able to accomplish so much in 14 years is that it has always integrated the basic tenets of Marxism with the concrete realities of China and has gradually formulated and developed the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. In formulating this theory, the Party has for the first time given preliminary but systematic answers to a series of basic questions about how to build, consolidate and develop socialism in a country with a backward economy and culture like China. It has also developed Marxism by introducing new ideas and viewpoints. The report outlines the main contents of the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, including nine aspects of the socialist development path which are development stage, fundamental tasks, motivating force, external conditions, political assurance, strategic steps, leadership and reliance and reunification of the motherland. According to the Report, over the past 14 years we have never deviated from this central task despite the major events of various kinds that have taken place in China and abroad and we must unswervingly concentrate on it in the years to come. To adhere unwaveringly to the Party's basic line, we must integrate the Reform and Opening-up policy with the Four Cardinal Principles. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is so vigorous today because we have implemented the Reform and Opening-up policy. And Reform and Opening-up have been progressing smoothly because they help consolidate and expand socialism. To adhere unswervingly to the Party's basic line, we must consolidate and expand political unity and stability. Without political and social stability, any attempt to carry out Reform and Opening-up and to promote economic development would be impossible. We must adhere to the Four Cardinal Principles and resolutely eliminate all factors that might lead to unrest or even turmoil in China. Conversely, if we do not make economic development our central task and initiate Reform and Opening-up, and if we therefore fail to achieve economic growth, any effort to consolidate unity and stability would be impossible.

(2) The major tasks in reform and economic development in the 1990s. According to the Report, In the 1990s, the key to advancing our great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics is to adhere to the Party's basic line, accelerate Reform and Opening-up, and concentrate our efforts on furthering economic development. At the same time, while making economic development our central task, we also need to strengthen our socialist democracy, legal system, and culture and ethics in order to promote all-round social progress. The report suggests however, judging from the present situation of development at home and abroad, it should be possible for us to achieve a faster growth rate. According to preliminary estimates, it is possible to achieve a growth rate of 8% or 9%, and we must strive to do so.

The report clearly points out that the goal of China's economic system reform is to establish a socialist market economic system. In establishing a socialist market economy, we seek to let market forces, subject to macro-control by the state, serve as the basic means of regulating the allocation of resources, and to make economic activities adhere to the law of value and be responsive to changes in supply and demand. The socialist market economy is an integral component part of the basic system of socialism. To accelerate Reform and Opening-up and promote economic development and all-round social progress, we must redouble our efforts to fulfill the following ten major tasks, all of which involve our overall interests: quicken the pace of economic reform, with the focus on establishing a socialist market economy; must open wider to the outside world and make more and better use of foreign funds, resources, technology and managerial expertise. We need to open up more areas of our country, and open them up at different levels, through multiple channels and by various means; adjust and optimize the industrial structure, and focus heavily on agriculture, while accelerating the development of basic industries, infrastructure and tertiary industries; accelerate progress in science and technology, put great effort into developing education and get intellectuals to play a bigger role; fully exploit the particular advantages of each region, accelerate regional economic development and promote a rational distribution of the national economy; press ahead with political restructuring and make significant improvements in our socialist democracy and legal system; resolutely reform the administrative system and Party and government institutions in order to effect a change in their functions, straighten out interdepartmental relationships, simplify administration and improve efficiency; continue to foster both material progress and cultural and ethical progress, attach equal importance to both, and raise socialist cultural and ethical progress to a new level; continue raising living standards, strictly control population growth and strengthen environmental protection; strengthen the army and increase our defense capabilities in order to guarantee the smooth progress of reform, opening up and economic development.

(3) International situation and our foreign policy. The Report pointed out that the world today is in a period of historic change. The bipolar world structure has come to an end, international political forces are disintegrating and recombining, and the world is developing in the direction of multi-polarization. Peace and development still remain as the two major themes in the World today. Faced with the new international situation, the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people shall continue to develop their relations with foreign countries; seek a favorable international environment for China's reform, opening up and modernization; and make their own contributions to world peace and development. China has always pursued an independent foreign policy of peace, whose basic objectives are to preserve our independence and safeguard our sovereignty while furthering world peace and development. The PRC now enjoys the finest period of good-neighborly relations with neighboring countries since its founding, and we have strengthened our solidarity and cooperation with many other developing countries, and improved and expanded our relations with all countries, including developed Western countries, on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. As a member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council, China attaches great importance to the work of the United Nations and actively participates in it. China is a developing country. A key element of our foreign policy is to stiffen our solidarity and cooperation with other Third World countries. China and the other developing countries will, as always, support each other in safeguarding their independence and sovereignty, and will increase their economic and cultural exchanges. China is willing to develop friendly relations and cooperation with all other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

(4) Strengthening Party building and improving Party leadership. In the new historical period, major changes have occurred in the environment in which our Party functions and in the tasks it undertakes. It faces many new situations and issues in the areas of ideology, politics, organization and work style. In light of the new realities and in compliance with the Party's basic line, we must adhere to the principle that the Party should exercise self-discipline, be strict with its members, improve Party building, and exercise power and leadership more effectively. This will make it possible for our long-tested Marxist Party to function better as the leadership core of Reform and Opening-up and modernization. Any viewpoint and practice those doubts, weakens or negates the Party's ruling position and leading role is fundamentally wrong and extremely harmful. According to the report, there are five aspects to strengthen and improve the Party's leadership: Firstly, conscientiously study the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and implement the Party's basic line more purposefully and resolutely. Secondly, build strong leading bodies and train successors to the socialist cause. Thirdly, maintain close ties with the masses and resolutely root out corruption. Fourthly, strengthen primary-level Party organizations and encourage Party members to play an exemplary, vanguard role. Fifthly, uphold and improve democratic centralism and maintain solidarity and unity within the Party.

The report also made recommendations on amending the Party Constitution and the discontinuation of the Central Advisory Commission, and on the Taiwan question, among other new policies and recommendations.