Speech at the Meeting Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of the CPC

Contained in the Selected Works of Jiang Zemin Vol. 3. Jiang Zemin's important speech delivered at the Congress celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the CPC on July 1, 2001. The Speech is divided into four parts and expounds the following important ideas:

(1) Achievements and basic experience of the CPC in the 80 year struggle. In the speech dialectical materialism and historical materialism were used to make a high-level and scientific summary of the 80 year struggle history of the CPC. The Speech holds that the practice 80 years tells us that it is imperative to always persist in integrating the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism with the specific situation in China, persist in taking scientific theories as the guide and unswervingly follow our own path; it is essential to always rely firmly on the masses of the people, sincerely work for the interests of the people and draw inexhaustible strength from the masses of the people on the path of advance; we must always consciously strengthen and improve Party building, continuously enhance the creativity, rallying power and combat capability of the Party, and always maintain the vigor and vitality of the Party.

(2) Correctly understanding and fully implementing the requirements of the “Three Represents” The Speech pointed out “in the new century, the great historical tasks for our Party are to continue the modernization drive, accomplish the great cause of the reunification of our motherland, safeguard world peace and promote common development. Facing the profound changes in the domestic and international situations, our Party should follow closely the progressive trends of the world and unite and lead people of all ethnic groups throughout the country in seizing the opportunities and taking up challenges to accomplish the three major historical tasks successfully.  To this end, we must unswervingly fulfill the requirements of the “Three Represents”. The fundamental requirements of “Three Represents” Thought for the Party includes: “To push Party building in an all-round way in the new century, constantly bring forth new ideas in theories, develop institutions and science and technology, and win fresh victories in building socialism with Chinese characteristics.” “Three Represents”, i.e., representing the requirements of the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, representing the orientation of China's advanced culture and representing the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people are interrelated and interact and constitute an integral whole.

(3) To strengthen and improve the Party building in accordance with the requirements of the “Three Represents”. The Speech focused on “to uphold the Party's leadership calls for improving its leadership.  We must follow the basic theory and line of the Party, and strengthen and improve the Party building in an overall and profound manner and in accordance with the requirements of the “Three Represents”, and put forward five requirements and measures, involving the Party's ideological line, class basis, democratic centralism, cadre contingent and management of Party members and cadres. Every problem requires new breakthroughs in theory and practice, and in order to solve these problems we should strengthen the Party's construction, comprehensively promote the rejuvenation of socialism with Chinese characteristics, so as to establish a solid foundation for the future.

(4) Continue to strive for the fulfillment of the basic line and historic mission of the Party. The Speech emphasized that the program of a political Party is the banner of it. We believe in the unity of the minimum and maximum programs. All comrades in the Party should set up lofty communist ideals, fortify their conviction and spur themselves on by holding to high ideological and moral standards. China is now in the primary stage of socialism and will remain so for a long time to come.  This is the initial stage of the long historical process of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. All comrades must unswervingly implement the Party's basic line for the primary stage of socialism, consistently concentrate on economic development, stick to the Four Cardinal Principles, press ahead with Reform and Opening-up, strive for the realization of the basic program of the Party for the present stage and constantly advance the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics into the future. The “Speech” comprehensively and systematically expounded the scientific connotation and basic essence of the important thought of “Three Represents” and gave answered scientific answers to the questions of “what socialism is, how to build it, and what kind of Party to build and how to build it” under the new historical conditions, and enriched Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory with new ideas and viewpoints for strengthening and, improving the Party's building and promoting the self-improvement and development of the socialist system.