The Sixth Plenary Session of the Fourteenth Central Committee of the CPC

It was convened in Beijing from October 7 to 10, 1996. The Plenary Session focused on discussing issues on ideological, moral and cultural construction, deliberated and adopted the “Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPC concerning Some Important Questions in Strengthening Socialist Spiritual Civilization Construction”.

The “Resolution” held that socialist society is a society which requires comprehensive development and progress, and that the cause of socialist modernization requires the coordinated development of material and spiritual civilization. The “Resolution” stipulated that the guiding ideology of socialist spiritual civilization construction must be imbued with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping’s Theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics as guidance, persist in the basic line and basic policies of the Party, strengthen ideological and moral construction, develop education of science and culture, arm the people with scientific theory, guide people with correct public opinion, mold the people with noble spirits and hearten the people with excellent works. In addition, the Party should foster Socialist citizens with ideals, morals, culture and discipline, raise the ideological and moral quality and scientific and cultural quality of the whole nation, unite and mobilize people of all nationalities to build our country into a rich, strong, democratic and civilized modern socialist country.

The main goals to be realized in the next fifteen years are: to firmly establish a common ideal of building socialism with Chinese characteristics among the entire nation, firmly establish a firm and unwavering belief in the basic Party line; realize a clear rise of citizens’ quality imbued with ideological and moral cultivation as well as scientific and educational levels, and the concept of democracy and the rule of law as the main contents, and to realize a clear rise in cultural life quality with vigor and health, richness and variety, and serving the people as main requirements; to realize a clear rise town and country civilization levels with social atmospheres, public order and good environment of life environment as its main marks; shape a desirable picture of coordinated development of material civilization construction and spiritual civilization construction nationwide. To achieve this goal, first of all, the CPC must grasp the work of the next five years, and in particular, should focus to consider the overall situation, and solemnly solve the important issues of spiritual civilization construction which attend the general concern of cadres and the masses.

The Plenary Session also deliberated and adopted the “Resolution on the Convening of the 15th National Congress of the Party”, determining that the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China would be convened in Beijing in the second half of 1997.