The Fourth Plenary Session of the Sixteenth Central Committee of the CPC

Held in Beijing from September 16 to 19, 2004. It focused on a number of major issues of strengthening the Party's ruling capacity. The Plenary Session listened to and discussed Hu Jintao's Work Report entrusted by the Central Political Bureau, and considered and adopted the “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on the Enhancement of the Party's Ruling Capacity”.

The “Decision” pointed out that the Party's ruling capacity is the capacity to formulate and implement correct theories, directions, guidelines, policies and strategies, to lead the formulation and implementation of the Constitution and laws, to introduce a scientific leadership system and leadership style, to mobilize and organize the people to administrate the state and social affairs, economic and cultural undertakings in accordance with the law, to effectively rule the Party and the country, and to build a modern socialist state. The “Decision” put forward the guiding ideology, overall objective and main tasks of enhancing the Party's ruling capacity. The emphasis on enhancing the Party's ruling capacity, must adhere to Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of “Three Represents” as the guide, the full implementation of the Party's fundamental line, basic program and basic experience, to maintain the Party's flesh-and-blood relationship with the people as the core, to raise high-quality cadres as the key, and to reform and improve the Party's leadership system and work mechanism as the focus, to enhance the Party's grass-roots organizations and Party members as the basis, and strive to reflect the times, grasp the regularity, rich in creativity.

The “Decision” emphasized that the overall objective of enhancing the Party's governing capacity is to make the Party always become a ruling Party that stands for the masses and governs for the people, a ruling Party that governs scientifically, democratically and in accordance with the law, and a ruling Party, i.e. truthful and pragmatic, innovative, diligent and efficient, clean and honest through the joint efforts of the Party. The main tasks of enhancing the Party's governing capacity are: continuously improving its ability to master the socialist market economy, develop socialist democracy, build advanced socialist culture, build a harmonious socialist society, and cope with the international situation and handle international affairs. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee agreed to Jiang Zemin's resignation as Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission and decided that Hu Jintao would become Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission.