Full text of Hu Jintao's report at 17th Party Congress

III. Thoroughly Applying the Scientific Outlook on Development

To continue to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics at the new stage of development, we must follow the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development.

The Scientific Outlook on Development is a continuation and development of the important thoughts on development advanced by the previous three generations of central collective leadership of the CPC and a concentrated expression of the Marxist world outlook and methodology with regard to development. It is a scientific theory that is in the same line as Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and keeps up with the times. It is an important guiding principle for China's economic and social development and a major strategic thought that we must uphold and apply in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

In light of the basic reality that China is in the primary stage of socialism, the Scientific Outlook on Development has been formulated to meet new requirements of development by analyzing China's own practice and drawing on the experience of other countries in development. At this new stage in the new century, China's development shows a series of new features which are mainly as follows: The economic strength has increased markedly, but the overall productivity remains low, the capacity for independent innovation is weak, and the longstanding structural problems and the extensive mode of growth are yet to be fundamentally addressed. The socialist market economy is basically in place, but there remain structural and institutional obstacles slowing down development, and further reform in difficult areas is confronted with deep-seated problems. A relatively comfortable standard of living has been achieved for the people as a whole, but the trend of a growing gap in income distribution has not been thoroughly reversed, there are still a considerable number of impoverished and low-income people in both urban and rural areas, and it has become more difficult to accommodate the interests of all sides. Efforts to balance development have yielded remarkable results, but the foundation of agriculture remains weak, the rural areas still lag behind in development, and we face an arduous task to narrow the urban-rural and interregional gaps in development and promote balanced economic and social development. Socialist democracy has continued to develop and we have made steady progress in implementing the rule of law as a fundamental principle, but efforts to improve democracy and the legal system fall somewhat short of the need to expand people's democracy and promote economic and social development, and political restructuring has to be deepened. Socialist culture is thriving as never before, but the people have growing cultural needs and have become more independent, selective, changeable and diverse in thinking, setting higher requirements for the development of an advanced socialist culture. Our society has become evidently more dynamic, but profound changes have taken place in the structure of society, in the way society is organized and in the pattern of social interests, and many new issues have emerged in social development and management. China is opening wider to the outside world, but international competition is becoming increasingly acute, pressure in the form of the economic and scientific dominance of developed countries will continue for a long time to come, both predictable and unpredictable risks are increasing, and the need to balance domestic development and opening to the outside world is greater than ever.

All this shows that through the unremitting efforts we have made since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, particularly since the introduction of the reform and opening up policy, China has scored achievements in development that have captured world attention, and experienced far-reaching changes in the productive forces and the relations of production, as well as in the economic base and the superstructure. However, the basic reality that China is still in the primary stage of socialism and will remain so for a long time to come has not changed, nor has Chinese society's principal contradiction - the one between the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people and the low level of social production. The current features of development in China are a concrete manifestation of that basic reality at this new stage in the new century. Stressing recognition of the basic reality is not meant to belittle ourselves, wallow in backwardness, or encourage unrealistic pursuit of quick results. Rather, such recognition will serve as the basis of our endeavor to advance reform and plan for development. We must always remain sober-minded, base our efforts on the most significant reality that China is in the primary stage of socialism, scientifically analyze the new opportunities and challenges arising from China's full involvement in economic globalization, fully understand the new situation and tasks in China's advance toward an industrialized, information-based, urbanized, market-oriented and internationalized country, have a good grasp of the new issues and problems we face in development, follow more conscientiously the path of scientific development, and strive to open up a broader vista for developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Scientific Outlook on Development takes development as its essence, putting people first as its core, comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development as its basic requirement, and overall consideration as its fundamental approach.

We must regard development as the top priority of the Party in governing and rejuvenating the country. Development is of decisive significance for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and speeding up socialist modernization. We must firmly commit ourselves to the central task of economic development, concentrate on construction and development, and keep releasing and developing the productive forces. We must better implement the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the nation with trained personnel and the strategy of sustainable development. We must grasp the law of development, make innovations in our thinking, transform the mode of development, crack hard issues and raise quality and efficiency to achieve sound and rapid development, so that we can lay a solid foundation for developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must strive for scientific development by putting people first and making it comprehensive, balanced and sustainable; we must strive for harmonious development by integrating all undertakings and promoting unity and amity among all members of society; and we must strive for peaceful development in the course of which China develops itself by safeguarding world peace and contributes to world peace by developing itself.

We must always put people first. Serving the people wholeheartedly is the fundamental purpose of the Party, and its every endeavor is for the well-being of the people. We must always make sure that the aim and outcome of all the work of the Party and the state is to realize, safeguard and expand the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people. We must respect the principal position of the people in the country's political life, give play to their creativity, protect their rights and interests, take the path of prosperity for all and promote their all-round development, to ensure that development is for the people, by the people and with the people sharing in its fruits.

We must pursue comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development. In accordance with the overall arrangements for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we will promote all-round economic, political, cultural and social development, coordinate all links and aspects of our modernization drive, and balance the relations of production with the productive forces and the superstructure with the economic base. We must adopt an enlightened approach to development that results in expanded production, a better life and sound ecological and environmental conditions, and build a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society that coordinates growth rate with the economic structure, quality and efficiency, and harmonizes economic growth with the population, resources and the environment, so that our people will live and work under sound ecological and environmental conditions and our economy and society will develop in a sustainable way.

We must persist in overall consideration. We need to correctly understand and handle the major relationships in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and balance urban and rural development, development among regions, economic and social development, relations between man and nature, and domestic development and opening to the outside world. We must take into overall consideration the relationships between the central and local authorities, between personal and collective interests, between interests of the part and those of the whole, and between immediate and long-term interests, so as to fully arouse the initiative of all sides. We must take both the domestic and international situations into consideration, develop a global and strategic perspective, be good at seizing opportunities for development and coping with risks and challenges in a changing world, and work for a favorable international environment. While planning our work from an overall perspective, we need to work hard to make breakthroughs on the key issues that affect the overall situation and on the major problems that affect public interests.

To thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, we must always adhere to the Party's basic line of taking economic development as the central task and upholding the Four Cardinal Principles and the reform and opening up policy, known as "one central task and two basic points." As the lifeblood of the Party and the country, this basic line provides the political guarantee for scientific development. Taking economic development as the central task is vital to invigorating our nation and is the fundamental requirement for the robust growth and lasting stability of the Party and the nation. The Four Cardinal Principles are the very foundation for building our country and the political cornerstone for the survival and development of the Party and the nation. Reform and opening up are the path to a stronger China and the source of vitality for the Party and the nation in development and progress. We will continue to apply the line of "one central task and two basic points" in its entirety in our great endeavor to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics; we will never deviate from this line.

To thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, we must work energetically to build a harmonious socialist society. Social harmony is an essential attribute of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Scientific development and social harmony are integral to each other and neither is possible without the other. Building a harmonious socialist society is a historical mission throughout the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as a historical process and the social outcome of correctly handling various social problems on the basis of development. It is through development that we will increase the material wealth of society and constantly improve people's lives, and it is again through development that we will guarantee social equity and justice and constantly promote social harmony. To realize social equity and justice is the Chinese Communists' consistent position and a major task of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. In accordance with the general requirements for democracy and the rule of law, equity and justice, honesty and fraternity, vigor and vitality, stability and order, and harmony between man and nature and the principle of all the people building and sharing a harmonious socialist society, we will spare no effort to solve the most specific problems of the utmost and immediate concern to the people and strive to create a situation in which all people do their best, find their proper places in society and live together in harmony, so as to provide a favorable social environment for development.

To thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, we must continue to deepen reform and opening up. We need to incorporate the spirit of reform and innovation into all links of governance, unswervingly adhere to the orientation of reform, and have more scientific decision-making and better coordinated measures for reform. We will improve the socialist market economy, promote institutional reform and innovation in various sectors, accelerate reform in important fields and crucial links, improve opening up in all respects and make our systems and mechanisms full of vigor, highly efficient, more open and conducive to scientific development, so as to provide a powerful driving force and an institutional guarantee for developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. We will always take improving people's lives as a pivotal task in balancing reform, development and stability and ensure that our reform always has the endorsement and support of the people.

To thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, we must strengthen our efforts to build the Party in earnest. As is required by the Party's lofty mission of governing and rejuvenating the nation, our efforts to improve the Party's governance capability and maintain and develop its vanguard nature must serve our task of directing scientific development, promoting social harmony, guiding development and progress in China and better representing and realizing the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people. In this way, the Party's work and our efforts to build the Party will better meet the requirement of the Scientific Outlook on Development and provide a reliable political and organizational guarantee for scientific development.

All Party members must fully understand the content and grasp the essence of the Scientific Outlook on Development, be more conscious and determined in applying it, change notions that are not in line with it, work hard to solve major problems that affect or constrain scientific development, direct the whole society's enthusiasm for development to scientific development, and apply this outlook to every aspect of economic and social development.