BEIJING — President Xi Jinping called for ensuring a good start for fully building a modern socialist country.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Jan 11 when addressing the opening of a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee attended by provincial and ministerial-level officials.

Xi stressed the need to resolutely implement the guiding principles of the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and urged the officials to accurately understand the new development stage, act on the new development philosophy and accelerate the establishment of the new development paradigm to drive high-quality development during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period.

NEW STAGE

Xi said the new development stage remains in the primary stage of socialism, but it is also a new starting point built on decades of development.

"We have laid a solid material foundation to embark on a new journey and achieve new and higher goals by our unremitting endeavors since the founding of the New China, especially over the four decades since the reform and opening-up," he said.

Xi said that the new development stage spans the next 30 years, during which China is expected to complete modernization.

Xi stressed that the primary stage of socialism is not static, but rather dynamic, active, promising and permeated with vigorous vitality.

For China's socialism to advance from the primary stage to a higher one, it is necessary to fully build a modern socialist China and basically realize socialist modernization, he said.

"The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, but time and situation are in our favor," Xi said.

He pointed out that there are unprecedented challenges and opportunities both at present and for some time to come, but in general opportunities outweigh challenges.

Xi stressed the need for the Party to deliver in its work and perseverance in realizing set goals.

NEW PHILOSOPHY

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, many major theories and concepts on economic and social development were put forward, with the new development philosophy being the primary and most important one, which has led China to make historic achievements and transformations in economic development, Xi said.

He ordered Party members to fully and faithfully practice the new development philosophy, whose "roots" and "soul" lie in striving for people's well-being and national rejuvenation.

Xi also stressed a problem-oriented approach in implementing the philosophy, calling for more targeted and pragmatic measures in addressing the issue of unbalanced and inadequate development.

Efforts should be made to strengthen awareness of potential dangers, persist in considering the worst-case scenario, and always be ready to cope with even more complex and difficult situations, said Xi.

"We must be brave to fight and be good at it. We must comprehensively strengthen ourselves," he said.

NEW PARADIGM

Xi said it is a major strategic task for China's overall development to establish at a faster pace the new development paradigm featuring dual circulation, in which domestic and overseas markets reinforce each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay.

Only by smoothing the domestic circulation can China withstand the rapid changes in the international arena, he noted.

Xi underscored the necessity to keep economic circulation unobstructed, further emphasize independent innovation, strengthen arrangements for scientific innovation, and push forward the establishment of mechanisms that facilitate innovation and technological breakthroughs.

Xi also called for setting up an effective system to boost domestic demand, unleashing the potential of domestic demand and encouraging consumer spending, thus making the formation of a super-sized domestic market a sustainable course of history.

New advantages must be created for China to engage in international cooperation and competition, and attention should be paid to using the international circulation to boost the efficiency and quality of domestic circulation, Xi said.

Stressing the Party's overall leadership over China's socialist modernization, Xi urged officials at all levels, especially senior ones, to keep improving their political judgment, understanding and execution for the effective implementation of the Party leadership's decisions and plans.

Jan 11's event was presided over by Li Keqiang and attended by Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng — who are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Vice-President Wang Qishan also attended.

Presiding over the opening ceremony, Li Keqiang called for an in-depth study of Xi's speech which is of great and profound significance and efforts to fully implement the CPC Central Committee's major decisions and plans for the 14th Five-Year Plan period.