CPC to hold key plenum in October, discuss 13th five-year plan

BEIJING - The 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee will hold its fifth plenary session in Beijing in October.

The announcement was made after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held Monday.

High on the agenda is the discussion of the 13th five-year plan of national development (2016-2020). The five years from 2016 is a critical stage for building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects. The 13th five-year development plan will focus on realizing this goal, said a statement issued after the meeting.

China is entering a new normal of economic development and facing not only great strategic opportunities but complicated and tough challenges, the statement said.

"We need to correctly perceive the fundamental changes and respond to risks and challenges more effectively," the statement said.

"Upon the solid basis laid in the past three decades of reform and opening-up, we should have firm confidence and strong initiative and pool our resources to realize our goal."

Development is still the first priority during the 13th five-year period, according to the statement.

Upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics, China will follow Deng Xiaoping Theory, the principles of the Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development, fully implement President Xi Jinping's remarks and instructions and adhere to the strategic layout of "Four Comprehensives", the statement said.

The economic, political, cultural and social development, environment protection and Party management should all be advanced during the period, it said.

-- Continuing the focus on economic development, the country will aim at a development pattern of higher quality, efficiency, equality and sustainability. It will improve marco-control of the economy, maintain a medium-high growth rate and move towards the medium-high development.

-- It will carry on the transformation of government functions and inject more vitality in economic growth.

-- It will enhance the rule of law, especially by building a market economy that is governed by the law.

-- It will deepen opening-up in all dimensions and better respond to changes in international situations.

-- The CPC will strictly discipline itself and upgrade its capacity to govern.

The statement noted that the circumstances, tasks and requirements of China's development will change in the 2016-2020 period and the CPC must have new ideas and measures to achieve sustainable, healthy growth.

Learning from previous experience and carefully analyzing problems, the Party will come out with new development concepts, which may lead to a new development mode that is higher in quality, more efficient, fairer and more sustainable.

China has drafted five-year plans since 1953 to map out strategies for overall economic and social development, setting growth targets and defining development policies.