Prez Xi Jinping vows political and economic reforms in China

Beijing: China’s new President Xi Jinping today vowed to deepen structural reforms in economic and political fields, saying the world’s second largest economy can remain “dynamic” only by keeping abreast with times.

Xi, 59, also made clear that opening-up of the economy can never stop and that the issues that crop up in the process can only be tackled by more restructuring.

He said the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) must enhance the capacity in scientific, democratic and law-based governance. Only this way the CPC will maintain its governing position for long time to come.

The CPC must maintain close ties with the people, improve the performance in leadership and governance and increase its ability to resist corruption, prevent degeneration and ward off risks, Xi, who is also the new CPC Chief, said.

Xi, who grew up from the grassroots of having been a leader from the village to province to central level, said under the new historical conditions China must make new breakthroughs in reforms and opening-up with new prospects for development.

“We will enhance top level design and overall planning and advance structural reforms in economic, political, cultural, social and ecological fields in a balanced way,” he said.

Ruling out changing the model of development, Xi said, “We do not think there is one special experience in the world, nor do we believe the development model will stay forever. We will continue to develop and improve socialism with Chinese characteristics”.

He said the world has changed, so has China. Socialism with Chinese characteristics must also move forward in keeping with the changing situation and conditions.

“We have to keep abreast with times. Only keeping abreast with times can China remain a dynamic country. We are open to drawing from fine achievements of all civilisations. But we will not keep the development model of any other country.”

China with the GDP of $8.25 trillion surpassed Japan to become the world’s second largest economy after the US.

Xi said said China should break a new ground in reforms by opening up new perspectives for development.

“Speaking of reform and opening-up, it is crucial for China. It is crucial to build socialism with Chinese characteristics. Without reform and opening-up, China would not have come up this far nor will have a better future,” Xi said.

“I have expressed many times that reform and opening-up is an ongoing process. It must never stop. Issues that emerge in the course of reform and opening up can only be resolved by pressing ahead with reform and opening-up,” he told select Editors of BRICS countries in his first interaction with the international media after taking over the leadership last week.

This is the first time Xi has spoken about political reforms in the one party state besides deepening economic reforms. However he did not elaborate on how he proposes to go about in implementing them.

“We can meet challenges ahead and boldly sail through unchartered waters. We should remove all systemic and institutional barriers that impeded our efforts to pursue development in a scientific way, stimulate creativity and forge ahead with undertaking in all fronts,” he said.

Lacing his statements with quotes from Chinese proverbs and idioms, Xi said the Communist Party of China (CPC) was founded 90 years and has been in governance for 64 years. Its mission as China’s governing party is to lead to Chinese people to achieve greater national development and make life better for them.

“The only that path that can take us for and bring us success is the one chosen by Chinese people and suited to China’s realities,” he said quoting from a Chinese proverb that only when the shoes are comfortable can one say that it is a good pair of shoes.

PTI