Liu Siyang:

Thank you, Mr. Wang Jianxin. The floor is now open to questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

People's Daily:

My questions are: Why do we call the changes in the first decade of the new era "great changes"? How do we understand these great changes and their significance as milestones? Thank you.

Jiang Jinquan:

Thanks for your questions. As I said in my opening remarks just now, the great changes in the first decade of the new era are all-round, fundamental, and critical to the whole landscape, and their impacts are holistic and historic, so we call them "great changes." Over the past decade, we have faced immense risks, challenges, issues and problems, arduous tasks of getting things straight at the source and of restoring order and clearing fallacies, as well as enormous difficulties in conquering fortresses and removing deep-seated problems. Given these obstacles rarely seen in the world and in history, the changes we have made did not come easily.

Here are some of my thoughts. First, great changes have been achieved in resolving the prominent issues in the Party. Over the past decade, the CPC Central Committee has unswervingly strengthened the overall leadership of the Party, advanced full and rigorous Party self-governance, and focused on addressing the issues with respect to a slide toward weak, hollow, and watered-down Party leadership in practice. The CPC Central Committee has worked ceaselessly to rectify pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance, firmly cracked down on corruption, removed hidden political dangers in the Party, and eliminated hidden concerns that the Party will not sustain. As a result, the Party's leadership has become stronger, and the political environment in the Party has taken on a completely new look. These efforts have provided fundamental political underpinnings for achieving the great transformation.

Second, great changes have been achieved in solving the prominent issues concerning economic and social development. In the face of economic and social issues that have been building for years and with a number of new issues emerging from changes both in and outside China, including the turbulent wave of economic, scientific, and technological decoupling stirred up by some Western countries, the CPC Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping have proposed a series of new ideas, concepts, and measures, particularly proposing and implementing the new development philosophy and promoting the creation of a new development pattern. This has not only effectively dealt with the triple pressures of shrinking demand, disrupted supply, and weakening expectations, but also laid the foundation for China's stable and secure development in the long term.

Third, great changes have been achieved in responding to external risks and challenges. Over the past decade, confronted with drastic changes in the international landscape and external attempts to blackmail, contain, blockade, and exert maximum pressure on China, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led all the Chinese people in maintaining firm strategic resolve, showing a fighting spirit, not being swayed by fallacies, deterred by intimidation, or cowed by pressure, and resolutely conducting tit-for-tat fighting. These efforts have effectively safeguarded China's dignity and core interests and firmly kept ourselves well-positioned for pursuing development and ensuring security. 

Judging from the three aspects, the great changes over the past decade in the new era did not come easily. They came from mitigating various risks and surmounting challenges and turbulent waves of issues. They were the result of the whole Party and all Chinese people striving in unity and fighting with determination. 

The report concludes that the great transformation over the past 10 years in the new era marks a milestone. This can be perceived, in my opinion, from five respects.

First, the great transformation has forged a strong leadership core for the great cause of national rejuvenation. Our Party has secured the major political achievement of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and found a second answer to the question of how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall. The answer is self-reform. Our Party has grown stronger, become more unified, and gained fresh vigor.

Second, the great transformation has promoted the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into an irreversible historical course. We have completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled, won the battle against poverty, and taken the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics on a new journey toward building a great modern socialist country in all respects. These have provided stronger institutional underpinnings, more solid material foundations, and a more active source of inspiration for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Third, the great transformation has enhanced the Chinese people's confidence, self-reliance, and strength. The historic achievements and changes in the new era have greatly enhanced Chinese people's confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Chinese people are more inspired than ever to forge ahead, more resolved than ever to work hard, and more confident than ever of securing success. They are filled with a stronger sense of history and initiative. Now, the Chinese people are staying confident and building strength, view themselves as the equals of any other in the world, and have a firmer sense of purpose, fortitude, and self-belief in creating new great historic achievements. 

Fourth, the great transformation has injected strong positive energy into world peace and development. Over the past decade, China has contributed to an annual average of around 30% of global economic growth and 70% of global poverty alleviation. The concept of building a human community with a shared future has been widely praised by the international community, the public goods including the Belt and Road Initiative have provided strong drivers for global development, and Chinese modernization has created a new form of human advancement. All of these have greatly influenced the global development landscape.

Fifth, the great transformation has demonstrated the strong vitality of Marxism. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is Marxism of contemporary China and Marxism of the 21st century. The great transformation over the past decade in the new era has fully demonstrated the power of Marxist theory as being truthful and practical, greatly enhanced the convictions of the Party and Chinese people in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and remarkably strengthened the confidence of people across the world, especially those from developing countries, in Chinese models and socialist movements. Thank you.