The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened in Beijing Thursday at "the decisive stage of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects."

Delivering a political report at the opening of the congress, Hu Jintao said China must firmly march on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics to ensure that the country can attain the grand goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020.

The congress is of great importance as China has entered a "decisive" stage, Hu told about 2,300 delegates and specially invited delegates in the gigantic Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.

"Throughout the past 30-plus years of continuous exploration for reform and opening up, we have held high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and rejected both the old and rigid closed-door policy and any attempt to abandon socialism and take an erroneous path," he said.

Hu said in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, China bases itself on the basic reality that the country is in the primary stage of socialism.

"Our overall approach is to promote economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress, and our general task is to achieve socialist modernization and the great renewal of the Chinese nation," he said.

In his report, Hu stressed that together with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development is the theoretical guidance the Party must adhere to for a long time.

Hu also put forward the goal of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and deepening reform and opening up in an all-around way.

The building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects is a crucial link in China's modernization drive. In light of the target set at the 13th CPC National Congress held in 1987, by the middle of the 21st century, China's gross national product will reach the level of moderately developed countries, its people will live a better-off life and the country will basically attain the goal of modernization.

In his report, Hu said China must fully implement the overall plan for promoting economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress, and ensure coordinated progress in all areas of endeavors in the modernization drive.

By 2020, China should double its 2010 GDP and per capita income for both urban and rural residents, Hu said in the report.

To complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, "we must, with greater political courage and vision, lose no time in deepening reform in key sectors," Hu said.

To achieve new victory for socialism with Chinese characteristics, Hu listed eight "basic requirements" for the Party and Chinese people:

-- Maintaining the people's principal position in the country;

-- Continuing to release and develop the productive forces;

-- Persevering in reform and opening up;

-- Safeguarding social fairness and justice;

-- Striving for common prosperity;

-- Promoting social harmony;

-- Pursuing peaceful development;

-- Upholding the leadership of the Party.

Hu said China will keep to the socialist path of making political advance with Chinese characteristics and promote reform of the political structure.

The country will make people's democracy more extensive, fuller in scope and sounder in practice, he said.

"We should place high importance on systemic building, give full play to the strength of the socialist political system and draw on the political achievements of other societies. However, we will never copy a Western political system," Hu said.

Hu also highlighted the importance of promoting ecological progress, calling for more efforts to build a beautiful country, and achieve lasting and sustainable development of the Chinese nation.

On international relations, Hu said China calls for promoting equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutually beneficial cooperation in international relations and making joint efforts to uphold international fairness and justice.

Jiang Zemin, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang were present at the opening of the congress, which was presided over by Wu Bangguo.

Hu's report, entitled "Firmly march on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects," lasted about an hour and 40 minutes and won applause from time to time.

The theme of the congress is to "hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development, free up the mind, implement the policy of reform and opening up, pool our strength, overcome all difficulties, firmly march on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects."

The congress will deliberate and adopt the amendment to the CPC Constitution.

It will also elect the Party's 18th Central Committee and Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.  

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 During the opening ceremony of the 18th CPC National Congress, attendants were requested to stand in silent tribute to late veteran revolutionaries and martyrs,  including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun. (Source: CNTV.com)