Key words: "Maritime power" a priority at National Congress; Political reform key issue for new leadership

"Maritime power" a priority at National Congress

China president Hu Jintao called to strengthen the country into a maritime force at the National Congress in Beijing on November 8 against a backdrop of territorial and maritime disputes with neighbors. 

"We should enhance our capacity for exploiting marine resources, resolutely safeguard China's maritime rights and interests, and build China into a maritime power," Hu said in his keynote report to over 2,300 delegates at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Hu's comments also marks the first time a leader delivered a decisive plan for naval development in a congressional report. 

Chinese media outlets were quick to point out China's lag in naval development among the recent territorial disputes, while providing insight into the steps needed for China to become a maritime power.

People's Daily reported that although becoming a maritime power is an indispensable step in the process of becoming a world power, unlike other superpowers China will maintain its quest to maintain harmonious oceans.

"This is the century of the ocean, and the world's powers are all making maritime rights and interests a top priority," the People's Daily opined.

"As the world's second largest economy, China's economy heavily relies on marine resource and shipping lanes. We should build China's naval power in order to protect and expand the nation's maritime rights."

According to the Global Times, China wants to become a maritime power in order to better safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity while helping maintain world peace.

"Our oceans are facing unprecedented challenge and threats. The US is strategizing to contain China in the Pacific region while disputes between China and neighboring countries intensify in the East and South China Sea."

The editorial also stresses the importance of "territorial integrity in the public consciousness," while urging for more efforts in developing China's maritime economy and a "complete legal system and efficient law enforcement teams."

Political reform key issue for new leadership

Political reform took precedent in President Hu Jintao's keynote report to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on November 8, acknowledging in part persistent calls to curb the corruption of officials from the public.  

"The reform of the political structure is an important part of China's overall reform. We must continue to make both active and prudent efforts to carry out the reform of the political structure, and make people's democracy more extensive, fuller in scope and sounder in practice," Hu emphasized.

Chinese media was optimistic, suggesting it should be carried out steadily and uninfluenced by the standards of western nations.

The Beijing News emphasized that reform of political structure should keep pace with economic, cultural, and social reform; as it provides the foundation for which all other reform is carried out.

However the newspaper also called for the nation's leaders to make a commitment to the public by presenting a solid plan.

"Promoting political reform takes courage. Even though some fields are presently not equipped to carry out reforms, a blueprint and timetable is still necessary in order to show the government's determination to seek support and decrease resistance to reforms."

Zhu Jiamu, former vice-president of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told cntv.cn that we should never use Western democratic standards to weigh the success of our political reform.

"The premise of reform is to maintain national unity, social stability, and economic development, while the purpose of reform is to improve the socialist system, mobilize the people and revitalize the nation," said Zhu.

"The connection between upholding the leadership of the party, the people being masters of the country and managing state affairs according to law should be the principle that guide reforms," Zhu added.

People.com.cn echoed the above comments, while emphasizing that political reform should be kept in context and carried out gradually while simultaneously coordinating with economic, cultural, and social reform to optimize its impact.