Amendment to the Party Constitution elaborated

Special: 20th CPC National Congress

The Communist Party of China has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the building of an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity, in its latest amendment to the Party's Constitution, an official has said.

An official responsible for the secretariat of the 20th CPC National Congress said in a statement that the amendment to the Party's Constitution, adopted at the closing session of the congress on Saturday, included important thinking and ideas put forward by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, on national defense, the armed forces, the united front and foreign affairs.

The amendment said that the Party "shall hold dear humanity's shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom" and pledged to "achieve the reunification of the motherland by fully, faithfully, and resolutely implementing the policy of 'one country, two systems'".

It also reaffirmed the need to elevate the people's armed forces to world-class standards and a pledge to resolutely oppose and deter separatists seeking "Taiwan independence".

"These revisions are conducive to building a strong military with Chinese characteristics, making sustained and steady progress with 'one country, two systems' in the new era, advancing national reunification, promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and leading the tide of human progress," the official said.

The official explained that it has been a tradition to amend the Party's Constitution at CPC national congresses, with appropriate revisions made to the CPC Constitution from the 13th to 19th national congresses.

"Facts have proved that the revisions have enabled the Party's Constitution to better play its role in terms of regulation and guidance."

Other key revisions to the CPC Constitution include reaffirming the leading role of the Party in all aspects of society as the highest force for political leadership, underscoring that the Party's self-reform is a journey to which there is no end, and calling for integrated efforts to ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity or desire to become corrupt.

Xi has chaired five symposiums to listen to advice from senior officials and the armed forces on the amendment. A draft of the amendment was also reviewed during various top leadership meetings before it was presented to delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, the official said.