Full text of resolution on amendment to CPC Constitution

BEIJING - The following is the full text of Resolution of the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China on the Revised Constitution of the Communist Party of China adopted at the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China on November 14, 2012:

The Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China deliberated on and unanimously adopted its revised Constitution proposed by the Seventeenth Party Central Committee and decided that it shall come into force as of the date of adoption.

The congress noted that since the Party's Sixteenth National Congress, the Chinese Communists with Comrade Hu Jintao as their chief representative, following the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, have gained a deep understanding of major questions such as what kind of development China should achieve under new conditions and how the country should achieve it to meet new requirements for development and answered these questions, and thus developed the Scientific Outlook on Development that puts people first and calls for comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development. The Scientific Outlook on Development is a scientific theory that is both in keeping with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and is in step with the times. It fully embodies the Marxist worldview on and methodology for development and represents the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to China' s conditions. It is the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Communist Party of China and a long-term guiding ideology the Party must adhere to. The congress unanimously agreed that along with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development should be made a part of the Party' s guide for action in the Party Constitution. The congress called on all Party members to study the Scientific Outlook on Development more thoroughly, apply it more consciously and with greater determination, steadily improve institutions and mechanisms for implementing it, and apply it throughout the course of China's modernization and to every aspect of Party building.

The congress held that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics are the fundamental accomplishments made by the Party and people in the course of protracted and arduous struggle. We must unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics in order to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, accelerate socialist modernization, and achieve the great renewal of the Chinese nation. Incorporating into the Party Constitution the socialist system with Chinese characteristics as a fundamental cause for all of China's achievements and progress since the policy of reform and opening up was adopted, along with the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, will help the whole Party deepen their understanding of socialism with Chinese characteristics and fully grasp its nature. The congress stressed that all Party members must cherish the path, the theories and the system created by the Party through arduous struggle, keep to them all the time, and continue to enrich them. The congress also stressed that the whole Party should have every confidence in this path, these theories and this system and strive to achieve new victory for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The congress held that promoting ecological progress is a long-term task of vital importance to the people's wellbeing and the Chinese nation's future. It is imperative to give high priority to making ecological progress and incorporate it into all aspects and the whole process of advancing economic, political, cultural, and social progress, work hard to build a beautiful country, and achieve lasting and sustainable development of the Chinese nation. The congress approved of including in the Party Constitution the need to promote ecological progress and elaborating on it. This has augmented the overall plan for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and further defined the strategic importance of ecological progress, and will help advance this cause across the board. Promoting harmonized development of industrialization, IT application, urbanization and agricultural modernization is a major task China faces in pursuing economic and social development and an important strategic step for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Making people's democracy more extensive, fuller in scope and sounder in practice and improving the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics are objective requirements for keeping to the socialist path of making political advance with Chinese characteristics, carrying out political structural reform both actively and prudently, and strengthening efforts to build a socialist country based on the rule of law. Developing a strong socialist culture and strengthening core socialist values are important to promoting the great development and enrichment of socialist culture and strengthening the country's cultural soft power. To build a harmonious socialist society, it is imperative to ensure and improve the people's wellbeing, enable all our people to share in more fruits of development in a more equitable way, and strengthen and make innovations in social management. The inclusion of these statements in the Party Constitution has enriched its content on promoting socialist economic, political, cultural, and social progress. This is of great importance in guiding all Party members to implement the Party's basic theory, line, program, experience and requirement more consciously and with greater determination, to make all-around efforts to develop the socialist market economy, socialist democracy, an advanced socialist culture and a harmonious socialist society and promote socialist ecological progress, and to rally and lead people of all ethnic groups in China in continuing to win new victory for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The congress held that reform and opening up, the path to a stronger China, are the salient feature of the new period in China. It is by carrying out reform and opening up that China has achieved rapid development in the past 30-plus years, and it is reform and opening up that will ensure its future development. Only reform and opening up can enable China, socialism and Marxism to develop themselves. The inclusion of this statement in the Party Constitution will help the whole Party acquire a deeper understanding of the importance of continuing to carry out reform and opening up and thus pursue this endeavor even more consciously and with greater determination.

The congress pointed out that with progress made in Party building since the Seventeenth Congress, our Party has gained an increasingly deeper understanding of the laws of building a Marxist governing party, faced up to the tests and risks confronting it, and focused on strengthening its governance capacity, advanced nature and purity. And it has made all-around efforts to strengthen itself ideologically and organizationally, improve its conduct, become better able to fight corruption, uphold integrity and improve its rules and regulations, and thus made Party building more scientific in all respects. In light of new developments, the Party's Eighteenth Congress set out the new requirement to build the Party into a learning, service-oriented and innovative Marxist governing party. To adapt itself to new conditions, the whole Party must achieve unity in thought and action under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development and the basic line of the Party, be realistic and pragmatic, uphold the principal position of Party members, and strengthen oversight of principal leading cadres. The congress agreed to include these new achievements, new understanding and new requirements in the overall requirements of Party building in the Party Constitution so as to better define the underlying theme as well as the overall plan and objectives of Party building and advance the great new undertaking of Party building in all respects.

The congress held that in view of the successful practices in Party building in recent years and in keeping with the revisions to the General Program, it is necessary to make appropriate revisions to some of the articles of the Party Constitution. Conscientiously studying Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development is a duty of Party members. Excelling in their work and organizing Party members to conscientiously study Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development are the basic tasks of primary Party organizations. The Party should select its cadres on the basis of both moral integrity and professional competence, with priority given to the former, and appoint cadres on their merits without regard to their origins. The Party should attach greater importance to conducting oversight of cadres. Party cadres at all levels should uphold principles, observe the Party spirit and ethical standards, and play an exemplary role. The inclusion of these statements in the Party Constitution will encourage all members of the Party to adhere to its guiding ideology and study and apply the Scientific Outlook on Development more consciously and with greater determination. Such inclusion is conducive to upholding impartiality and honesty in personnel management, fostering the right atmosphere for such management, improving public trust in the selection and appointment of Party cadres and enhancing their integrity and competence. It is also conducive to encouraging Party cadres, especially principal ones, to enhance competence in all respects and better play their exemplary role.

The congress called on Party organizations at all levels and all Party members to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development, and earnestly study, observe, apply and uphold the Party Constitution. The congress called on them to ensure that the Party supervises its own conduct and runs itself with strict discipline, to continue to strengthen the Party's governance capacity, advanced nature and purity, to comprehensively carry out the great new undertaking of Party building in the spirit of reform and innovation, and to make Party building more scientific in all respects. Finally, the congress called on the whole Party to firmly march on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.